Monday is beautiful

Dozer at logging road

Top of Cedar Mt at snowmobile crossing

Gasline Snowmobile crossing

Monday's are the days most people have gone home so I thought it was safe to walk up on Leetonia Road to the top where the pipeline crosses. There were a couple straggler snowmobilers still out but for the most part it was quiet, sunny and beautiful.
There is a Bulldozer up above us parked at the logging road. He has plowed the snow out for the loggers, but I have yet to see them cutting anything behind us. They are taking out mostly pulp wood and according to the Forester will be working until April. It is always a bit nerve wracking to meet a logging truck on snowy roads so I am not anxious for them to start.
So far the weather has been mild and is expected to warm up over the next few days above freezing. Hopefully, we won't get the rain they promised a few days ago as that would make a horrible mess. You can see in the last two photos where the snowmobilers cross Leetonia Road on the pipeline trail. A place you definitely want to slow down and make sure one isn't flying over the top before you run your car through. Although, I haven't had any close calls there hitting a snowmobiler with my car is one of my worst nightmares.
The snow has packed down to 4 to 6 inches in the places where there has been car or snowmobile traffic. However, it is still a bit tricky anywhere it isn't plowed for a car and I don't recommend trying it without chains and nerves of steel. Also, make sure you have the ability to walk for help if you get stuck.
Time for a bit of a rest after my four mile walk. But I always feel so good after being out in the fresh air. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.

Snowmobile Weekend

Scooter

Barry

If you get this post by email you have to go to http:// lostinleetonia.com to see the video.

Well it was a busy weekend for snowmobilers there was a constant hum of machines running up and down the roads through the forest. Barry stopped by and bought the cargo sled so all of my snowmobile stuff is gone. I have mixed emotions about it cause now I am limited to where I can walk, or ski during the winter to see things, but with the lack of snow the last two winters it is for the best.

I talked to the guys at Sunlite camp and they said one of them had come up from Cedar Run it took them 2 hours of misery to go the 7 miles. So at this time I am sticking to my recommendation of not driving a vehicle up from Cedar Run unless you are the adventurous type that doesn't mind getting stuck a few times. By the end of the week it looks like it will warm up and rain so it is anyone's guess as to what shape the roads will be in for next weekend. 

Scooter and I took a walk up to the "Triplets" and back recording the snowmobiles racing toward us. He is such a good dog by himself and it makes me sad I have to find him a new home. So if any of you know of someone who would take good care of him let me know. For now he and I are getting in some winter walking and cross-country skiing while the snow is good. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out. 

2013 starts cold and snowy

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Cargo Sled

Snow pile over firewood

Seems like everyday it has snowed a little during the past week. The result is a quickly disappearing firewood pile under the mounds of snow and less and less places to push the snow out of the way. It has also gotten colder with temps in the teens at night and highs in the mid 20's.

This is the year we are also saying goodbye to our snowmobile. We have put 3000 miles on it during our 11 winters in Leetonia, most of which were done during the first five years when our road wasn't plowed. It has hauled in more than its share of groceries, and building materials for jobs I did during the winter months. I am also selling the cargo sled if anyone is interested in that. Now that our road is plowed we haven't used the snowmobile at all the last two years.  The insurance company changed our insurance on it from $25 to $90 this year and that sealed the deal. We have never liked just riding around with it and used it primarily to get the things we needed to live back here. I will always remember it fondly when I think of my learning curve running it. The many times I flipped it or got stuck thinking I could drive it places it wouldn't go. The scary trips down roads that iced over and the late night trips to Cedar Run Inn to work. Once I learned its limitations it never failed us and owes us nothing as we bid it farewell.
Now that the snowmobile has been sold, I am sure we will get a lot of snow the rest of the year, cause isn't that just how life rolls. We had decided it was time to start clearing things out of our lives we don't use. It is easy to accumulate of lot of extra things and space to store them is very limited here. So 2013 is a time to go lean and smarter for the Mountain girls.
The dumped off cat is still hanging around eating the food I put out. It doesn't let us see it much and is quick to run at any noise. A response that might save it from some of the predators roaming around. I have seen quite a few bobcat tracks in the area and that is probably a small cat's biggest threat. Hope everyone has a great 2013. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.

Snowmobile Paradise

Snow House

11"snow

 Well, we had 11" of snow last night and I am sure 3 or more inches on top the mountain. The weather is near 32 for highs so the snow is getting heavy fast. It was hard to clear with the four-wheeler. I made it only cause I cleared about 8" last night when it was lighter.
The snowmobilers are out and I am sure it will be a great weekend for them as more snow in smaller amounts is scheduled for the weekend. If you are planing on coming up the only road plowed is from Parker Hollow on Leetonia Rd to the intersection of  Cedar Mountain Rd., otherwise you will be dodging snowmobilers on very difficult roads.
The Chihuahua, Speck, is not at all happy about the deep snow since it is taller than him. He sticks to the plowed areas and Lee Anne's lap or the fireplace most of the day. Whatever you do enjoy the snow...it is more than we had all of last winter.
Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.

Buried

Christmas Day and Storm on the way

Valley Hi

Clark

 I took some pictures of several of the camps on Christmas day few people were up. Things are going to change fast as a big storm is now pumping snow down on Leetonia.
As of 9 PM I have cleaned up 8" of snow and it is still coming down. Saw a couple of snowmobiles, but expect a larger amount in next few days. So far the snow has been light so not too hard to move with the four-wheeler. Of course I had a few mechanical problems that kept me kneeling in the snow to fix. The estimates I have heard are anywhere from 10-15" by the time it is over. This is more snow then we got all last year. I will post some pictures tomorrow when it is all over to let you know the final count. Mountain girl, Paula, wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Old Herre Camp

Hooke

Bob Paul

Hill of Camps

Stetz Town

Home Sweet Home

500th Post for Lost in Leetonia

Well, seems like yesterday I started this blog and today on the end of the world I made the 500th post! To celebrate Mother Nature added a bit of white slushy stuff outside. We got about 2 inches of wet snow last night which has condensed into a less than fun mixture of water and snow, which will become frozen hard as the temperatures go down tonight. Then it will be only one step to the road from the house the rest will be a long slide.
The snow and wind last night knocked out the power around 9:30 pm, when we called they said we were the only ones to call so far. However, I am thinking they must have had more cause at 4 am they called us to let us know we had power. Gee thanks for that I am sure I wouldn't have been able to figure it out in the morning when I woke up. Guess we are in for more wind tomorrow and may get a white Christmas after all.
Lee is starting to feel a bit better, but I don't think she will be out splitting any wood soon. Hope you all have been enjoying the blog. I will try to go around on Christmas Day and get some good Leetonia pictures. Mountain girl, Paula, logging off.

Tough Times for Mountain Girls

Well, this year is going out poorly for us. Last Tuesday Lee Anne complained of severe nausea  upper back pain and shortness of breath late night on the 11th of December. It is a long way to the hospital when you are in pain and on bumpy roads. We got there close to midnight, I feared she might be having a heart attack, since they tell you those are the symptoms for women. Turns out she had a badly infected gall bladder. They took it out on the next day, but could not do it laproscopically, since she had previous surgery adhesions. So she ended up with about a 7 inch long incision under her right rib. Recovery is more difficult when the surgery  is done this way and she was in a lot of pain. 

Two days after the surgery I came home after visiting her during the day, I received a call she had gone into intensive care for A-fib(heart problems). I spent all night watching the monitor along side her bed and things even out enough she could come home on Sunday. Lee is very drug sensitive and we felt it had been a reaction to one of the drugs they gave her. However, to be on safe side we are going back today for echo-cardiogram. 

You would think that would have been enough drama from the entire year, but the day after I brought her home Scooter and Leo got into a bad fight over a grouse on my woodpile left my some hunters for me. Try as I might I was helpless alone to get them apart in the wide open space. They fought until one of them didn't move (Leo). I put Scooter away and went back to retrieve Leo. I had fears he might be dead, but he was standing and limping toward me. I had to take him to the Vet to be fixed up, Scooter came out good enough he just needed some antibiotics.

So now I must find a new home for Scooter preferably without other dogs. I can't risk anymore fights it is dangerous for the dogs and anyone trying to separate them. Needless to say I have shed more than a few tears over this decision, but it is the right thing for both of them and us. Scooter has gone everywhere with me the last five years as many of you know from watching the blog. He will be 6 in May is neutered, has good basic obedience commands and loves to retrieve tennis balls. He weighs 95 lbs so he is not a little dog and he loves attention sometimes a little overbearing in that regard. If you know of someone who can give him a good home email me directly at campeaglebear@yahoo.com. Don't post a comment if you want me to contact you because I can't respond directly to you.

So along with a low amount of work and high expenses. I have decided to sell five acres of land I own on the other side of the road. It is all wooded on the North slope and has Buck Run Creek going through it. If you are interest see sidebar and contact me direct. It is also listed under Zillow.

2013 can only be up. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.