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Snow Daze

We get maybe one “real” snow storm here (38.8905, -77.2702) per year and it usually happens in January.  And it is typically the result of a Nor’easter rather than storms coming from the West.  This year the Nor’easter came early!
snow09121901 The first substantial snowfall of this fall/winter season started around 9:00 PM last night and is still going strong.  There was about eight inches of snow when this picture was taken today at 9:57 AM.  The snow is expected to continue falling throughout the day with a total accumulation of 20 or more inches predicted.
snow09121903 This picture was taken today at 3:14 PM.  At that time, there was about 18 inches of snow on the ground.  And the snow was still falling at a pretty good clip.  The snow finally stopped falling around 11:30 PM.  At that time, there was about two feet (24 inches) on the ground in the immediate area. 
snow09121906 I took this picture during one of my numerous shoveling attempts to keep the driveway and front walk passable.  I finally gave up after a while and decided to wait until it stopped snowing.
snow09121905Gunston is exploring a path I dug to get  from  back yard to the front of the house.  He’s probably deciding where to make “yellow snow.”
snow09121907The big pile of snow is from a path I cleared on the deck so the dogs could get in and out of their doggie door. 

The Reconstruction

A month or so ago, I made a blog entry about the water damage to our basement bathroom and the collateral damage incurred during the plumbing repairs.  I’m now happy to report that the collateral damage has been repaired and that our homeowner’s insurance did indeed cover over 90% of the cost of the repairs.

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The hole in the bathroom wall is now gone and new vanity lights, a new medicine cabinet (behind mirror), sink and vanity have been installed.  The bathroom walls and ceiling have been repainted and the old ceiling fan/light has been replaced.

bbr091002The outer wall has been repaired and repainted.  Note that this time an access panel has been installed to provide access to the drain system without having to cut through the wall.

Don’t Forget

Today is the eighth anniversary of the September 11th Attacks.  As I sit here composing this post, it brings back vivid memories of that day.  And a reminder that our military is still fighting two wars related to the events of that day.  One can endlessly debate the pros and cons of our involvement in these wars, but we all need to remember the sacrifices our military folks are making on behalf of their country.  Next time you see a Soldier, Sailor, Airman or Marine, give them a big "Thank You."  Or if you are the shy type, at least a smile!

9/11 Never Forget!

Water, Water, Everywhere

Three very expensive visits by a plumber have resulted in fixing multiple failures in the water supply and drainage system of the bathroom in our basement.
Problem #1The first problem was a pinhole leak in the cold water supply to the sink. Of course the supply line ran behind the wall so this "repair" resulted collateral damage to the wall.  The section of pipe with the pinhole leak has been cut out and replaced.
Problem #2The second problem was a leaky shut-off valve in the cold water supply.  The valve has been replaced as has the sink’s faucet and all associated plumbing.
Problem #3The third problem was a leak in the sink drain-pipe.  You can’t see it in this picture, but when water is running down the sink drain, there is a slow leak dripping down behind the wall.
Problem #3 fixThe plumber had to cut a hole in the outer wall of the bathroom to fix  multiple leaks found in the sink drain.

I wonder what the odds are for multiple concurrent failures in the same "subsystem" of a house’s plumbing?  It almost seems like these were carefully planned premeditated events!  Or maybe part of a government initiative to stimulate the economy by increasing the demand for plumbing services, i.e., the plumbing industry’s equivalent of the current government-funded  "Cash for Clunkers" program for the automotive industry.

Next up is a visit by my homeowner insurance company’s claims adjuster.  I bet that will be a fun time.

Jamboree in the Hills, 2009

Spent last Thursday through Sunday at the Jamboree in the Hills in Morristown, Ohio.  The crowd was smaller than usual this year.  Might be due to the the gradual decline in the number of big name acts over the years, coupled with the increases in ticket prices and the current state of the economy.

Once again a good time was had by all, except for an hour or so when the venue got hit by one of those nasty Ohio Valley rain storms.  And it was unseasonably cold and cloudy. 

One sad note was that our friend Pat, who was the one in our group who has attended the most Jamborees over the years couldn’t make it this year due to illness.  We really missed him and are looking forward to his return next year.

View pictures from this and prior year’s Jamborees.