This has been the windiest spell on The Mountain since I moved here almost three years ago. What had been predicted to be gusts of 35mph to 40mph Sunday night into Monday regularly reached 50mph, the highest recorded at 57mph.
It was merciless, and it was bitterly cold. I countered with a hot fire…
…and a warm, contented dog.
With a high of just 34°F and 30mph winds persisting, that’s the company I kept ‘most all day Monday. I did want to accomplish one thing, though — survey my side of The Mountain for anything the weather brought down.
Making sure the road is clear is the neighborly thing to do. I drove the Ranger down and back, stopping numerous times to remove branches that had fallen.
Some I tossed into the woods. Some went into the bed.
Next, for the same reason, I ran my trails. First, to the summit…
…and then to the east slope.
Temp was in the low 20s, with a feels-like (wind chill) below 10°F, and by the time I rolled away from Daybreak Point I was damned cold. I should’ve worn heavier gloves, at least — I can’t recall the last time my hands ached like that.
I stopped at the wood yard and picked up enough firewood to replace what I’d burned overnight, and I cut the windfall I’d just gathered to stove length. All of that went on the indoor rack.
I’m not ashamed to say that I spent the rest of the day in the cabin’s cozy confines. I’ve been spoiled by a mild winter and an early spring.
P.S.: Saturday’s forecast high is 90°F.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable