Hmmmm. . .

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Relatively it has been quiet. We didn’t have time to prepare for winter, or get our business going before the end of peak riding season. So there has been a lot of stress. A lot of we should ofs going around. Yet mingled with regrets and stresses we have our eyes on the future. Husband is building a micro-hydro plant so that we can produce power in the overcast and rain soaked winters here. This years snow is rare from what I have been lead to believe. Oh, but so gorgeous and fun on days that aren’t painfully cold. I grew up with this kind of snow falls, and have missed it through the Kansas droughts.

 

We will also be starting on a bermed barn sometime this warm season. It depends on when the rains settle here, when we start construction. This is a bit of experimenting, laying down foundation, if you were, for our house in the hill. The house has to wait until we pick up business and are secure here.

Finding work has been stressful. We even went to the employment agency, got a shrug and were told, no jobs. Then we were sat down and told about which schools we should go to, to be able to get work in this area. Of course attending school means no pay, with the shop we at least have enough to pay most of our bills. So we will stand by the shop and wait until spring. Only a few more months. And then we can pay all our bills, fingers crossed.

The driveway is our bane. During the worst of the snow we could easily leave, yet the next day we got stranded. It happened again yesterday. This time we were almost to the top when the wheels began to spin under us. The tires finding no purchase. Suddenly we were sliding backwards, down the hill at around 20 mph! A blind turn rushing up behind us. Brakes were of no use, Husband could only yank the wheel to one side and hope we would either stop before reaching that curve or find purchase and dump us into the small ditch that ran hillside. The only alternative was 75 ft to bottom. I held myself and told Husband I loved him. I surprised myself that I didn’t scream it, merely stated it. The boys stayed quiet. We slid to a halt just before the curve, and the inevitable fall. 

 I asked Small Farm Girl to come pick the boys and I up. After watching Husband walk up to where the boys and I stood to survey what might be done, and him slipping and landing on his bottom, then sliding down the 30 ft into the rear wheel of the truck, I decided right then and there. I was not walking down it. I doubt very much even the ATV would have made it. The ice was an inch thick. 

I had a good time hanging out with Small Farm Girl. It had been awhile.

The ATV will come into play this spring, when the driveway too slick with mud and sandstone for the truck.  If it was just snow that was the problem, then we would be using the ATV.  All we can do to fix it, is put down a better foundation than what was laid down. We have worked though what it would mean to add dirt and lessen the grade. It mean a mess, and worse off than what it already is. We will just have to build up with rock. 

So I guess that is a few things you have to look forward to from me. We have more thoughts and plans, but let’s see how these pan out first.