Well, there's about 6' of snow but the guy building the drill pads was sent in here earlier to clear the 10 km road to the drill areas and he also cleared paths in the camp, so yes, we don't really have to trudge in deep snow. When it warms up, though, it's pools of icy slush. That's always fun to step in accidentally.
We got about four feet of snow in February, and about two feet since then--although not that much in January. They are saying that if we have one more large fall of snow, we'll match or beat the 1939 record of 207 cm--which is about seven feet. Normally, Toronto doesn't get that much snow, even when other parts of the province does, because the prevailing winds dump lake-effect snow on the southern and eastern shores of the lakes, and t.o. is on the northwest shore of Lake Ontario. This year, though, a lot of the really bad storms have come up from the United States, and we've got heavy lake-effect snows. In one period we got about one foot of snow each for three days--then more snow off an on for the rest of the month. Right now, when i shovel the walk (we got about 4" last night), i'm throwing the snow up above the level of my head (and i'm 6'2") onto the snowed heaped in the front yard.
I was just braggin' 'cause we had such a ferocious winter since the end of January.
I just heard a report on CBC again about a village north of Montréal (Québec has had a bad late winter, too), where the roof of a warehouse collapsed, killing three women. People in town are now refusing to send their children to school until the roof of the building is cleared. It's pretty bad when the snow is so heavy it caves in the roof of a building in Canada, presumably built to withstand heavy snow loads.
CBC promising us more snow and ice pellets tomorrow.
That sounds terrible. One of my sisters lives in PEI and they've been experiencing the same thing. In the North it seems to be more consistent than in the East. Remember the Ice Storm? That was a disaster. Apparently it caused the largest claims in North America, to that point.
Shovelling snow, well, that takes me back. It's been a while since I've had to do that. Why isn't ehBeth doing it, seeing as how she loves the snow?!
I'll tell her to come talk to you about that.
So I can get to Austin, Tx for 512.00.
And wow, I can get to TO for 506.00. That's pretty darn cheap.
oy! I shovel
I wouldn't have been able to get to dance class tonight if I didn't.
Of course, getting the snow anywhere is a problem. The pile of snow is much higher than I can throw the snow from a shovel. So I have to carry my shovels full of snow back down the little walkway toward the house, up the little set of steps toward the porch AND then I toss the snow as high as I can. My shovelling, at this stage of the winter, involves more steps than Setanta's does - he can still get snow to the top of the heap.
I couldn't figger out why the backyard looked so weird - then realized that the old wrought iron head/footboards I use as small fences marking off the back back have completely disappeared under the snow. I can put my hands on the top of the garden shed when I'm walking in the backyard - the garden shed's actually the old garage - it's not a tiny building.
That sounds rather painful and onerous, ehBeth - have you considered a wheelbarrow or sled to transport your snow? heh heh I know what you're talking about because I had a load of soil dumped on my sidewalk and I had to walk every bit of it 30 ft into my back yard, shovel by heavy shovel.
Just heard tonight the boss is trying to get another drill and crew (of 4) in here for Monday/Tuesday. They want to really push the drill program while the weather is so-so. It's starting to get slushy and muddy. That means the trucks won't be able to get in and out of the drill site (very steep terrain).
And we're here for 3 to maybe 5 more weeks so I guess I better wait on making holiday plans.
Gonna order some wine for Friday. Think I'm gonna need a glass.
BBQ Sauce for Pork Spareribs
1 x 5.5 oz tin of tomato paste
1 can of frozen orange juice
2 T. red wine vinegar
3 T. Lee & Perrins
1/4 c. dry red wine
3 T. mustard
1 T. dry mustard
3 T. brown sugar
1 - 2 tsp. cayenne
1 - 2 tsp. black pepper
6 - 8 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
Makes enough for about 8 lbs of ribs.
Into a pot of boiling water, add 2 T. salt and 1/4 c. vinegar. Add ribs and boil for 5 - 7 minutes. Drain, rinse, and drain again.
Marinate ribs in sauce in baking dish for 2 hours. Completely seal pan with foil and bake 2.5 - 3 hours at 250 deg. Or cook as you normally would.
I would rather put the ribs on a rack and then baste them frequently.
That sounds rather painful and onerous, ehBeth - have you considered a wheelbarrow or sled to transport your snow? heh heh I know what you're talking about because I had a load of soil dumped on my sidewalk and I had to walk every bit of it 30 ft into my back yard, shovel by heavy shovel.
Just heard tonight the boss is trying to get another drill and crew (of 4) in here for Monday/Tuesday. They want to really push the drill program while the weather is so-so. It's starting to get slushy and muddy. That means the trucks won't be able to get in and out of the drill site (very steep terrain).
And we're here for 3 to maybe 5 more weeks so I guess I better wait on making holiday plans.
Gonna order some wine for Friday. Think I'm gonna need a glass.
BBQ Sauce for Pork Spareribs
1 x 5.5 oz tin of tomato paste
1 can of frozen orange juice
2 T. red wine vinegar
3 T. Lee & Perrins
1/4 c. dry red wine
3 T. mustard
1 T. dry mustard
3 T. brown sugar
1 - 2 tsp. cayenne
1 - 2 tsp. black pepper
6 - 8 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, diced
Makes enough for about 8 lbs of ribs.
Into a pot of boiling water, add 2 T. salt and 1/4 c. vinegar. Add ribs and boil for 5 - 7 minutes. Drain, rinse, and drain again.
Marinate ribs in sauce in baking dish for 2 hours. Completely seal pan with foil and bake 2.5 - 3 hours at 250 deg. Or cook as you normally would.
I would rather put the ribs on a rack and then baste them frequently.
Mame wrote:
Just heard tonight the boss is trying to get another drill and crew (of 4) in here for Monday/Tuesday. They want to really push the drill program while the weather is so-so. It's starting to get slushy and muddy. That means the trucks won't be able to get in and out of the drill site (very steep terrain).
Is laying corduroy an option for slushy roads?
corduroy is small (approx 100mm) inch diameter trees and slash over the road and driving on those.
I guess not for 10 km, but might be useful for small sections.
Whole sections of Canada had corduroy roads in the 1920's - I can recall teachers talking about them when I was a kid.
~~~
Mame, are you above the treeline?
Corduroy was used last year but they dumped it and it's not really feasible for this project. That would be too much of a delay. They'll have to use ATVs, skidders, or some other such machines. The cat's okay for moving the drill around but ... yes, we have one heavy duty ATV - a 500 cc.
The drill area is at 1080 m and we are not above the tree line, no.
Mame, tell me about the menu planing and the grocery buying:
How far in advance do you have to get your planing done, and how often
do you get food deliveries? That BBQ sauce sounds delicious.
Gosh those guys don't know how good they have it.
Thanks. I was wondering about the planning. Like, the cabbage is setting there, and the corned beef is not. Annoyance - or disaster?
It's sunny here, dry, and the wind's stopped.
Just trying to make you feel bad. :wink:
On our TV recently there has been a series about "ice road" haulage in the north of Canada. A different world.
Ice Road Truckers, I think it was called.
McTag, I think I've seen that one. Amazing machines (and people).
Menus - It's basically what any of you would do - mix up the food so they're not getting beef or chicken two nights in a row. I have my favourite recipes, so I make sure I have those ingredients. After a couple of weeks, I've figured out what the guys do and don't like, then add or delete recipes accordingly. Like if they happen to love broccoli, I add a bit more into the menus. If they hate fish, I don't make it. These guys are big milk drinkers and cookie eaters but don't really go for desserts. I made two apple pies that sat here for 3 days. Ditto with a blueberry crumble (and it was so good!). And the pumpkin pies. So, I don't make dessert every night, and I don't make anything if there's still stuff left, ie. cookies. When we're down to the last dozen, I'll make more. And I use leftovers all the time. Throw stuff into a stew, heat up mashed potatoes with new ones, etc. Pasta is a side dish, not a main.
For some reason they love these veggie casseroles. Broccoli and/or cauliflower mixed with an egg and cream corn, topped with buttered crumbs and baked. Weird.
Chipotle Sauce for Chicken or Prawns
Chipotle sauce (bottle)
equal amounts sour cream and whipping cream
(at home I use half & half)
Cook your meat. I usually also saute large mushroom chunks.
In a saucepan, gentle heat sour cream and whipping cream. Add as much chipotle sauce as you like. Be careful, the heat creeps up on you!
Mame, once your business is finished there I might just consider hiring you as a cook on my next wagon train. Me an the boys get together in the summertime, hook up some conestogas, and head west. We can always use a good cook. How does July sound?
Oh, here's the cook wagon and the guy you see there is Ralph, our old cook. Bit by a rattlesnake and died, he did. No big loss... I didn't have to pay the bastard.
But rest assured, Mame, you will be paid handsomely.
Think it over.
Beans and cornbread is your diet, right? And you paying me with wooden nickels?
I will be paying you with good old-fashioned gold coins.
