Igloos, snow, and such

After almost two weeks of snow, I finally decided on Friday to go out and play in it. Its sad that it took so long to finally get out there, but when you have to work a lot in the snow, playing doesn't seem all that fun. LOL

It was late afternoon by the time my sister and I made our way out into the deep white fluff. We promptly decided to make a "fort", making me remember the days where forts, lions, and pretend food were all the rage.

There was a huge drift/pile of snow from dad's shoveling job that was in the front yard and we both decided that would be the perfect place to create a snow home.

And so the digging commenced. This digging was done by the best shovels known to man: hands (but gloved hands). Melissa and I took turns digging at the opening to our "home". My aunt quickly informed us that we looked like dogs digging a hole in the ground. I suppose we did, especially as we got deeper and all you could see was the back of our legs and our feet sticking up in the air. :D

After a while a nice tunnel began to take shape and we excitedly ran to ask dad if we could sleep in our igloo ( much better term for a snow house). The answer came back quickly "NO". The reason: it might collapse on top of us.

Now in my mind this did not seem quite right, after all I had taken a geology class and we had learned what to do for an avalanche and two of three feet of snow collapsing over our heads was hardly an avalanche (there is my rather stupid logic).

We finally decided that the igloo was finished when both Melissa and I could fit inside it and turn around. You know, it was quite a marvelous feeling... being in something you made ,being warm, and the novelty of the snow and all.

Melissa and I laid in our igloo talking for about 20 minutes, enjoying the dark and the white snow surrounding us while wondering how we were going to be able to convince dad to let us sleep in it.

Finally we wandered out, wet, hungry and hopeful... but alas, the answer was still no.

So we proceeded to go to sleep that night in our real home... wistfully dreaming of a night that could have been spent inside a tunneled out pile of snow.

Sadness... we awoke the next morning to find that our igloo had fallen in, right where our opening was (due to rain). Dad was right in the end, although I still think it would have been funny to be in there when the opening fell in.

Hammer in the water tank!!

I was stumped at what to write here... after all I have not written in a long time. :D
Then I thought of it!!!!
We have snow... I know you all are saying "DUH!" But there is more to that story!
Today we went to the boys (fyi that is the horses) and that means chipping ice out of the 100 gallon water tanks. We take axes and hammers and proceed to bang away at the ice. Well, my sister was working on that job today while I was checking quail and chickens when all of a sudden I heard "Haaaannnaaaah" in a rather sheepish but frantic voice. I looked over and with a grin Melissa stated to me that she dropped the hammer into the water tank (on accident) and she couldn't get it out with the pitch forks. I groaned and as I tromped over to the tank I tried desperately to figure out a way to get the hammer out without getting wet. Obviously Melissa was NOT going to get the hammer out, she had made that clear. The wind was howling around us making the temperature -5 at the most. Then I did the only thing I could think of. I took my coat off and peeled my sweatshirt sleeve as far up as possible. I looked at my sister and then plunged my hand in. Oh the pain... it was soooo cold. I yelped as the cold bit at my arm. Finally I had the hammer and I drew it out of the water, plunked it on the fence and tried to warm my frozen arm. Already there was ice all over my arm as the wind had quickly frozen it. I ran out of the stall, rubbing the part of my body that was now numb and covered in ice and as I closed the door I heard that all too familiar "Haaaannnaaaah". My hear sunk as I heard Melissa say "Storm knocked the hammer back into the tank." Before I had a chance to think too long I ran back into the stall, ripped my sleeve up and plunged my hand into the water, screeching as once again the water bit at my arm. When the hammer was out for the second time I quickly informed my sister that I would NOT be doing that again and so she had better make sure the hammer stayed OUT of the water. So that is my story... but it was so not cool!!!!