November 19, 2013 3 Gifts Autumn 1. Things have to be just right to tackle some jobs. Last spring, we had our house insulated after ripping out lath and plaster and putting in new wiring (thanks again, Harry and Ken!). They werent able to do the ceilings until the drywall was installed, and with summer coming on, they had to wait until there was a week or so of cooler weather. Spray foam insulation generates heat as it cures, and attics are notoriously hot in the summer anyway. Unfortunately, they missed the gable end that adjoins our back room, allowing the heat from our wood burning stove to penetrate the attic and defeat the purpose of the insulation. So it was that last week they came back to finish the job. It took them longer to set up the equipment than it did to squirt the foam. But the time was right. Its autumn, and its cool. So we can be warm this winter. 2. Autumn in the northeast is our last chance to finish up outdoor projects that we tried and failed to get done in the summer. The other day, it was a choice; help Nate with his siding or put the plow on the tractor. The siding won. As it hopefully will again this week. Its a big job, and being on their whirlwind tour of the West for six weeks in July and August didnt help his siding schedule much. But Nate is a worker, and in addition to getting his wood in (more on that later), and helping others to get their wood in, hes tackling the siding with a mild vengeance. I cant speak as to his enthusiasm or vigor in attacking it; after all, its a tough job moving scaffolding, climbing up and down ladders, working under eaves dripping with melting snow. I cant stand to just stand by while he works so hard, so when I can, Im on the ladder or the roof, measuring and installing the J channel. If the weather holds, we just might be able to finish it before the real wintery stuff settles in. Around here, THATS what Autumn is all about! We learn pretty quickly that theres not much you can take for granted, so you have to take the opportunities when they present themselves. So if it isnt raining, Ill make use of every daylight hour to help out. Thats what families do, and part of the blessing is that my helping Nate is fulfilling the Scripture which says, It is more blessed to give than to receive. Besides, he gave his time helping us with last winters demolition and last springs stairs. I cant see any down side to all this. Autumn is a great time to live in Sinclairville! I suppose I should at this time answer the question that is no doubt burning in your mind: What about the plow on the tractor? I dont want anyone to lose any sleep over this, so Ill put your mind at ease. I took yesterday afternoon off and got the plow frame all hooked up. I wasnt sure I could do it by myself; its a heavy bugger. But a little ingenuity goes a long way, and by dark, it was all hooked up. When I have an extra ten minutes, Ill drive down to the edge of the lawn where it was parked all summer, and fasten it to the frame. Then Ill be ready for winter. 3. Autumn is also the time to get the wood in. Theres a pecking order to it. If you are a real woodsman, you have a few acres of woodlot where you fell the trees yourself and cut your own firewood, hauling it to the woodshed with tractor and wagon. Thats Uncle Dennis, actually my brother in law, but everyone in the family calls him that, except probably his wife. The next level involves living in the village with enough of a backyard that you can have loggers deliver a load that you block up and split with your own chainsaw and wood splitter. That would be Nate. The lowest rung of the ladder, occupied by moi, is that of having split wood delivered, the only task remaining being stacking it in the woodshed. We dont have enough room to store a winters supply, so Im guessing that there will be a couple times this winter when I call on Dennis to drop off another load. Ideally, its just an autumn job, but we dont live in an ideal world, do we? As to the pecking order, I can take comfort in the fact that the only lower rung is the non-wood burner. Actually, I occupy that rung also, having a gas log stove in the entry room and a gas furnace that handles the bulk of the heating chores. Im grateful for each stove we have, and for the furnace, too. Ill be even more grateful once winter kicks in.
Posted on: Wed, 20 Nov 2013 01:33:53 +0000
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