UN-Defeated!!!

Okay... I'm not going to call it an actual "Triumph" as sorts but I can also now claim only a partial defeat.  Here's what I mean.

There's 4' of snow under this sled as I found out eventually.

First of all, my Internet connection during the month of January was sporadic and erratic at best.  Sometimes we'd be on for an hour or two and other times off completely.  After going through the SOP with Bell, our one and only available supplier, they sent us a technician who determined our router was faulty.  He installed a replacement out of the box and Voila... we were good to go.

For about a week maybe less.  Same issue, unreliably connection whether WiFi or wired.  On the phone again, calling the technical support line and talking to several reps over several days.  I was able to get Ethernet wired connection up and running which allowed us to follow a myriad of troubleshooting procedures as discussed with various repair reps over the phone.

Even an IndyLite, is anything but when you get buried.

After countless reboots and repair attempts it was finally determined that my newly installed modem was most likely at fault.

The rep who determined this (situated in the Philippines) offered to send me out a better quality modem, eta... two business days.  Since it was Wednesday when this was taking place, I thought 'uh uh...' no way this is getting here before middle of next week.

The cavalry has arrived!

Imagine my surprise when a notice appeared in our mailbox Friday afternoon and we rushed into our local post office in Kensington and there it was, neatly packaged addressed to Frank Simon!

Given the fact that we have had blizzard after blizzard upon blizzard these last three weeks I didn't get the new unit up and running (with assistance from yet another Manila based tech rep) until just the other day, but for several days now we have had reliable internet.  It's mind boggling how connected we now are, computers, smart phones, tablets, emails,  texts, Facebook, twitter etc.  What an age we live in.  To top it off, I'll be playing catch up on messages for a month:)

Single lane traffic... barely. 

There has been NO school all week.  Our lane is barely one vehicle wide and the snowfall over the last three weeks has surpassed the entire winter of 2013, which 'they' claimed last year was the heaviest in 40 years.  In just three weeks!  On top of that it's rarely cold here on the Island occasionally reaching -teens but this year there has been weeks at a stretch where the temp has not been able to creep into single digit lows much less on the plus side.  

Mountains of the stuff

As for those massive snows, I decided the other day to call in one of my neighbors and old time customers, Donny Cole and his tractor mounted blower.  Trying to clear it myself this last time was proving to be quite an ordeal and I finally gave in.

Surprise when Donny calls me back the following morning to tell me his tractor is experiencing hydraulic issues and he may not be able to  get it running at all!!!

With no other option and snows as high as 8' in the driveway, I went out with shovel and snow blower and began the ugly process of whittling away at the mounds of white stuff saying to myself the entire time...



"It's just water, it's just water..."

Fortunately since I was early enough and it was cold enough it was actually 'easier' to move than the wetter stuff the day before.  With Brenda's help we did manage to clear a 10 foot wide path the 50 feet or so to the road.  Shortly after arriving there, pretty much exhausted, Donny came trundling up with the old rig and I will tell  you, a wider smile hasn't crossed my face since I lost my virginity.

Then he got stuck... in about 6 feet deep snow, trying to get to my Polaris that I buried the day before trying to get out to Irishtown Rd.  I was prepping my Ford 4X4 to pull him when he freed himself.

The first cut is the Deepest! Baby I know...

Our drive into inspect the apartment and get groceries yesterday was quite an eye opener, it's hard to believe what Mother Nature is capable of.  Literally mountains of packed and drifted snow everywhere, in town and out.  Irishtown road was barely a lane wide and driveways were canyons along much of the route.

Once in Summerside (chuckle) I ran into two long time old customers that remembered me from the 'old days'  Still makes me shake my head that so long ago, and still people speak fondly of my little Freedom Cycle business.

massive drifts

Okay... enough of this. here's a few more recent pics, it's time for me to get out there and plow out the drifts from last night.  We're told another one is coming on the weekend.

Defeated!

FOR anyone that has known me a long time... you know I hate to admit defeat.  Whether it was in the blocks set for a 100 yard dash, on the starting line of

 a muddy Moto-cross race, or facing the aftermath of a winter blizzard.

We've had several major snow storms in the last few weeks, usually with a bit of respite in between.  A couple of days, maybe even a week.  I've been able to clear my driveway each time with my little 24" blower and ATV blade.

That has changed this latest storm.

I'm not certain what the "official" stats are nor do I really care.  It started Saturday evening shortly after we returned from Moncton and the Motorcycle show, which by the way, we were snow dumped out of last year at the same time.  Seems mid February is proving to be the heaviest snow falls.








The snow stopped sometime in the wee hours of Monday morning and we spent 'family day' inside and warm while the wind blew drifts high.  It wasn't even this morning but yesterday afternoon that announcements were being made that schools and all non essential services would be closed today, Tuesday as well.  In fact plows are only on the roads for emergency purposes!



I woke this morning actually excited, the sun was shining and even though the 'mercury' is in the minus mid teens, it is a decent winter day.  After fueling the quad and blower, doing an oil level check and donning my gear, I first shoveled the back deck which is fairly well protected.  This was my first concrete hint that today... maybe, I would have to call in the troops.

Hard, crusty, clogging the shute, I labored for an hour just to clear a 15' wide path in front of the garage. Being able to only propel the snow 5-10' means I would be clearing heavily compacted blown snow several times over to get anywhere near the 25-30' width of my driveway.  By 9 am, I'd stuck my head in the door and yelled up at Brenda to call in Donny Cole, to come by with his tractor mounted blower whenever the roads were plowed enough to allow him in.  It probably won't be today and maybe not even tomorrow.



Discretion being the better part of valor here, means I take it slow shoveling and admit that this time, for the first time since my arrival three winters ago... I have to pull back and let the big guns in.

Did I mention I hate to admit defeat...   

Bike Show

BY this time next week we will have attended the 2015 version of the National Motorcycle Trade show held in the lovely city of Moncton, New Brunswick.  Four of us families included, booked a hotel last year and drove the 90minutes to the city across the bridge. 

Chris trying the V-7

Unfortunately a terrific snow storm blew in, and my Blazer was just a lump of snow Sunday morning.  We drove across a deserted city in Mike's 4X4 Toyota to a cancelled show.  Once in the building we found the exhibits being torn down and disappointed manufacturers heading on to greener pastures.

YMUS colors Bolt

Our luck will be better this time around (I hope) and we can actually see something and spend a little time doing some business too.

Yep, that's a snow blower under there!

It's been one heck of a two weeks.  I mean in mid January, pretty much everything was green around these here parts, but one successive blizzard after another has dumped tons of snow in the Maritimes and especially on the Island.





Combined with snowfalls that have now surpassed last year amounts apparently, and unseasonable cold weather, I am looking froward to seeing and sitting on some bikes we rarely get to view.  There are no BMW, Aprilia, Ducati, KTM Moto Guzzi dealerships on the Island.  This is pretty much our only chance to see these bikes together in one location.

We have our own mountains!

I could make a comment here, but I won't.

Scenes around Kensington

I'll have more of an update in a week's time.

For a cat born in Glendale AZ

In the meanwhile, do me a favor would you... cross you fingers we don't get another typical late winter dump this coming Valentines day weekend...

He doesn't seem to mind too much.