Reflections of katlupe: driving in snow

Showing posts with label driving in snow. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 06, 2012

A Seasonal Road Through The Forest

Truck Trail is a seasonal road

Yesterday, my husband drove me to town. The roads around us are usually plowed. They were. One road near our house that we love to take is called Truck Trail. It is a seasonal road and not plowed or maintained during the winter. I would have never driven it in the winter. Usually the only people who drive it are the snow mobilers. Or my husband!

It runs through the state forest

Before we found our property, he used to take me on the worst roads. Back then we had a Cadillac without four wheel drive. He managed to drive it through some really tough spots. Now we have a truck with four wheel drive. Since we moved here in 1999 though, he has not done much of that type of driving. So I really wasn't expecting it. He was laughing at me as I kept hanging on. Maybe he enjoyed doing something out of the ordinary for a change.

The end of the trail......out of the forest

We went shopping and had a really nice day away from home for a few hours. It is always good to get back though and get the stuff put away. Make a meal, check the computers, and relax for the rest of the day. Luckily, my son has been staying with us. When we go somewhere, he keeps our wood stoves going. And the house is warm when we get back home.

The other way home!

If you are wondering what that little snippet of language is at the top of my blog, "Follow my blog with bloglovin". It is a site I have joined to promote my blog, and get more followers and readers. I had to put that at the top of a new post, so they could see that I am who I say I am, and this is my blog. It won't be on every blog post. Just this one, I think.

Tuesday, January 03, 2012

Secluded But Not Far From Town

Our neighbor's herd

When we moved to our homestead in 1999, there was that big scare coming up about the year 2000 screwing up life as we know it. It was due to that year changing from the 1900 to 2000, and all the programs that could not be fixed to accommodate that change. As we all know, it was fixed and went without a glitch. People were stocking up and preparing like crazy.

Protected by a donkey in the middle of the forest!

Since we had just moved here, we were not prepared much at all. At that time, it felt like we were really secluded. In fact, even now, when visitors come out here to see us, they will remark on how far out we live. But we really are not far at all. Or secluded enough. To others though, I guess it must seem like it is. We don't really need to stock up huge amounts due to danger of being snowed in for the winter.

Civilization is not far!

Our house is only six miles from the town of Oxford, ten from Greene, and 12 from Walmart, which is just one mile from the city of Norwich. The small towns of McDonough and Smithville Flats are five and nine miles respectively. Our highway department plows our road early in the morning and keeps it clean most of the time. So we are rarely snowed in. Of course, my husband can drive through anything! So I am not worried about that.

Tyner Hill scares me in the snow! Lucky, Hubby was driving!

So this morning we did some errands and now I have supper cooking, and just took two pies out of the oven. I figure these guys, my husband and son, deserve some treats now and then! Apple Caramel and Blueberry Pies! Smell so good!I am glad we are not having a really bad snow storm yet. It can happen at any time though. Have a good homesteading day all!

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Summer Means Gardening To Me!

The paddock in summer!

About this time of year, well usually, it happens in September....it starts feeling like fall is coming. The rain causes some of the leaves to fall from the trees. My goodness, some have already turned red or yellow! We don't hear our birds singing in the early morning hours as they awaken at five-thirty. Nor in the evening just before they go to the sleep. Miss that sound!

Fall!

As much as I love the colors of fall, the brisk air, the smells of the leaves in the forest and the fall crops such as apples, grapes, pumpkins, etc. I dread it too. It means winter is coming. Here in NY we have hard winters. Hard for us because it means snow shoveling and fire wood.

Paths shoveled, panels cleaned off!

Snow is pretty. Everyone ooohs and awwwws over it. Snow shoveling is hard work for my husband. At his age, and with a crushed right arm and a broken back, those jobs are now a major hardship. So right now thoughts of winter aren't so happy around the homestead. That is why I work so hard trying to bring money in to be able to make those jobs easier around here. But it is a constant struggle.

August garden!

I am trying to squeeze every single second of summer in this last month of summer. Trying to get all the food from the garden I can. Even have replanted one my green and wax bean beds so far. Cherry tomatoes are coming soon. We ate our first cucumbers tonight for supper! Were they ever good! For me, summer IS my garden. I spend my time in the winter planning it. I love working in it all summer. And most especially harvesting our food from it! I am always sad when we have to put it to bed for the winter.

Monday, March 07, 2011

Made It Home Last Night!

Last night coming home from my father-in-law's house we had to drive through what I would call a blizzard. It was scary to say the least. We stopped at the Weis market that had bought out Giant last year. The store was really nice. I didn't shop at the Giant but think I will be stopping at Weis in the future. The Giant didn't have certain brands that I like so I stopped going there. Now Weis seemed to have everything I use. Plus they had some good prices.

The roads were pretty bad. Route 12 is a route that we take from Binghamton, through Greene and then turn off to get home. Route 12 is known for being a bad road. Lots of accidents on it. Plus the cars usually get lined up with someone trying to squeeze ahead, if there is any place to pass without someone coming the other way. Luckily, my husband was driving and he is an excellent driver. He used to take me out on the Pennsylvania roads when it was a snow day and nobody could get to work or school. We haven't done that in awhile. When we were doing that was when we were searching for our property. Anyway, he drove right along and we had no traffic tailgating us. That is what drives me crazy when the roads are bad. The tailgaters!

Anyway, we made it home and I made us burgers and salad. The snow kept coming down! The wind kept blowing! It was a cold night, but warm enough for snow. One thing about going any place together in the winter is that then we have to bank our stoves back. That means the house gets cold. Even though there is still a fire in the wood stove, it is not heating the house. It is just holding the fire. So then you get home to a very cold house. It takes some time to open the stoves up, if they need more wood add it. Then wait for the fire to heat the house and all your things. I hate when the furniture is cold to touch. If one of us stays home though, the house will stay warm and toasty.

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