OK that time has come earlier this year!

[LLigetfa]

Your idea of mild is disturbing.

I have a well insulated home, R22 walls, R40 ceiling, so anything above -10°C and it gets too hot with a constant fire going. It was -10°C out last night at bedtime and 75°F in the house, too hot for sleeping so no way was I going to stoke up the stove.

 

[BrowningBAR]

Your idea of mild is disturbing.

I have a well insulated home, R22 walls, R40 ceiling, so anything above -10°C and it gets too hot with a constant fire going. It was -10°C out last night at bedtime and 75°F in the house, too hot for sleeping so no way was I going to stoke up the stove.

Can I borrow your walls for one winter?

 

[BrowningBAR]

In all seriousness, the really, really cold winter is annoying since I am blowing through more wood than if it were an average winter, but it sure is nice being able to use the bathroom without freezing your ass off. I'm also typing this wearing a t-shirt. Four winters ago I would have been sitting here wearing a t-shirt, long sleeve shirt over it, a fleece jacket... and maybe a hoodie.

 

[nate379]

AHAHAHAHAHAHH HAHAHAHAH HAHA!

Shoot it's just January... won't be spring for another 3 months.

Spring is just around the corner.

As far as heating the house I can't really tell the outside temps without going outside. It's -15* outside right now and it's 70* in the house. Most of this week we had single digit temps but with a 75mph blowing so that sucked. It was strong enough to push between the window seals at times.

R21 walls and R45 ceiling. That is actually min building code for here. As far as house size, I was reading an article a while back where avg home size has been getting smaller in the last 5-10 years. Comes down to utilities and practicality. You can see it for sure around here where an average size house is what many lower 48 areas would consider small. Building materials are expensive to start out with and then after it's built people think... how the heck can I afford to heat this 3000 sq ft house?

Sure the "well off" have their McMansions with heated driveways still, but for the rest of us, we do just fine with a normal sized home.

 

[Green Energy]

Next two weeks is the low point of the average temps. Feb can be just as cold, but the average temps start inching up. Taking a ski vacation out to Utah in March to pull me through to Spring. Even though it has been pretty cold for the last six weeks, we haven't been in the bulls eye for the snow storms like last year. Just glad I have plenty of dry wood for this winter.

Just before turning down the primary air:

 

[bboulier]

Spring is just around the corner. Today was over 40 F. And, I have started receiving seed catalogs. Gurney's arrived recently. I like burning wood, but it is a means to an end. If the sun will freely provide the "end", I would be happy.

Take a little glance at the forecast for Friday night.

I am an optimist. Let there be no snow on my parade!

 

[gibson]

I used to be a really grumpy a-hole in the winter. Now I just pile up the wood, load the stove, drink beer and watch football. Mix in 10-15 ski days and that gets me through till golf season. You can't change the weather, so make the best of it.

 

[LLigetfa]

Your idea of mild is disturbing.

I have a well insulated home, R22 walls, R40 ceiling, so anything above -10°C and it gets too hot with a constant fire going. It was -10°C out last night at bedtime and 75°F in the house, too hot for sleeping so no way was I going to stoke up the stove.

Can I borrow your walls for one winter?

Not right now... I'm using them. Was -36°C here this morning. Even had to turn the gas furnace up this morning to make the wife happy. While the stove can keep the place warm even to -40°C, it takes a really long time to get it back up to temp in this cold.

 

[Hogwildz]

WTH? you getting "shack happy" already? around here, if you said that, people would ask you "what you going to do when winter comes?" !! time to take a trailer for the bike and head south...or just start the bike and listen to it. cheap therapy, right? hang in there and keep burning

Had the bike out a couple weeks ago, it was a warm 30ish out. Sadly, that seems warm here lately. Bike is parked until 50's now.
I'd have to putt the bike all the way to Mexico at this point. NC & GA have more snow down there, than we have up here LOL
I got more than enough winter for me here, and yeap, had enough. Becoming a dive instructor in Cozumel looks real good about now.

 

[Backwoods Savage]

I thought I thaw a thaw but think the thaw went through, without thoroughly thawing anything in need of thermal therapy. So we thrash through the thick thoughtless Arctic thrust, and thread through and thrive in its thrill and hope that we thee a thaw thoon.

Oh, sure, blame it on the cold - sounds more like a little too much from a bottle.....

;-)

 

[LLigetfa]

I thought I thaw a thaw but think the thaw went through, without thoroughly thawing anything in need of thermal therapy. So we thrash through the thick thoughtless Arctic thrust, and thread through and thrive in its thrill and hope that we thee a thaw thoon.

Oh, sure, blame it on the cold - sounds more like a little too much from a bottle.....

;-)

Ja, sounds kinda like a thick tongue... your tongue was tangled with your eye teeth, you couldn't see what you was saying. %-P

 

[Big Al]

I used to be a really grumpy a-hole in the winter. Now I just pile up the wood, load the stove, drink beer and watch football. Mix in 10-15 ski days and that gets me through till golf season. You can't change the weather, so make the best of it.

Good point. I used to hibernate all winter, wishing away 4 or 5 months of my life each year. Last year I came to grips with the fact that I've lived here all my life (43 years) and I'm not going anywhere soon, so I might as well make the most of it. Having a stove and being as warm as I want to be has a lot to do with it. The time away from summer activities renews my interest...I'll be dying to drive the MOPAR come April, but I'll still have my stove fix at night until that last cool night of the spring when the stove goes cold for the last time. Then I'll immerse myself in summer stuff. Come Sept I'll be ithcing for a fire, but I won't rush it. Life is a bank account of sorts. You only get so many 24 hr withdrawals, and God doesn't let you see the balance statement, so make the most of all 4 seasons. Spring will be here soon enough.

Al....stepping down from my soap box, for now ; )

 

[BrotherBart]

Around here Spring is the two days from the stove going out to the A/C having to come on. Fall is the reverse two days.

 

[pen]

It's funny Hogz, I'm your neighbor just up the hill a bit (right below Binghamton NY, my inlaws are in Berwick, so I'm down there 3-4 x per year) and I was just about to make a post tonight about the fact that we've had a "cold" winter, however, tonight is the first night where my thermometer might dip below zero. Usually I've been below zero a few times by now. It's funny how it can be consistently colder for a long stretch, yet not get ultra cold temps.

pen

 

[Mrs. Krabappel]

'twas lovely here this weekend. Almost 50F.

 

[BrotherBart]

'twas lovely here this weekend. Almost 50F.

Yeah but you have as crappy of a rest of the week headed your way as we do. Rain, sleet, snow, cold, fire, pestilence...

 

[Dix]

'twas lovely here this weekend. Almost 50F.

You can go to your room

 

[LLigetfa]

Around here Spring is the two days from the stove going out to the A/C having to come on. Fall is the reverse two days.

Not here... Spring and Fall are as long as Winter. Summer is short, so short we have a running joke around here.

Q - "Got any plans for this Summer?"
A - "Depends... if it lands on a weekend this year, we might BBQ."

 

[BrotherBart]

Around here Spring is the two days from the stove going out to the A/C having to come on. Fall is the reverse two days.

Not here... Spring and Fall are as long as Winter. Summer is short, so short we have a running joke around here.

Q - "Got any plans for this Summer?"
A - "Depends... if it lands on a weekend this year, we might BBQ."

Like I used to tell North of 60. He has Winter, Thursday, then Winter again.

 

[Hogwildz]

Maybe I been spoiled last few years and now this is normal of the old days, I dunno.
I know the temp is going to single digits tonight, then 30's with messy snow, sleet, freezing rain, then back into highs of teens.
High in mid 20's today, but with sun and a lil bit less wind, 71 was achievable inside, I was actually sweating while bringing more wood in.
Waking up tomorrow will surely be a different story.
Tempted to tear this place down and rebuild into the side of the hill out back. Keeping just 1 wall out of the ground. Bet the place would he great then.

 

[BrotherBart]

Fire up that 455 pound plant stand.

 

[Hogwildz]

Fire up that 455 pound plant stand.

I have no piping for it yet. At the moment it is serving as a tool bench with other stuff laying on top.

 

[Hogwildz]

Fire up that 455 pound plant stand.

Whats the matter with this damn thing??????? It is cold as ice, no heat at all coming out?

;-)

 

[pen]

Fire up that 455 pound plant stand.

I have no piping for it yet. At the moment it is serving as a tool bench with other stuff laying on top.

Poo or get off the pot pal!

If you are waiting for hell to freeze over, Noreen isn't going to predict that!

 

[SmokinPiney]

My dad and i were out back splittin wood the other day when the temps dropped at sunset (like usual). We both started talkin about how we always end up with a long cold spell each year and we all complain about it one way or another. I don't mind the cold all that much but it's all this dang white stuff that's frozen to the ground now that's gettin me all riled up. Every time i go outside i just about bust my arse on the ice or what "looks to be snow" and is actually ice lol. The dog seems to have no problem with it though. Think i need to grow some claws!

On a side note. I think i might break out the cold weather riding gear and take the bike to work from now on if fuel prices keep goin up. Diesel's up to $3.30gal here and jumpin a few cents every night it seems.