My other big concern is the magnificent horizontal branch on our oak tree. I always stake up up in the winter but with all the fun I had yesterday, I forgot. I can normally stand with up stretched arms under the branch. The yellow wasp trap hangs way over my head. This morning I could look over the limb and the wasp trap was about 1' from the ground. Not good! First I had to find the very heavy, 60' ladder buried in the weeds, under the snow. Then I had to haul it from behind the greenhouse, all the way up hill to the oak tree. I considered harnessing the dogs and having them pull it but I did not want it 1/2 mile away at the road. I got as much snow off the branches as I could and wedged the ladder. This ladder would be vertical if I had placed it before the snow. Not liking the slope of the ladder, I hauled the 12' red ladder to place under a branch further out. Heavy winds are expected this afternoon and it is still snowing very hard.
How hard is it snowing? I shoveled the back patio bare then the front to free the dog sled. When I came in, the back was already covered. 
Lore has it that you get warm 5 times when you heat with wood: when you cut the tree down; when you cut it into rounds; when you split the rounds; when you stack the split wood; when you burn it. I just added a 6th: when you shovel snow so you can get the wood from the pile to the house. Kitty behind the wood stove. We still don't have other heat.
Damp clothes from doing this mornings chores are drying in front of the woodstove.
Damp clothes from doing this mornings chores are drying in front of the woodstove.