On the Lighter Side

[W.J.Langholz]

Today was a nice day, we even got above zero out side...........but yesterday was a whole different matter.

We have had a bit of a challenging winter for the last 2 weeks first it was the 24 inches of snow on Christmas, and anybody that lives in Minnesota knows that after a good snow storm comes the bitter cold.....and it did. We saw several nights in the -25F without the windchill and Friday night Saturday morning was no exception. The wind did come up Friday and gave us a pretty good ground blizard. We have some cattle at home and come Saturday morning we were going to have to get the big snow blower going along with the Bi Di (Ford-New Holland's mini payloader) My son is home from college so I thought well this shouldn't take to long and we should be done by noon and out of the -20F back in the nice warm house. My son decided he would take the Bi-Di and I would run the 7120 Case IH with the 8' blower. Things were going along good and I'm thing we should have the cattle fed and everything done by noon. We were both working toward the machine shed and my son decided to back in and push the snow out away from the door, WELL THAT'S WHEN IT ALL WENT TO HE## in a Hand Basket!!!!!

I'm going to break from the story a bit to tell you a little side line. Everyone who grew up in Minnesota when HHH was in office had to love him and being a good Dem. my dad would say when things would go bad that it was a "Nixon" and when they were really really bad it was a "Hoover"

So back to the story.....as he was backing into the shed he had forgotten to lower the bucket, (which by the way has a grapple on it) and as he zipping in looking backwards he tore off the bottom cord of the first raffter......with the rail that the doors slide on..........now we have a "Nixon".........so dad is trying really hard to keep his cool..........so after not saying anything I finally get a few words out, trying here again really hard not to cuss, and told him to get the tools and ladders and I would take the BiDi and finish scooping snow by the water fountain sow the cows could get up to drink. Best if he worked on the shed by himself for a bit so I could cool down some more after all he was just helping out right(dad's have to remind themselves of that once in awhile)..... anyway I went into the lot and started to scoop and a hydrolic hose popped spraying hydrolic fluid all over...........NOW WE HAVE a HOOVER.........it's 20 below and I don't care how warm the hydrolic fluid is when it hits something cold it is like thick guey mollasses all over the whole tractor....and we are 200 yds away from the heated shop...... NOW I went right past the typical Minnesota swear words like "Jiminy Crickets" and Jumpin Jehosaphat" and the sky got blue with the real hard core ones..........I figured out how to block off the blown hose, poured some more fluid in and got it up in to the shop. I could barely see out the windows with all this yuck on them. Now at least in the shop I can fix the busted hose, but as I was walking around the tractor ....still HOT UNDER THE COLLAR so to speak trying to figure out how I was going to get all this crap off my tractor........and low and behold who's name do you suppose popped into my head but GEORGE HORN'S.....not sure why his name came to mind in the middle of my rant but George's WD40 with hot water sure did the trick!!!!!! I had to do it several times but today my BiDi is nice and clean .....we patched the end of the shed up and rehung the doors for now and will fix it better in the spring. The Sun Came Out Today we got up to +25....and My Son had a smile back on his face.....LIFE IS GOOD....thanks George and all for the small cost of Dues in this place we call the 170 Club


W.

[Bill Hart]

That all sucked... .....I think? Well anyway at least you found a new way to clean the tractor.

[GAHorn]

My Dad was the one who originally gave me the idea. He'd wash the '57 Chrysler (tail fins and all) with a bucket of warm water and kerosene. I like the smell of WD40 better.
Glad it worked!

[wingnut]

Thanks for sharing that W,
I've had an interesting few days myself. Although we didn't see -25, we did see single digits 4 nights in a row, one night -2. But the winds on Thursday and Friday are what killed us. We just aren't prepared for those kind of temps coupled with the 35-40 mph gust.
All the automatic waterers froze late Wednesday. Dad is down with pneumonia . I left the hangar Wednesday afternoon to take care of livestock, mine and dad's.
Every garden hose on the place was frozen with residual water, so I take them in the house to thaw. I have a 300 gallon water tank in my truck bed. I hook the thawed hose to my "freeze proof" faucet (buried 18"), and learn that it is frozen . I get my propane torch out. Wind blows out the fire. I drive to hangar to get heat gun. I thaw frozen faucet. I hook up hose. Hose is already frozen again . Take hose in house, thaw. Back to faucet (which I wrapped with a blanket and placed a trash can over). Began filling water tank and noticed valve was open. Frozen open. Thought I had it thawed out. Tried to close it. Broke it. Now I use needle nose pliers to reach up the hole and work the mechanism closed. Opening it and plugging in the 2" PVC with all that water coming out is the fun part .
I lay the garden hose on a grade, so it will drain. After filling the stock tanks, I go back to roll the hose to take it inside. Its already so stiff, it cracks. First hose down, 3 to go. End Thursday with all cattle, goats, rabbits and chickens taken care of. Drink cold beer .
Friday morning. Toilet at NW corner of house froze. All ponds froze solid. All stock tanks empty. All "freeze proof" faucets at mine and dads place froze. I load up hose from heated house, drive to hangar (which I had turn off well pump and drained all lines Wednesday afternoon) to fill tank. Hose already froze. Can’t get my key in the doorknob because of ice. Light torch to thaw doorknob. Wind blows out torch. Get back in truck. Light torch. Hold key with pliers. Heat to hot. Quickly exit truck and press hot key into keyhole . Take frozen hose in to heated hangar. Thaw frozen valve again. Turn on well pump and fill tank. Drain hose. Roll hose up in truck bed. Go home and fill stock tanks. Cattle are thirsty and this process was repeated 3 hours later. Now back at hangar for water. “Freeze proof” faucet froze (I forgot to turn well off and drain lines) . Thaw with heat gun. Hose cracks when I unroll it. So what!!!!! It’s still long enough for intended purpose. Fill tank and back home I go. Stop at dads to load his wood stove. Stop at my house to load my wood stove. Head out to pasture to fill stock tanks. Valve on my water tank seems frozen. Leaning over the opened tailgate, laying in the bed of the truck with my face positioned to look up in to the valve, I use the needle nose pliers to push the mechanism open. Water rushes out and covers most of my front side . Gasping, I still manage to get the PVC pipe pushed in to the valve with all that water rushing out. This is starting to get to me now. Go home and change cloths. Put out 5 more round bales. (Miss Molly, my 53’ Jubilee, and my 82’ Chevy pick-up, are the only things of all I needed to get through this, that did not fail me once). Take the kids to pond to play on ice; wished we had skates. Go to dads to get wood up and fill stove. Go back home and take care of mine. Extra feed for all animals before dark. Extra firewood brought in tonight. Set alarm for 2am, so to fill woodstove and check faucets. Sit on couch with cold beer, quickly switch to white liquor. Crash on couch. End Friday.
Saturday starts out at –2, but the winds have subsided and it almost seems bearable outside. I decide to start early with the water project. Filled the wood stoves and headed to the hangar, the only source of water. I sensed a feeling of some order and routine to this madness, and that was both comforting and bothersome . But, at this point, I knew what problems I would be having this day and prepared both mentally and physically. After filling the stock tanks I even managed to thaw the NW bathroom, after looking through a photo album of our house construction and seeing exactly where the plumbing came out of the slab. Heat gun and approx one hour did the trick. Now, I used it thaw one of my outdoor “freeze proof” faucets, and without the wind it did not freeze again. Same routine with the white liquor. End Saturday.
Sunday, the big thaw!! Starts out at +6, but managed +33 by 2pm. Got most of the auto waterers working. Only had to change out water bottles for the rabbits twice today, and I swear the cows were smiling.

We’ve had these temps before. We’ve had these winds before. But not both together since 1983. Late December 83” for approx 2 weeks we had sub zero temps at night and high in the teens. No serious precipitation then, but I remember the commercial catfish operation at nearby Lake Wilhelmina were driving trucks out on the lake to drill in to the tops of the cages to feed the fish.

[cessna170bdriver]

Del,

I know every word of that is true; stuff like that can't be made up! Been there and done some of it.

Miles

[W.J.Langholz]

Del
I think you are a better story teller than me After reading yours I didn't feel too bad .
I had you on my bucket list of places to visit cuase I thought it was warm there .....maybe by the time I get there it will warm up


W.

[Bill Hart]

I WILL NOT COMPLAIN. I WILL NOT COMPLAIN.

[Brad Brady]

Del,
Your story is out there!!! With the Cattle, got me thinking of the Neighbor, Dale, In the late 60's or early 70's we had a cold snap...Here in North Central IL. All water lines and frost free hydrants are at 48", so we are ready for the "freeze" But the cattle tank is above ground. Dale was lilting a tank warmer, (basically an LP Heater Throwing a flame into a square box.) Using the basic "farmer equipment".....a corn cob soaked in gasoline on the end of a 1/4 rod. He tried to start the warmer, when the corn cob went out! Pissed off he stuck the cob back into the bucket of gasoline......Heard it SIZZLE, and then thought "what the HELL have I just done! The day was so cold, and he didn't make a spark.....He's still here to tell the story.

[rhymes]

Well, Gentlemen...
You have reminded me that it's all relative! Living here in N.E. California on the Eastern slope of the High Sierra, we do get snow and cold temps...
but I've been blissfully engaged in our new heated hangar (built it m'self) polishing our beautiful '54 170B. I'd been thinking how life could sure be a lot tougher than polishing a pretty plane... although my friends do stop by, watch me for a few minutes then depart with heads shaking. Now I KNOW it could be a lot tougher! Heck: I'm already looking forward to tomorrow's polishing!

[blueldr]

Damn! One of the oranges froze on my tree!

[170C]

Those cold weather stories make me almost, but not completely, ashamed that I complained at the mid teens here in north central TX. Coldest we have had in 10 + yrs. I had occasions to get out for short periods in the north wind and wondered how you folks up north stand it. I guess you adapt to it just like we try to adapt to the hot/humid summers down here. Guess I'll quite griping so much about the heat next summer and remember what the winter was like here and up north. That is why I like spring & especially fall. Good luck to all

[ron74887]

Del, I know how you feel being from the south and we are not use to this weather and being not happy with the cold. I had a couple of frozen faucets and we don't even use the no freeze type-- not supossed to get this colkd this long. Talked with J Snyder a couple of weeks ago now and it has been below freezing at his place (Nebrasks sand hills) since before Thanksgiving (at the time I talked it had been 45 days). His pond is frozen solid and he said the main thing was breaking the ice from the cattle troughs. I asked what the hell his cows were doing, grazing on dead grass!!! Time for him to move South. So now it's probably been 60 days now and no sign of relief for him. W and Yanks you can have it Hell I may not be far enough south but much farther I be in the water!!! Ron

[N2255D]

It's all that global warming thing going on.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Hey Ron, it wasn't that bad. Course I was sitting around calling the FAA and tending the coal fire that heats my house most of the time.

I can not imagine what it is that W and Jim Snyder, who is a Nebraska farmer for those that haven't met him, put up with taken care of animals and all. I get upset when I have to get up from my warm easy chair to let my dog out once or twice a day.

[wingnut]

Del
I think you are a better story teller than me After reading yours I didn't feel too bad .
I had you on my bucket list of places to visit cuase I thought it was warm there .....maybe by the time I get there it will warm up
W.

Bucket List. What a great movie!
We are back to normal temps now. Ponds still froze solid and I have a small live creek on my place thats still frozen, but the waterers are working and life is back to normal.