Dean, congratulations on the new property. I'm sure you will enjoy it.
I shot this video back on November 30 when it was still relatively warm. Last run for the trike this season. Too much snow and too cold to drive it now. Headed for 30 below tonight so the old year is going out in a deep freeze.
[video=youtube_share;kUXkUvpoI2Y]http://youtu.be/kUXkUvpoI2Y[/video]

From the looks of the buildings you have there, Dean, you easily have room for 8 or 10 more collector tractors to keep the SM company.  

Charlie

First post of 2014 here. Just had to take a picture to show you all what -50 Wind chill factor looks like. Took this out my south window about 1:00 today and you can see the hazy air which is a mix of frost crystals and blowing snow. Way too much wind for -22F but thats what we are getting. Hope it ends soon.

Happy New Year all.  The bad news about that weather, Ralph is that you are sending it our way in the next day or so.  Not looking forward to that.  In the picture you posted, it that tiny bright spot in the far distance Texas??:cool:

Charlie

Ralph, another fun video, as usual.  Looks like you were having a good time on that trike!  I can imagine why you're not out riding around in this weather, though...it looked pretty darn cold to me even in that video.

Charlie, yes indeed, this new place is well equipped for tractor storage!   The block barn farthest northeast from the house has a great lower level with concrete floor, big sliding doors, and must be ten or eleven foot clearance below the underside of the second-floor joists, perhaps even 12 feet.   A guy could get dozens of tractors in there without trying hard.  And the old bank barn could hold another six or eight easy also on the upper level.  Then there's the garage/shop/corncrib/miscellaneous barn to the south...  I'll have to work hard to figure out where *not* to park something.  

Nearing 9 pm on January 5th as I write this, still pretty warm outside (~35 F) but supposed to start falling fast and far.  We'll see how tomorrow goes.  Hope everyone is under cover with the power on.

Charlie, the photo was pointing towards Texas but even my 10x zoom only shows about a 3 mile distance. Those bales in the photo are about two miles south.
Dean, I like the sound of the block barn. Wish I had an extra one here as I know I cold find something to fill it up with.

Still waiting on the nasty weather the weather service has been forecasting. Looks like the 12 inches of snow was actually rain all day Sunday and finally turning to show about 9:00pm. Went out and shoveled the slush off the sidewalk before it started to freeze. Still 29 degrees at 10:15 pm and light snow. Forecast low by Tuesday morning is -17 to -20 degrees with 35 to 40 mph winds for wind chill of -40 degrees. Was able to get back to the woods this morning and bring in a nice trailer load of firewood. Just beat the snow and rain by getting it in the barn to keep dry.

Dean, I looked up your new property on Google Map. Sure looks like  nice set of barns. Gonna be a very nice farm.

Gene

Hi Gene.  I took your idea and just went out and shoveled the drive and sidewalk.  We'll see how much more accumulates by morning--but it sure looks like it'll be way colder by then, so I'll be glad to have less to deal with whatever it is.

This old farm is a beauty, no doubt.  Here's a larger version of the earlier photo.  The house and bank barn are real classics and I'd have wanted the place just for them alone.  There's a small amount of tillable land and pasture, and some woods south of the house.   After all those years of "I hope to move back to the country someday," it sure feels good to be on the way.

What a difference a week makes... here's the same view above, as of today.   Four below zero F, but pretty comfortable as long as I wasn't looking into the wind (coming from the right in this photo).



And another view from the other side.  I took my glove off just long enough to take this picture, but that was plenty long enough...



Dean Vinson
St Paris, OH

Dean, those are some beautiful photos. You do so well with your camera.

Have you started moving yet? And what is your plans for permanent residence?

When I bought my farm, it took 9 months to finally get things ready to move and to sell my former home. Never even looked back when I left there with my last load.

Temp is -10 this morning with 25 to 30 MPH winds for wind chill of -40 degrees. Driveway still drifted shut, waiting for wind to let up to get the snowblower out.

Gene

I agree with Gene.  Both Dean and Ralph do a good job with the cameras.  I really enjoy their photos. At daylight here we were at -5 with wind at 0.0 and a windchill of -5 also.  How is that for coming out even?  The wind blew some during the night but laid back at around 5 AM.  Made a high today of about +5 with some wind throughout the day, but not tearing the roofs off.  As we only got a trace of snow I did not have to venture out at all.  Warmer days are coming to do whatever needs to be done.  I understand we have substantial icing  on the open stretches of highway.  Near the Lake shore and to the West are a totally different story.  I 90 is closed from 8 miles North of here all the way West to the Pa. state line.  From about five miles West, all the way to Lake Erie, well, those folks have tons of snow.  We do not hear much about it, but most likely the Watertown, Tug hill area are also measuring their new snow in feet, not inches, off the East end of Ontario.

Charlie

Thanks, Gene and Charlie.

Over the years some camera lessons have stuck with me:  Get close, or zoom in close.  Don't put the main subject of your photo in the exact center of the photo; a one-thirds/two-thirds split, either horizontally or vertically or both, works better.  For landscapes, a little bit of sky goes a long way; point the camera down a little to get more grass and less sky.  Mid-day sunlight makes for boring pictures; morning or evening sun, with the sun behind your back and somewhat off to one side, works much better.   And most importantly, take lots and lots of pictures and then only keep the few good ones.

All the way up to 9 degrees F here now, and slowly rising.  Guess the worst is past.

Gene, I'm making trips up to the farm pretty often, hauling miscellaneous boxes and smaller stuff that will fit in my car, partly to move, partly to keep an eye on the place, and partly because it's such fun being there.  I have some home-improvement projects to finish up in my current house before putting it on the market, little stuff that I should have done before but never got around to.   Might be a couple months yet before I'm fully moved, depending on how things go.  

Dean

 We do not hear much about it, but most likely the Watertown, Tug hill area are also measuring their new snow in feet, not inches, off the East end of Ontario.

Charlie

Tug Hill? Charlie, was it the one in this video from 1939? They certainly had their share of snow.
[video=youtube;4MJv6b0q6WI]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MJv6b0q6WI[/video]

Exactly, Ralph.  They would be one in the same.  We are now at plus 8.6 degrees so I am thinking we are into a heat wave.  Looks to be very little wind so far.  That should shut down the lake effect snow machine in the areas that have been getting blasted.

Charlie

Great old video, Ralph!   Ramming that deep snow, over and over, must have beat heck out of those trucks, and the guys standing in front looked pretty close sometimes.   But I bet they had a lot of pride in their work.

Dean