Scenes From The Weekend

We took last Friday off of work so made the drive to Wakefield Thursday night. Here are the low lights:

• When we arrived at the house, it was 40 degrees inside. Luckily, there is a little Rinnai gas heater which I promptly switched on while my better half dealt with turning the water back on.
• Unluckily, the gas heater refused to actually create heat. 
• "No problem," you might say if you recall a recent post about the wood stove installation. But did you know that when you get a new wood stove, you have to light four "pre-fires" to set the stove's coating before you can actually use it for heat? Three pre-fires still needed to be set before the flames would be blazing.
• It was like indoor camping on an iceberg.
• When we woke up on Friday as little icicles, we gave the gas company a call. 
• Did you know that when you move into a new house, the gas company eventually wanders by and switches off the gas if you neglect to create an account?
• Did you know that a gas stove requires gas to cook on it?
• Luckily, we were rescued Friday evening by a nice man who reconnected our gas. And actually, by mid-morning Friday, the wood stove was hot as can be and we were toasty.

On to some actual highlights:

• Honestly, at the time, all of the above was like a big fat adventure to me. Simon mentioned afterwards that he was surprised at how well I did, which I sort of take offense to but also totally understand given that my reaction to adversity is generally to crumple into a small ball.
• We're in the midst of our big annual appeal at work, and let me tell you, folding and stuffing hundreds of envelopes ain't so bad when you get a nice view to coax you along.
• Lots of wildlife sightings! A bald eagle coasted around on the other side of the lake before swooping right above our heads. We spied a beaver at the water's edge on Sunday too as well as some hearty ducks still floating around.
• We stacked a cord of chopped firewood on Saturday. Whew. I discovered a) muscles I never knew I had and b) that a cord of wood is basically a billion heavy logs. 
• The stove got roaring Saturday and Sunday and it was soooooo nice. 
• It snowed!
• Looks like the dog has gotten quite comfortable at the house...