By Bob Spiwak
It’s about 8 a.m. Monday. The snow is still falling — listless powder. It began about 12 hours ago with an angry barrage of huge fluttery flakes and unless it quit for a while during sleepy time, the fall has not let up and about 4 inches or so have accumulated. Temperature is at 21 degrees, a welcome reading compared with the sub-zero days and nights that have preceded it.
Having heat in the pump house, we got a bit careless about leaving a trickle of water constantly drooling from the house faucets with the result that there was no water pressure and no water available. Well, there was the snow, so we melted some on the wood stove, knowing full well it could be Valentine’s Day before it melted completely into water.
The culprit over the past three decades has been the small pipe that delivers water to the pressure gauge on the tank. The passage for fluid is less than a quarter-inch wide and we have, every winter, maintained a light bulb next to the gauge. Under usual circumstances, this and a space heater keep the juice flowing. Not at 15 below zero. We took a magnetic oil pan heater and put it on a feeder pipe, found a 100-watt bulb and grabbed a “milk house” heater from an outbuilding. After about three hours the water returned. So much for the information package of the week.
A few days earlier there was a kafuffle at the Wesola Polana restaurant site that resulted in a stabbing at the scene. Fortunately, according to the sheriff’s report, what was stabbed was the radiator or grille of the victim’s vehicle by an alleged miscreant. The sheriff’s report is before me and much of it is in police shorthand. According to several undocumented rumor mills, the victim had parked a trailer on the ski trail and a skier took umbrage. We assume some words were exchanged that warmed the frigid air and beyond. Then it’s back to the official report, which indicates that the perpetrator will be charged with fourth-degree assault and vehicular assault. We want to stress again this is a combination of rumor and official police crime report.
Now that the holidays have passed, things may get back to normal, in particular a constant question since before Christmas: “What day is this?” I would not be exaggerating to say that at least a dozen people have proffered the query and that number does not include my wife and me.
There was something about the holiday that had many baffled. The bearers of smart phones had an advantage, as did those with calendars on their watches. Those who inquired about the day were in the main, of an older generation.
It was with great sadness that we learned of the death of Ellis Fink last week. He and his sons were our firewood source for a couple of years.
He was quick to wave when driving an opposing vehicle and even when not necessary would stop to assist someone in need. Most recently that was me, when trying to extricate a tractor from the ditch. The valley has lost a wonderful guy and we personally will miss him and offer our condolences to his wife and family as will all in the valley who knew him.
