Dec 28+ - and now we are 14 ... including dogs

Sandy & Dave & Cassie, Vanda and Dave Jr, Stef & Aaron & Lauren & Mya, Sara & Jeffrey & Emma & Zoe & Matthew ... whew indeed.

Hubbub central at times, but it's great.  The remainder of the gang arrived around noon and of course Cassie went crazy with Mya.  Aaron and Stef went cross country skiing, we took a new family picture (minus Kylie, unfortunately), opened presents, played outside, had Sandy's standard turkey dinner etc. etc.  It was non stop action.  All good.

Today is the "warm" day.  Right.  The cold hasn't stopped everyone from getting outside, to varying degrees, except Sara.  She's the smart one :).

Seeing as it was the warm day, I tried to start the 4-wheeler without much luck.   It wouldn't turn over, as if the battery was dead.  I managed to pull the cord past one compression cycle and then it started right up.  I guess that it was somewhat frozen in place.

Earlier on when David tried to use the snow blower on the ice, the auger wouldn't turn.  We got it back into the barn and I left the engine running and moved a heater close and after about 15 minutes one or the other did the trick.

That was the beginning of the fun.  I backed up the 4-wheeler up and couldn't shift back to neutral, backed right up to the van behind.  Retrieving their keys from Sara, I tried to start that car and it wouldn't turn over.  So here I was with the 4-wheeler backed right up against the van so close that I couldn't raise the hood.  I managed to use the winch to move the 4-wheeler a bit, raised the hood and attached the charger with no difference in response from that car.  Great.  Eventually the 4-wheeler warmed up enough that it would shift and I moved it away from the car, backed up the X5, ganged together some booster cables to boost back to front and the van started right up.  I've now got it on the battery minder to help keep the battery ready to go ... hard to say if that will make the difference as the temp plunges again, but it's worth a try.  It can't hurt !

That's it for now.  3pm.  Action has ceased on the lake.  Everyone is inside, including David and Vanda who took the machine out for a run; Sandy who went for a walk and the gang playing hockey.  There's no action at the fishing rigs.  I had to bring in the auger to get it warmed up enough so that it would start ... just more evidence of the cold weather.

Matt Carter is in with his son and they've been out on snow machines.  They go home tomorrow. Sandy says that there's action at Ernie's but nowhere else that she can see.  I expect that Art is now down in Southern Ontario but it's not much warmer there !

I see that cool weather is hitting our place in Florida as well.  The tiki is closed today.  Ha.  In that weather, for at least one day, I'd be in shorts and t-shirt !

I just saw a squirrel make its way down the birch in front of me.  It must know that today is the warm day. 

Onward !