Ice, Snow, And A Blown Motor

As I have said, I have ignored this blog for quite some time, so it has been hard to get back into things.  But we have had quite an eventful couple of weeks. 

Last week we had a major snow, ice and sleet storm roll through.  I say "major" knowing that for some of you out there 8 inches of snow is not a big deal, but where we live it is.  I work in a grocery store and it was almost painful watching all the people storm the store with the look of a bewildered daze, a cross between a deer in the headlights and a zombie.  That aside, we made it through, only to get another round this past Friday-only less severe.  However, the masses went from the deer/zombie look to a sheer chicken little demeanor-"The sky is falling, the sky is falling...".

This last round only left about an inch of snow, then moved on to bless other communities.  So, yesterday, I get my oldest daughter and head out to cut a bit of firewood, which we accomplished quite well.  We hauled to the wood shed where the log splitter is located and the fun began.  My daughter watched her daddy turn beat red, sweating like it was June trying to start the @#$@##$ thing.  I had never had that much trouble starting it-ever.

I fought and fought, determined to get it running, which I finally did.  By that time my daughter had that look on her face.  You know the one, squinty eyes, a half smirk with a questioning gaze, "really?".  We split most of what we had cut when I figured out why I had such a time starting it-no oil.  Yup, threw the piston strait out the side of the block.  Our day ended there, with my daughter happy that the work was over and she could go build a snowman and her father hiding his face in shame for not checking the oil level because he was in too big a hurry (hey, the wind was blowing and it was COLD). 

Lesson learned.  And the lesson will kepp on teaching for a while as I am back to splitting wood with a maul.  Life on the homestead.