I am at the Mothhouse again! That means another slice of life, and especially of cold. \u00c2\u00a0Amazingly, we have had a week of just below freezing point temperature. That feels like coming from the freezer to the fridge. Or in other words, like Norwegian spring. \u00c2\u00a0But it was not to last: Last night it fell to -15 C again. (That’s 5 Fahrenheit, for those whose temperature measurement is not in any way connected to the freezing and boiling of water.) \u00c2\u00a0It is already milder again though, and the meteorologists predict that it will actually rain tomorrow. \u00c2\u00a0I believe that when I see it, honestly. \u00c2\u00a0But perhaps that would thaw out the water pipes?<\/p>\n
Yes, they have managed to freeze again. When I came here today and opened the main water intake, only the kitchen and the WC had water. The shower and the bathroom faucet each has neither hot nor cold water. \u00c2\u00a0I suppose I actually really should have kept it running, as insane as that sounds to a modern human. \u00c2\u00a0I mean, hello, even in Norway I believe water costs money. \u00c2\u00a0Hot water certainly costs money, and even the hot water pipes seem to have frozen when not in use. \u00c2\u00a0People, it is ordinary room temperature both in the washroom and bathroom. \u00c2\u00a0You could sit there and read a book in your ordinary indoors clothes. \u00c2\u00a0Despite this, the water has frozen after 1 night of deep freeze. \u00c2\u00a0Seriously, I can only conjecture that the pipes have never been insulated, just buried in the ground, and whoever lived here before just let the water run whenever the temperature looked to dip beyond zero.<\/p>\n
I grew up in a house that was over 100 years old even then, 50 years ago. \u00c2\u00a0There was no need to do crazy things there to keep the water from freezing, even though it was colder in the washroom there than here. \u00c2\u00a0Someone here has done something stupid, and I seem slated to pay for it. \u00c2\u00a0But as long as the pipes don’t actually break, I’ll just go ahead. \u00c2\u00a0I called my friend with the big car and asked if he could help me move this weekend.<\/p>\n
The road is still not plowed. \u00c2\u00a0There has been snow and wind in the meantime, so the narrow track I had made through the snow with the spade was mostly lost. \u00c2\u00a0Near the house it was at least visible. \u00c2\u00a0So I have started on it again, but I can’t see myself clearing a road big enough for a large car to get to the house. \u00c2\u00a0I will probably have to buy a snowblower. \u00c2\u00a0Argh. This is not going to contribute lifetime happiness points, I fear. \u00c2\u00a0The whole idea about hiring someone with a snowplow is that they actually use it to keep the road open. \u00c2\u00a0Unfortunately, they cannot even know where the road was, given that it is now just a sea of white snow, so I can see why they would hesitate. \u00c2\u00a0It is normal to mark roads with small bamboo staves before the first snowfall, but nobody lived here back then so it never happened. \u00c2\u00a0I can only hope that if I manage to recover the road, I can mark it from now on. \u00c2\u00a0But if I invest in a snowblower, do I actually want to pay someone to (perhaps) plow it too?<\/p>\n
Farm living is not quite the paradise city people may believe. \u00c2\u00a0Of course, if it were a real farm I’d use the tractor. \u00c2\u00a0But it is just a farmhouse by the river, surrounded by pretty farmland that is not mine. \u00c2\u00a0So no tractor. I love tractors, but I think I shall limit myself to a snowblower for now!<\/p>\n
Unless the good Lord actually sends some mild weather after all. \u00c2\u00a0But that might be a bit much to hope for, after the world leaders took responsibility for the climate at the Copenhagen summit. \u00c2\u00a0And I don’t see any of them sending any mild winds anytime soon, literally or otherwise.<\/p>\n
Anyway, don’t get me wrong: \u00c2\u00a0I love this house, even if it is old and ugly and not practical. \u00c2\u00a0It feels very homey. And I don’t feel like a guest here. \u00c2\u00a0There is no one else in the house and it is not full of other people’s stuff. \u00c2\u00a0So I really want to move in here this coming weekend. But I really want to be able to shower again before summer, too…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I am at the Mothhouse again! That means another slice of life, and especially of cold. \u00c2\u00a0Amazingly, we have had a week of just below freezing point temperature. That feels like coming from the freezer to the fridge. Or in … Continue reading