What -32 degree weather will do to a battery

January 14, 2015 - Wednesday

10 degrees/cloudy/calm

Pentoga Road

What a difference forty degrees makes. We woke up this morning to a house that seemed comfy warm and downright cozy. After the -32 temperatures of yesterday morning, today's plus 10 is almost tropical. 

Tuesday's chore was to bring in the ice shack. With all the overflow and slush under the snow, I'd mentally built the chore up to be something of a gargantuan task. In reality it wasn't anything more than a stroll across the lake. 

In fact, it took longer to get the old truck running than to pull the shack a quarter of a mile across the ice.

The ice and snow that was stuck to the bottom of the skis needed to be scraped off so it would glide better.

I hope whoever invented the blow dryer goes to Heaven. I knew the battery on the truck would be weak, but I didn't expect the ignition on the steering column to be completely frozen. A few minutes under the blow dryer cured that.

I was happy to learn that there was a solid crust over the slush that lies under the snow and on top of the ice, enough to hold my weight and that of the shack. Pulling it was no more chore than if I had been navigating bare ice. It wasn't long and the shack was on shore ready to load into the truck.

Once home, I enjoyed a huge mug of hot tea and took the opportunity to make reservations for Brutus at the kennels. He'll be warm and happy during our week-long February vacation.

I also booked a room for three nights at a resort/hotel in Mesquite, Nevada. That should be a fun Sargie/Tom time... sit around the pool, in the spa, sleep late, sight see, and eat too much. We're ready!

The rest of the day was spent grading assignments.

Speaking of assignments, I read last night where the University of Alaska system is laying off hundreds of professors and part time people due to the drop in crude oil prices. 80% of Alaska's state budget comes from oil. I hope to survive the cut, but I'm not optimistic. I'd like to teach until I'm 100, but if not, well, it's been a good run. This is my 42nd year. I'm not sure there's much left upstairs between the ears to teach anyway.

Sargie works early today, should be home early tonight, and is off tomorrow. I'm not sure what I'm doing today. With a high in the low teens predicted, I'm fairly certain I'll end up out on the ice in search of meat for the table. Otherwise, I'll hike my five miles this morning and see what the day brings.

Meanwhile, it's time to pour that cup of coffee and think some deep thoughts.

After all, a man's work is never done.

So are the tales from Pentoga Road...