The Oppenheimer Report 12/16/13

Let it snow, let it snow, let it SNOW! Last Tuesday I took my mother-in-law into Huntsville for a medical appointment, and it was snowing steadily as we headed in to town. As we drove home it was turning into a whiteout. When we finally arrived home, we passed our snowplow guy on the road, heading out after plowing our driveway. Our first plow of the season. That was at around 6PM, and by the time I took Jasper out for her last pee of the night, the snow was already deep enough that we needed another plow. You know you’re in for serious snow up here when the forecasters speak in terms of centimeters per 12 hour period. Jasper went up to her nose in the snow and then looked back at me as I to say, “WTF, if this keeps up I’m doin’ my business IN the house.” I realized that I would need to do some heavy duty snow blowing the next morning. I later heard that, shortly after we had arrived home, they closed the highway from Huntsville almost all the way up to Powassan because the squalls were so bad. Nearby Bracebridge got walloped. Based on the storms that have been hammering Alberta and the Midwest, I knew it was only a matter of time before we got hit with some heavy lake effect snow, and Tuesday night was a direct hit. And COLD!

I don’t mind the snow, but what makes winter a little more treacherous up here is the freezing and thawing. Accessibility becomes an issue. Last week, our 500 meter long driveway, which is at least a 100 foot drop down to the lake, was a skating rink. Wednesday I couldn’t get traction with the ATV in 4 wheel drive. I think the MDX will get up the road if I desperately need to get out, but when the weather is like this, it’s better to stay put. We have lots of food, and barring an extended power outage (we have a propane-fueled generator), the propane tank should hold out or a few more weeks. Keeping the propane topped up is a legitimate concern up here. In Toronto, I could take an elevator to the basement and pick up anything I needed. There was little chance our apartment building would ever lose heat or electricity, and if it did, there were plenty of people to take care of the problem. Up here, if the power goes out, we can go through a tank of propane in no time, and because we also heat with propane, we need to keep the gas flowing. I had a few nervous weeks last December, wondering if the propane truck would make it down our driveway. I suppose we could always burn the furniture.

We had plans to put a clear Lexan roof on our carport last summer, both to protect the log structure and to create a greenhouse off our back porch, but an unreliable supplier and the unfortunate events of last summer combined to throw a wrench in our plans. Life happens and, barring any more unforeseen circumstances, it will be spring before we revisit that project. In the meantime, the roof is covered with a heavy duty tarp, which has survived one winter but may not survive this one. Every time we get a heavy snow, I go out and rake it off while it is still light and manageable. Wednesday morning I did this and almost got buried in an avalanche. Sometimes I amaze myself with my own stupidity. Up here in the Great White North, it’s just me, my wife, my mother-in-law (for the time being), my Miniature Schnauzer, my snow rake, my Ariens snowblower, and my will to survive. Grizzly Oppenheimer. Right now, I am a little starved for male companionship, and my best friend lives in Buffalo. Most of my other male buddies don’t live around here, and my two best friends up here are my plumber and the guy who plows our driveway. They’ll only hang out with me because I pay them.

The wild turkeys have returned, and they have decided to take up residence on our property. Actually, I'm not sure if they are turkey buzzards or wild turkeys, and I can't tell from the internet pictures I googled. The other day I counted five of them, but one fall we had sixteen on the property. They are more fun to watch than a girl fight on Jersey Shore. When I took Jasper out Saturday morning, three of them were hanging out high up in the trees, bracing for the winter storm. I didn’t even know they could fly, and I’ve only ever seen them on the ground. They make a lot of noise when they fly.

Attended the pre-Christmas Coffee House musical review in Burk’s Falls last Friday, and it was the best one yet. My favorite performer of the night was a guy named Jamie Clark, formerly of the group Lewis and Clark. He has a great voice, and he's a good songwriter to boot. I’m making a list of the performers up here on my wish list to cover my songs, and yesterday, at the Katrine Jamboree, I met a bassist in a local band, who has better recording equipment than I do. Perhaps he and I will be able to do something together . I’m not sure how long it will last, but I quit drinking booze the day my father-in-law went into the hospital on July 6th, and now I need some musical diversions. Up here in the Great White North, snow is not the only winter hazard, and many a poor soul has succumbed to the evils of cabin fever and demon alcohol.

 

 

Written by Jamie Oppenheimer c2013 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED