My Own Ice Road

[linus69]

This has been a fairly tough winter here in the North East, below average temps. and more than enough snow and ice to contend with.The main problem is that it hasn`t warmed up at all so the snow and ice just gets layered and our gravel access road/driveway is a couple inches of solid ice.







































Paul

[GuglioLS]

Howdy Paul,

Those are some great winter shots "playing" out in the snow. Is that your ATV? They're great for plowing snow. I used to use mine for snow plowing but stopped because I got to damn cold. I could plow faster with the ATV but the higher speeds and resulting wind chill were freezing my face off so I decided to go back to the slower speed tractor. What's the lowest temp youve had this season? I know it's been a brutal winter for you. Weve had our share of snow and cold as well:

On Feb 3rd @ 3:48 AM my digital clock thermometer says -29* F and my Analog thermometer says -32.

Notice the indoor temp on the digital one? That's a 111*F difference from indoor to outdoor.
For nearly 72 hours I feed the wood stove round the clock keeping it stoked to capacity. Luckily no pipes froze, my neighbor who was on vacation was not so lucky. When the pipes thawed his house flooded in a bad way ~ 25 grand in damage.



Larry

[linus69]

Hey Larry, yes that is my ATV and it is one damn fast way to plow snow, and yes it can be one of the coldest experiences of your life. I used it the most this season because it was the fastest and most convenient.
I think the lowest temp we got around here was about 12degs below zero, we have been below average temps most of this winter. However the Groundhog has predicted an early Spring and I`ve already seen active Woodpeckers and a pair of Robins, so I`m hopeful.
Right now it is sunny and 40degs and my ice-road is melting and is like walking on grease.
I too know someone whose pipes broke from the cold, they were away, totally ruined the house.

Paul

[linus69]

That woodpecker kept hammering so I took a hike and found one of the trees it was hammering on. It was a Pielated Woodpecker, the one the cartoonist based Woody Woodpecker on, also Thrush mufflers symbol.
They look like something Dr Suess dreamed up, and this is a big bird, like a Bantam chicken size.
It has a big long beak and makes big holes in the trees that it takes a liking too, this tree had old holes in it too.
Very shy bird though, once it sees a human it takes off, never got a picture of one yet.





Paul

[roy697]

Nice. Years ago one of my brothers had a piece of property in Southern Indiana & found a nest that was raising a brood. He was able to see the adults & the little ones stick their heads out of the nest. I hope to find something like that on my new farm in Kentucky. If you should get a picture of that bird POST it.

[linus69]

We had a little warm weather last week, I guess it would be called the February thaw. My road actually was gravel again, and then awoke Monday morning to another 8ins. I saw a young Bobcat who seemed very unhappy walking through it.



Paul