Porky pining away in Leetonia

Nap Time for Porky

Pettite's Camp

Steele Waters

Pine Lined road

Valley Hi

Leetonia

It was a perfect snow day to cross country ski down to Leetonia. The snowmobiles were running but it wasn't so bad that I couldn't share the road with them. It was a beautiful day to be out and on silent skis I see a bit more than the faster noisier sleds.

The first thing I saw was a deer about a half mile from my house who decided I was too strange to take a chance on and headed back up into the woods. Then as I approached the sharp turn before Mick's old place within ten foot of the road sat a porcupine no farther than about eight foot above the road. He was sound asleep and it was hard to tell that he wasn't dead. He just hung there breathing slowly and from the looks of the hemlock tree he might of been dreaming of the bark and leaves he ate the night before. I often see porcupines up in the trees during the winter sleeping but they are usually much higher so I was able to get a nice picture of him before I headed on down to Leetonia. 

There wasn't a living soul in Leetonia, but I always feel the presence of old residents especially when everyone else is gone. Everything is white sprinkled with tall green pines and quiet except for a few snowmobiles.  We have had so much snow I am starting to go a bit winter blind. I am definitely ready to see some other color beside white. I skied down to the Ruins and back getting a short video of a few snowmobilers. I was surprised to see my sleepy little friend still resting on the low branch even though several sleds had noisily ripped by him. 

Cross country skiing on the snowmobile road isn't bad but you do have to watch out for them coming around the corners. Also it is a bit rougher than a trail groomed for skiing, but not as bad as going across unpacked snow which is now over two foot deep in some places. If I am not too stiff I may get out again tomorrow. It always feels good to breath the air and see the animals of Leetonia. Mountian girl, Paula, logging out.

Snowmobile Paradise

Wood dogs buried

White Out

"Speck get out of your bed, I know I can fit."

We got a good sixteen inches of snow Wednesday and it took three hours using the neighbor's four-wheeler to plow out. The four-wheeler plow really doesn't like anymore than a foot of snow and the only way to clear the snow off was in layers, starting on top and working my way down. Since we had some freezing rain/sleet under the snow it causes the four-wheeler to get stuck more than once. But after much pushing, pulling and one snapped cable we got it done at 8:30 PM. Four-wheelers don't cushion the blow of hitting a big pile of snow so after three hours I ached all over. Thank goodness this snow was light or I don't think I could have moved it at all.

The next day the temperatures plunged again below zero to -18. It did warm up to the 20's during the day and has stayed about the same temperatures for the last couple days. Today it again started snowing and the 1 inch we were supposed to have has already turned to 2 and likely to be 3 before it stops. So it looks like more plowing tonight.

The good news is for the snowmobilers, skiers and lovers of snow. It is perfect for all to play. The snowmobliers have been running like buzzing bees all over the mountain. I would have to say this is the best it has been for snowmobiles the entire season. It doesn't look like anything will change during the next week as temperatures will stay from slightly below zero to mid-twenties all week. The deer are having a rough time moving through the deep snow and will be more prone to winter death from starving and other animals attacking them. They have been herding up as usual for this time of year to aid in clearing snow. They get on the road and don't like to jump off into deep snow, so try not to run them with vehicles anymore than necessary.

I haven't been down the road towards Cedar Run since this last snow and am not sure it is passable. There could have been some slides with all the snow being light and coming so fast. My suggestion is snowmobile only except in plowed areas.

Leo has been trying to take over Speck's bed the last few weeks. For some reason he thinks he should fit in this tiny bed. I don't think Speck appreciates the invasion. We are all looking forward to a little warmer weather soon as cabin fever has affected many in the area. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.

A break from sub-zero

Hanging by a hook

4' Icicle

Yesterday it finally broke above freezing temperatures after a long span of sub-zero temperatures. The dogs and I have been struggling to stay warm while Lee went South to a family funeral. It wasn't the warmest in Florida their 60 degrees above zero complaints feel on deaf ears when my thermometer read -19 last week. I spent most of the week dripping water to keep it from freezing in the pipes.

The warm up caused some strange icicle formations on my garage. Large four to five foot icicles formed off the garage roof and then when the air warmed up they were left hanging on Lee's hooks for the hummingbird feeders separated from the roof. It is almost like we hung fake ones up with metal hooks. 

Quite a few snowmobiles were running last night when I came home. I guess they are trying to use up the last bit of snow before it melts. This weekend we are supposed to get temperatures into the mid-thirties.  It almost feels like swimming weather. 

During last week's cold temperatures one of the women I work with came in with a story I know many people will relate to.  Although it varies a bit from my usual talk about the mountains. I thought you all might enjoy it. I call it: "Snapped in Coudersport".

Dee was a busy, working mother of two children.  Today would be “her day off,” an extra day in the middle of the week to do things for herself.  It started off with a delay of day report: Schools will be on a two-hour delay today due to the bad weather. Dee determined to have a good day made a choice not to freak out after all it was only two hours she would still get for her alone time. 

Later she drove the kids to school and noticed her low-tire pressure light coming on.  Not to worry she thought, the cold weather sometimes makes it come on.  She kept on driving thinking about the appointment with physical therapy that day.   Dee made it home and didn't notice anything strange about the tires.  Soon it would be off to the physical therapy appointment. The appointment had taken her a month to get.  Her knee pain bothered her for the last several months and she hadn't slowed down long enough to take care of it.

With just enough time to make it to her physical therapy appointment Dee jumped back into the truck and started down the road.  The truck began pulling to the side and just didn’t act right.  She got out in the sub-zero weather and saw her tire dangerously low.  No problem there was an air compressor at home.  She returned to blow it up.

Dee drove back home. She went into the garage and switched on the air compressor… nothing happened.  She could see the cord plugged in and couldn't understand why the air compressor wouldn't run. 

“What now!” she yelled out loud. 

Dee ran back inside the house to warm up and dialed her husband for support as she felt her “me time” turning into “scream time”.

“Why can’t I get this stupid air compressor to work?” she shouted to her husband frantic to get to her appointment.

“Do you have it plugged in?” he asked.

 Of course I do. She thought to herself, does he think I am an idiot.

“It is the orange cord not the yellow one,” he added.

Slightly annoyed with herself she spouted back. “I didn't know it wasn't plugged in. Okay, thanks.” Dee runs back out, plugs in the air compressor. Air is flowing into the tire all is well with the world.  The sound of hissing air tells her otherwise. She sees the tire is losing air around the rim and refusing to fill.

“NO! I am going to miss my appointment you stupid tire!” 

Dee stomps back inside and looks at the time. Facing defeat she calls to cancel her appointment.

Well, at least I can still relax; have some milk and my favorite mint Oreo cookies I keep hidden for myself.  Dee poured a nice glass of milk anticipating some small pleasure in her “me time day. “ She reached into the cupboard for her Oreo cookies and they weren’t in their normal hiding place.  She starts moving things, cans of soup, croutons, cereal, and green beans are plowed out of her way. Lighter things like potato chips fly through the air to uncover her sacred cookies.   

“What the H… happened to my Oreos,” she screamed matching the intensity of the nearby volunteer fire siren.

“I can deal with late school, flat tires, air compressors not working, but there will be hell to pay for the person who took my Oreos.” Dee went through her usual list of suspects and at the top of the list, rose one above the others… her husband.  Her eyes glowed red with the anger only a woman who does everything for everyone else and needed just one small thing to go right can feel.

The dial of death pressed on her phone an unaware husband answers.

“Did you take my cookies?”

Nothing her husband can say is going to end well for him and one word he seals his fate.

“Yes.”

At that moment deafness befalls Dee and her husband’s rambling excuses are of little comfort to her. She hangs up.

Dee pours the milk in solemn ceremony back into the container and with the grave covered on her day declares its last rites.

“All I needed were my Oreos.”

Mountain girl, Paula logging out.

January Blues

Speck staying warm.

The return to the cold snap has sent everyone into the winter blues. Below zero temperatures have once again caused us to have to drip the faucet to keep pipes from freezing. The last couple feet down to the floor feels cold when the wind blows and the temperatures are this low. We are still holding fairly well on the firewood and it looks like we will make it through January with the wood stacked on the front porch. The next few months will be fueled by the back porch.

It is cold, snowing and the wind is blowing outside today. It isn't one of those days I feel like going out for much except getting more firewood. The dogs stay close to the fire. Speck practically sits on top the fire in this weather. 

On a good note, I may have found a home for Felix, the cat. He has been staying at a man's house who has a female cat about his age since Friday. I am hoping things work out, since Lee's allergies to him were making it harder and harder for her to have him indoors. I have to admit it was very hard to haul him to a new place as he cried in his crate the whole way(1 hour). I felt extremely guilty. Then coming home to a house without him made me realize how much a part of the family he has become. 

He would always come running down from upstairs to greet me as I came home and constantly purred and talking to me. He would go in and out the door when I let the dogs out. I think he thought he was a dog. He tried desperately to get them to play with him. They mostly ignored him or growled and snapped at him when he grabbed at their tails. Felix was quick to run if they made any move towards him. I think he thought it a fun game to tease them.I woke up in the middle of the night thinking I heard him meow and wondering when I would hear him jumping over the barrier gate or reaching his paws under the door when I closed it to keep him out. Although I would never have intentionally added a cat to our family, I have to admit he was very entertaining and loving. He was a tough cat to have survived as many months as he did outside with bobcats and foxes anxious to turn him into a snack. I  hope over time he will adjust to his new home and make friends with the other cat who can play cat games with him.

Looks like we will have light snow the next four days then we are in for a couple more days of below zero weather. Not much action up here as the snow isn't that good for snowmobiling on top of the icy layer underneath it. My car is struggling in the morning to warm up and sounds a little like squirrels screaming for about five minutes. Planning on kicking back and enjoying not going anywhere this weekend. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.

Internet Blues

Sorry not to get anything up before the weekend our internet went down last Monday and they just fixed it a couple hours ago. The roads are still quite icy underneath the 4 new inches of snow we got a couple days ago. A few snowmobilers have been out, but for the most part a very quiet weekend. Just the kind the mountain girls like. One group was up to Leetonia for the weekend and discovered it was even difficult to walk outside. They were given a primer on spikes for your shoes. See this old post for a picture of the ones I have.  I keep a pair in my car at all times just in case I need to get out. Nothing worse then stepping out of your car and finding yourself laying on the ground.
I will try to update you on the roads next weekend before the weekend with a few pictures. For now enjoy winter it will be around a few more months. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.

Icelandia

Driveway

Ice road

2 of 6 Turkeys on the hill

As I listened to the rain fall last evening, I knew we were in store for some bad roads. The ground is very frozen from our below zero weather last week and the rain didn't stay liquid long when it hit the earthen ice-cube. Our driveway is an ice-skating rink leading down to the road which isn't in much better condition. Just looking at it makes the muscles in my chest tighten in preparation for driving over the mountain. 

My least favorite weather: chain and cleats for your shoes weather. Falling can result in a nasty bone break, muscle strain or worse a head injury. Driving on this is like floating on a boat in the wind without a rudder. I am hoping the township brings some more cinders down before I need to leave for work tomorrow morning. This is the kind of weather it is really better to stay home, wish I had that option. 

Before we got the rain, Lee saw about six turkeys walking on the side of the mountain next to our house. They eat the seeds on the weeds stretching their necks high to reach any seed still left for the taking. They seem to like the Multifloria Rose berries as much as any thing they can find. You may have to look close to see them as their color blends into the patches of brown against the snow.

I wouldn't recommend anyone coming back here unless they have to. It is not going to be fun traveling until we either get some more snow on top this ice or it all melts in March or April. The temperatures are about ten degrees lower back here than what the forecast shows for the area because of the snow cover and the mass of very frozen ground keeping the air temperatures low. As always be prepared for any emergency if you do come back. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.

Frozen in Leetonia

Home sweet home

Approaching home

Leetonia Rd.

Pine tree Hooke camp

I threw in a little video that you will have to view at the blog site to enjoy. We awoke to -8 this morning and the sun rising to warm it up to the low 20's today. When it gets below zero I have to let the faucet drip all night to keep the water lines from freezing. My grandfather buried the water line to the well a bit too shallow for full time living up here and dripping is the only way to keep it from freezing.

We got about 6-8 inches of new snow on Thursday and Friday bringing the snowmobilers back to the mountains. Although our road is plowed they didn't scrap it down to the grave so a few snowmobilers have been buzzing by the house this morning. Most of the snowmobiling is on the pipeline and other unplowed roads. You can hear them buzzing like bees in the trees as the sound bounces through the mountains.

The sun made the mountain like a postcard today with the blue sky above and the fresh white snow below. I put on my snow pants and just laid on the side of the mountain for a while looking up at the few white wisps of clouds passing over. The sun doesn't rise far over the mountain to the South of us during this time of year. In fact, it just comes up in the valley and follows the top of the mountain until it sets, casting a long shadow in front of the mountain. Fortunately, our house is high enough to get sun most of the day and that really helps warm it up and brighten things a bit during the short days of winter. 

We did two puzzles over the holidays. The first was a 1000 piece one on Christmas and the second a 750 piece one on New Years Eve. I got down to the last piece to put in at 2 min before midnight and it was missing. My searching didn't find it before midnight and I had to settle with finding it under the recliner the next day. Thanks I believe to a mischievous cat pushing it there. There is a lesson about goals and how they don't always go on your time schedule. 

I have never had a indoor cat before and I can tell you they are much more mischievous than the dogs. He is however catching the mice which has eliminated my need for poison or traps. Of course he likes to bat them around the house for a lot longer time than I will tolerate before I throw them outside. Speck investigated the one he had this morning and after sniffing it and seeing it wasn't moving didn't seem to understand why the cat was still interested in it at all.

Tomorrow it is supposed to get above freezing and possibly rain before again turning to snow Sunday through Monday morning. The possibility of rain in between the snow never thrills us. The ground is so cold it will instantly turn to ice and make driving very dangerous.Then it is supposed to go so cold the first few days of the week it will make last night seem like the Bahamas. Chains and four-wheel drive are still a must if you are to travel anywhere up here this time of year. Have a great 2014 from the Mountain girls and boys. Mountain girl, Paula, logging out.