Overkill

Started up the new snowblower to toss our 3" of snow off into never-never land.  In the ordinary course of business, I would have shoveled.  However, this gives me another practice round with the monster before we have Real Snow, and it also allowed me to clear two neighboring driveway aprons from the gifts of the city snowplow, which were more notable. 

I owed both neighbors for similar efforts on our behalf, and both snowblower operators in question had to be elsewhere.

Anyway, driveway, walks, steps, and cars now available.

Headed back below zero

Temperature can be deduced from the clarity of the stars and the squeak of snow under boot.  9 F out there, with occasional bouts of wind.

No cats seen on our evening walk.

And from the department of "I told you so . . ."

"Wood stove ashes start blaze"

http://bangordailynews.com/detail/98731.html

Long-term readers of this column will remember my admonitions on the subject.  Although, it's kinda harsh to blame the ashes and embers for "operator failure."  This represents one of those "side effects" of our trashed economy -- can't afford oil heat, use wood stove without wood stove experience. 

I wouldn't be surprised if the State Fire Marshal crew has a tote-board with odds, back in the office, with side-bets on how many of which kind of fire they investigate this year.  And on the number of carbon-monoxide deaths, whenever we have a power failure and people run generators inside the house.  Some "accidents" follow statistics  . . .