Probably not the last

Today, a photo-essay. Think of it as a flipbook with captions, and lots of nice pictures of the hubs…

Just in case you’re not from around here, we had some hellacious winds last night. Made me think the house was gonna’ lift right off the foundation and fly away. Thankfully, that didn’t happen. We made’r through with very few casualties, notably:

• the junked grill that blew over and into the delicate skin of the shed (How many years has that grill stood there, making things beautiful? Many. Many.),
• the sheet metal roofing that launched off of the woodpile (where it rooooves),
• and the bus shack that tried to make a beeline for the neighbor’s place. She tumbled backwards, then upended herself, and made one final flop at the roadside. Almost she made a full roll; almost we had a perfectly intact bus shack standing smartly in the middle of the road.

Again, if you’re not from here, here’s the weather sequence of the past week:

1. A dozen inches of snow last Friday night
2. Then three or four days of 40s and 50s this week to melt the blanket
3. Some hella nasty lines of wind and heavy rain last night to further soak the land
4. And finally, a plunge to the depths of the thermometer, with the wind still wailing today

I present this timeline as explanation as to why the Yukon is sidled up there to the edge of the rotten upended bus shack. For by the time we mounted the rescue, she was iced well into the sodden and frozen shoulder, and needed a little nudge. Two nudges, actually, for she froze in afresh after the first reconnaissance trip, whilst we warmed the fingers and toes.

So we noodged once more, and then began the heaving. Heave #1:

I almost died.

Literally.

That thing almost bucked back over on us when we sunk into the crusted-over ditch snow. Scott maintains that he would have fit nicely through that thar door hole, but I’m here to tell you we both would have been toasted, one on either side of that thar door hole. And the heft of that beast would have shown no mercy.

Anyway…

Thanks to that slanted roof, even uphill the next flop was an easy one…

The next took some grunting, but Scott’s a good grunter (and I am very strong)…

That stuff sticking out the door there? That would be the entirety of the shingled roof, peeled clean off. It is placed just so for ballast.

Concerns?

Yes, we had them too.

So we pulled the Yukon around to give the whole works a little tug back into place, onto level ground.

Yes, we overcompensated and yes, the sturdy beast rocked right on into the back of the Yukon. Yes I predicted this event. No, I didn’t have to make a scene, as the rear window mercifully absorbed the blow. Someone is lucky.

The shack is back, and looking good.

Still not level, you say? Well, given the floor that is mostly rotted out, and seeing as that shack hasn’t seen action in years other than with the mice and hornets, we’re not too concerned for appearances. Our neighbors, I imagine they would tell a different tale. I could practically feel them staring out their windows at us, watching the whole circus, wondering if we were really going to put that thing back in place again, and WHY?

Yes. Yes we are. Because we can.

If you’re in the market for a bus shack that is durable enough to survive an undisclosed number of tumbles (nope, it’s not the first time), and still look that good, gimme a holler. I’ll make you such a deal. I’ll even throw in the shingles.

From Windy Acres,
KJ

P.S. Yes, The Rona is gone. And the man even smells things on occasion now. It’s a very rare occasion, but that’s progress, baby.

And yes, the Christmas Letter is done. Just sent it off to the printers, matter of fact. I’ll upload it one of these days, after the mailman does his job with the real ones.

Until then, Merry Christmas!