Where's the Snow?

Oops, I just published this post before I was really ready to publish it.
The question I ask is "Where's the snow?" I sure is not here and the there is very little in the forecast. Some of you need to send me a thank you note. I am the very reason there is no snow. You see, I bought a new snow blower during a fall clearance sale at my neighborhood hardware  store. I seemed like a very good idea at the time. I did not need a new snow blower, I wanted one. The old one does not have power drive. I have to push and pull it. The new one has about ten speeds forward and two speeds back. The plan was to wait for a heavy snow and offer my old snow blower for sale on Craigs List. So much for that plan. maybe it will still work.
A couple years ago I bought a four wheeler with a snow blade. I admit the snow blade was pretty weak. Well, shortly after getting my good deal on the snow blower, I tore the snow blade off the Polaris 500 HO and completely revamped it. I have had no snow to test it out. I was so anxious to test it out that I used it to push dirt up to my new retaining wall. I sure worked good. At one point I got too close to the soft dirt and the 4 wheeler tipped against the wall. It was trapped there. Now, what was I to do?
The answer was simple. Go get the tractor. What tractor, you ask? The tractor with a big bucket for scooping up manure. That tractor. Yep, the tractor did just fine tugging the ATV away from the wall. I had to straighten one block that had been nudged out of place. Since I am on the subject of tractor, let me tell you how great my tractor will be for scooping snow. Sure, I bought it to scoop manure, but if it will scoop manure and dirt, I bet it will also scoop snow. Last year it was marginal at scooping snow. If the snow was driven on before I tried to scoop it up it was too hard for the scoop to cut. I did some revamping of the way the cutting edge was installed and I think it will work just fine.
I guess I have enough equipment to handle the snow. I have several hand shovels, two snow blowers, an awesome ATV and a tractor. So, bring on the snow, please.
I'm dreaming of a white Christmas! That sure has a nice ring to it. I may write a song.
Merry Christmas,
Kayak Bandit

A Quiet Morning

As I look out the window, I see a frosted wonderland. Last night the moon looked full, even though I hear it will not be full for a couple days. This is a magical time of year. Many of us "kids" are watching the weather forecast hoping that Christmas will be white. Others are dreading a white world of bad roads and tough times getting their groceries home without slipping on some disguised black ice. Well, I am clearly in favor of the former. I like snow at this time of year. In anticipation of snow I bought a new 24" two stage snow blower. I already had a four wheeler atv with a wimpy snow plow so I made the wimpy into an awesome snowplow. As if these two are not enough, I also have a beautiful Allis Chalmers tractor with a big loader bucket. I think I am ready for the winter wonderland. Oh, yeah, I grew up in Minnesota atop an Allis Chalmers. So, I do know how to operate this magnificent machine. .
That handsome dog on the seat of "Allis" is Bandit. Of course, you agree with me that he is handsome.
Since last winter, I did some welding on the big bucked to make it better at scooping the hard packed snow up. Last year it would slide over the icy portions of the road. I am anxious for a chance to prove the worth of the modifications.
I say this morning is a quiet morning. I made one of my favorite breakfasts. You start with mashed potatoes from a previous meal. Melt a little butter in a hot skillet. Flatten out the mashed potatoes in the hot butter and cook that side until golden brown. Now flip them over and repeat on the other side. Add a couple eggs over easy and you have a wonderful breakfast for your quiet morning.
Later this morning I am going to see a demonstration for the Shopsmith Mark 7 at Lowes. A couple months ago I bought a spin off of the Shopsmith, a Woodcraft Multitool. It went out of business because of copyright infringement issues, but the accessories from Shopsmith are compatible with my Woodcraft. My Woodcraft works quite well for what it is. I have the saw, bandsaw, drill, scrollsaw, jointer, and sander. I am thinking of getting the lathe attachment as well. I have been watching on Craigslist for one, but have not found one yet.
Well, I am signing off for now. Have a nice quiet morning.
Kayak Bandit

First Best Friend

There was another dog in my life before Bandit. Bear came to live with us over a period of time. He started showing up one fall. Most days, I would pet him and then send him away, saying "Go home." He would disappear.
When he was not hanging around at our house, you could often see him across the main road at the park. He would gallop over to someone and stand a short distance from them and look at them. I sensed a bit of disappointment in him, when he would get close enough to someone to get a good look, or sniff, as the case may be. It was as though he saw the person from a distance, and so he would run to them to see if they could possibly be his lost master. When he would get up to them, he would get the answer that he dreaded. No it is not my lost master.
Over time, Bear would not leave when I told him to go home. He would get up from where he was and move onto the neighbors driveway and lie down there. He had this way of crossing his front feet and resting his chin on his legs. He was so likable when he was laying there. I could not resist a pat on the head as I walked by.
Sometimes when I was working on a project and needed to think about something. I would go over to Bear and pet him while I thought. It usually had good results. It is amazing how much better a man can think when he is stroking his best friend.
Well, fall turned to winter. Bear still hung around. I don't remember feeding him, but I am not sure. Then it was Christmas Eve. There was a wet snow falling and Bear was laying there watching me as I walked past him. His very black coat was such a contrast with the white snow. I passed him, but could not continue. I turned around and looked closely at him. His face was dusted with the snow and a couple very large flakes were resting on his eye lashes.
I brought him to the back door and set a bowl of food for him and found a rug for him to lie on. I explained that he could stay inside since it was snowing and because it was Christmas.
Bear was very well behaved. When I called the Humane Society after Christmas to report I had a stray dog, the lady on the phone agreed to take down the lost pet information. But, she remarked that it seemed the dog was where he wanted to be, so why would I be calling? It just seemed, to me, that one should try to find an owner if they could.
Bear never lost his habit of running toward people and checking them out. I felt sad that someone possibly dropped him off at the park. It showed me how much loyalty a dog can have for an owner. Truly "Mans Best Friend!"
Kayak Bandit '(*!*)'