Even When You’re Ready, You’re Really Never Ready…

Yesterday I got up at 6:30 to find the temperature at 16° when I opened the door to leave the dogs out. They stood there for a moment, then looked up at me as if to say, “are you really serious…we have to go out there?” They reluctantly but slowly left the warmth of the house to do nature’s calling, but returned to the door in record time. As I waited for them, it dawned on me that even though the swimming pool wasn’t frozen, the water in the pump probably was, so after leaving the dogs into the warm house again, I ventured out to look at the pump. Sure enough…the water in the little filter basket in front of the pump was frozen and the hoses felt like there was ice present in them too. I waited too long! We wanted to put three more bags of shock in and run it for a few hours before closing it for the winter, hoping to wait until the leaves were off and the threat of algae was over so we could start with a somewhat clear pool in the spring instead of the deep green container of rotted leaves and algae, as we have had to deal with in the past. Crap! Now what? I removed the hoses and tied them up, above the pool level to keep them from draining the pool if they thawed during the afternoon today…and I ran a little ceramic heater against the filer and pump to thaw and drain off enough to eliminate breakage if it froze solid. Today, I will move the filter/pump assembly out front into the sun to fully thaw so I can drain it correctly and store it until spring. I must also check the hoses, skimmer and eyeball fitting to make sure it will survive winters ice. If I must remove the eyeball and cover the skimmer opening, I will. That will require draining the pool down to skimmer lever, and it will eliminate the eyeball problem. We’ll see.

I must also climb the ladder to the top of the barn’s upper roof to install an eye bolt and install the restraint cable onto the new light before we get some snow or ice which could result in tearing the light down if not supported. I am amazed that a company would design and sell a light costing $145.00 from excellent materials…rigid pipe, and a heavy cast base and then send a tiny, thin X-crossed tin piece head by a tiny screw in the center to support it all to an electrical box in the wall. It will be okay once I install the 1/16” steel cable around the goose-neck of the light, to an eyebolt above the light.

We stopped and picked up the finished store banner yesterday, but will refrain from installing it on the building until we finish the inside and are ready to open for business. Vick will be installing cover material on the shelves and placing the yarns and merchandise for sale in the correct locations. We both will add price tags then. We’ll also contact the other artisans who will be displaying their items and get everything in place and ready. I will be placing a temperature controlled container in there for eggs and any other things that need to be kept from freezing, because we will only heat the building during open hours, but we want our eggs to be available there, along with the honey and maple syrup and candy. Yeah….we’ll be busy today, that’s for sure…

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071115 Cluckin' "A" Critter Farm, LLC