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It was six degrees here this morning. I snuck out at day break to hitch hike to the store, so the goats wouldn't follow me. I only had to go to the Mini Market, about 6 miles, but it took two hours, as there were no cars. I walked all the way past the rail road tracks and one of the factories before I got a ride. I think I walked about 2 miles. I felt a finger tingling, even though I was wearing thick ski gloves and my face kept trying to go numb, so I just made faces as I walked, to keep things circulating.
Coming back was easier, because it was day light and the sun warmed me. I only carried a purse so people would know I'm female, and not be so scared to stop. I could have just carried my wallet in my pocket.
My garden hose froze, so I'll fool with that tomorrow. I have several 2 liter bottles of water in here. Had the heat off today with the curtains open and it's about seventy in here, while it's thirty something outside.
I broke the ice in the bath tub in the house for my gold fish. I only made a little hole, so I thought I'd stick my mop handle in it to pry the ice loose. Damn near snapped my mot in two!
Dog has been outside all day, but, as you can probably imagine, Weasel has been under the covers most of the day. No cats want out; they're lounging in the sunny windows.
I see some structural damage to the trailer near the back, driver's side. Looks like the side is coming loose from the belly. There are loose screws and I can see light coming through the floor from the inside.
At first, I freaked out. Then, I started thinking how I could make a "C" clamp out of 2x4s, to squeeze it together so it'll make it to Gallup. I have a heavy filing cabinet in that corner. Then, I remembered: I have tie-down straps: 4 @ 10 feet each. I'll take my fishing pole and cast the line over the trailer and tie a rope to it. I'll hook all the tie down straps together, and duct tape the hooks, so they don't come unhooked. Then, I'll hook them to the rope, pull them over the roof, under the belly and back to the side, where one hook will be duct taped to the outside wall. I'll hook both ends together and ratchet them tight.
The damage isn't horrible or anything, but I don't want it to shake apart on the freeway for several hundred miles. And I don't want that aluminum siding to blow loose, either.
I'm not too worried about frozen water lines in here, as long as I'm cautious. If all else fails if power goes out and furnace & space heaters can't work, I can heat cast iron pans and skilllets in the oven & on the stove and set them near water pipes. There's also a strip of pipe heating tape under the old house trailer. I could suspend it NEAR, but not TOUCHING, the pipes, so as not to melt them.
I stayed nice and warm last night, with the furnace set almost as low as it can go, maybe 55f, and my little space heater. I have all the windows covered in Mylar and fleece. Cabinets near the hull are all full. I've blocked off most gaps or holes and I put a temporary cover over that missing door on the outside. That's outside the refrigerator, by the way, not the oven. My refrigerator got so cold, my eggs froze! That was fun to peel! Took a long time to make a ham and cheese omelet that day!
We're all fine. I brought in some of my clothes on hangars and hung them on the bars I made in the back room, between 4 drawer filing cabinets. That, too, will help insulate, as well as sound proof.
I'm going to put my books and records in the closet across from the head: even more insulation. Each milk crate will be on its side, as always, but I have a very big roll of dozens of yards of strong, thick, one-inch elastic I'll tie across handles to keep books from sliding out.
The kitchen is nearly empty: just odds and ends left. Almost all my clothes are in. It's mostly just small stuff, from here on out. I'm taking my time and being careful, though. I'm awful tired, it's awful cold and my joint and muscles are tender.
It was six degrees here this morning. I snuck out at day break to hitch hike to the store, so the goats wouldn't follow me. I only had to go to the Mini Market, about 6 miles, but it took two hours, as there were no cars. I walked all the way past the rail road tracks and one of the factories before I got a ride. I think I walked about 2 miles. I felt a finger tingling, even though I was wearing thick ski gloves and my face kept trying to go numb, so I just made faces as I walked, to keep things circulating.
Coming back was easier, because it was day light and the sun warmed me. I only carried a purse so people would know I'm female, and not be so scared to stop. I could have just carried my wallet in my pocket.
My garden hose froze, so I'll fool with that tomorrow. I have several 2 liter bottles of water in here. Had the heat off today with the curtains open and it's about seventy in here, while it's thirty something outside.
I broke the ice in the bath tub in the house for my gold fish. I only made a little hole, so I thought I'd stick my mop handle in it to pry the ice loose. Damn near snapped my mot in two!
Dog has been outside all day, but, as you can probably imagine, Weasel has been under the covers most of the day. No cats want out; they're lounging in the sunny windows.
I see some structural damage to the trailer near the back, driver's side. Looks like the side is coming loose from the belly. There are loose screws and I can see light coming through the floor from the inside.
At first, I freaked out. Then, I started thinking how I could make a "C" clamp out of 2x4s, to squeeze it together so it'll make it to Gallup. I have a heavy filing cabinet in that corner. Then, I remembered: I have tie-down straps: 4 @ 10 feet each. I'll take my fishing pole and cast the line over the trailer and tie a rope to it. I'll hook all the tie down straps together, and duct tape the hooks, so they don't come unhooked. Then, I'll hook them to the rope, pull them over the roof, under the belly and back to the side, where one hook will be duct taped to the outside wall. I'll hook both ends together and ratchet them tight.
The damage isn't horrible or anything, but I don't want it to shake apart on the freeway for several hundred miles. And I don't want that aluminum siding to blow loose, either.
I'm not too worried about frozen water lines in here, as long as I'm cautious. If all else fails if power goes out and furnace & space heaters can't work, I can heat cast iron pans and skilllets in the oven & on the stove and set them near water pipes. There's also a strip of pipe heating tape under the old house trailer. I could suspend it NEAR, but not TOUCHING, the pipes, so as not to melt them.
I stayed nice and warm last night, with the furnace set almost as low as it can go, maybe 55f, and my little space heater. I have all the windows covered in Mylar and fleece. Cabinets near the hull are all full. I've blocked off most gaps or holes and I put a temporary cover over that missing door on the outside. That's outside the refrigerator, by the way, not the oven. My refrigerator got so cold, my eggs froze! That was fun to peel! Took a long time to make a ham and cheese omelet that day!
We're all fine. I brought in some of my clothes on hangars and hung them on the bars I made in the back room, between 4 drawer filing cabinets. That, too, will help insulate, as well as sound proof.
I'm going to put my books and records in the closet across from the head: even more insulation. Each milk crate will be on its side, as always, but I have a very big roll of dozens of yards of strong, thick, one-inch elastic I'll tie across handles to keep books from sliding out.
The kitchen is nearly empty: just odds and ends left. Almost all my clothes are in. It's mostly just small stuff, from here on out. I'm taking my time and being careful, though. I'm awful tired, it's awful cold and my joint and muscles are tender.
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