Arctic Blast Worries

We got over a foot of snow in Mason and temperatures have been below zero.  I had to wonder how things were faring at the farm.

This was the snow in Mason.  I started worrying about how much propane there was at the farm (for heat).  Then I started worrying about whether the propane delivery guy would go down the driveway if it wasn't plowed.  He won't.

Then I looked at the forecast and didn't see any melt forecast in the next 10 days.  Then I looked at the negative temperatures and wondered if the diesel fuel in my machines and in the bulk tank were turned to gel. Diesel gets cloudy around 20F, gels around 10F, and won't flow at all below 0.  Unless treated.  My tanks were filled in the summer and were likely untreated.

So I had Amazon deliver some anti-gel stuff and I made a plan to go out and plow the driveway.  But I wondered whether I could get the Yukon in before plowing or if I would have to walk in.  And then I wondered if I could get the Kubota or the Bobcat to start.  And if I did, and got them out on the driveway somewhere and then the fuel system clogged - what then?  Dead machine, blocked driveway, wait for warm weather?

So I did the best that I could preparing for the worst and I headed out that way.  Minus 9F on Friday morning. I stopped and bought more fuel additives, an electric heater, and a shovel for if I got stuck on the way in or had to clear snow to get the gate open.  And this is how it looked on arrival.

The gate swung clear and I drove straight into the barn. Less snow than at home.

Even the diesel in the outside storage tank looked clear.

There was less snow than in Mason.  Maybe 6 or 8 inches versus 12 or 14.

The back blade worked fine on this amount of snow.

I got the driveway good and clear.

Propane level had gone down about 8% in the week of frigid temperatures.  I probably could have waited for the melt.

Since I was there and had a few minutes before dark, I made a partial camera tour.

The tracks are always fun after a snow.  This went right down my trail.  I assume bobcat.

And it went right past one of my cameras.  But nothing showed up on it.

I just checked the easy to reach cameras.  I wanted to get out before dark.

I had battery maintainers on all of the machines that I don't run every week.  

But I went ahead and picked up 3 more to cover the new Polaris machines and the Kubota.

This is the driveway on the way out.  Turned out to be no drama - easy peasy.

I don't usually share the squirrel photos but this one was fun.

It has been surprising how long this food block has been lasting.  The crows have no trouble feasting on it at 4F.

This camera got a hawk capture too.

These shots give you the feel for the winter out there.

The deer eat the pine buds in winter.

I don't know how they survive.

Out feeding even at these temps.

And the "clean up crew" is always waiting for weaklings.