Basic Malfunction

Another sub zero day.  Wary of the vast cold Lake Superior; thousand foot freighters gingerly plow through the churning water within site of the shore.  Steam from the relatively warm water condensates into the air.  Winds funnels the vapor and whip it into tornadic steam spouts that twist their way across the frigid expanse of the largest lake in the world.  Simultaneously (and yet in complete contrast) this same vapor reflects the yellow, green and orange sunlight rays of sun dogs that dance across the frozen sky.  Today, much like most in the past month, the thermometer won't reach zero.  Tonight the temperature will plunge deep into the twenties below.  Wind will make the air feel like forty below- cold enough to freeze uncovered flesh in minutes.  Forecasts are predicting the coldest air in decades to hover over much of North America for the next week.  Wind chills will most likely reach a dangerous 60 below zero! 

Nothing wants to work in this weather.  As a result the homestead and it's inhabitants are in a state of basic malfunction.  The cold has frost heaved the patio up to the sill of the front door.  Every opening is a struggle to lift and push the door to an acceptable width in order to accommodate the poor soul and their baggage who is hoping for passage.  All this effort just to step into air that makes the vapor in your lungs instantly freeze and leave you coughing.  A slow leak in the truck tire has been exacerbated into a flat.  The old battery looses it's charge overnight.  The valve on the main shaft of the air compressor contracted into a substandard seal and it now simply blows air into the air.  Fortunately the snow blower putters to life.  A critical point due to the fact that we have already received as much snow as a typical winter!  Any water pipe that is less than perfectly insulated freezes nightly.  Worst of all: for some reason the well pump isn't getting power and thus leaves us without running water.  On top of that we are all sick with a respiratory virus and struggling to keep the wood stove stoked -not to mention clearing the driveway of the ten inches of snow that fell last night! 

It all goes to show that life is not always glamorous on the homestead.  With that said, however, there is nothing like hearing wolves howl under a northern light draped sky.  Or strapping on a pair of skis at your door, breaking an empty trail through some of the most beautiful, rugged, remote terrain in the lower 48.  The reality is that this has begun as a particularly brutal winter.  It's a winter that makes northerners "earn their stripes".  It reminds us how fortunate we are when we're healthy, have working equipment and a warm shower.  As difficult as these times can be they're essential...