My water tank died; temporary refuge for the bird's egg?

A new tank, but what about the dryer? 

Last Friday, my water tank died.

I live in the mountains,, Bear Rocks, Penna., specifically. The iron, silt and funky stuff clogs my water. I have well water and requisite septic tank. Thank God for Culligan. The tank lasted five or six years and I have no prayer for a warranty. Welcome to Bear Rocks water.

Lenhart’s Plumbing stands at the ready from any emergency, say, defunct water tank. I called Ella, fifty-ish, jotting every detail and explained the situation; yes, I have sopping wet water from the tank. Many towels later, Tim and Randy showed up in the afternoon. Burly guys, strong guys from the booming metropolis of Stahlstown next door. It’s a hamlet. Like I said, I love the mountains, everybody knows your name.

Nine-hundred square feet, I have a pint-sized house and a crawl-space. I have living room, dining room, den, a bedroom and an office, bathroom and half-bath-laundry room/hot water tank and Culligan. I have a minuscule kitchen. The center of the floor, I can easily touch the fridge, the stove and the sink. I’m considering an apartment-sized dishwasher.

The formidable dryer.

Tim and Randy lifted the dryer to the door and view the tank. Their, an accordion plastic tube filled with lint, debris, bits of thread and jammed full of the personal effects of birds.  The morbid effects of bird eggs is long gone. Randy emptied the accordion. Birds; not mice. I felt bad.

Six months ago, I called Jeff, my son, and said “Something is wrong with the dryer. The clothes are wet. Something is squirrelly.” Maybe the mice are scratching about? I bought a dryer 18 months ago. Also, I had a monumental stroke 13 years ago.

Jeff moved the dryer, inspected it, never looked for a plastic-thing hook-up for the dryer and wall. “It’s fine.”

Clearly, is not fine. I have screaming wet clothes. Note to myself: Jeffrey is all thumbs. Handyman he’s not. He left.

I went to the garage and the crawl-space over the laundry room, armed with warfarin rat-poison and waited. I hobbled with a cane, careful of the teen-tiny opening. In the garage, there’s a screen on the opening. I placed the D-con. I after the stroke, my right side is paralyzed. The left side takes work, specifically, my left arm. I’m tenacious.

I had visions of wire-chewed remnants, gleefully munching mice. I worry about babies. A mouse produces 300 hundred infants nesting in my house. This is my house. Ten days later, all is quiet. The mouse-babies are no more. I felt uneasy, writhing in mouse-blood. Warfarin thins the blood. I hope it’s quick. I still have wet clothes, however. http://animals.pawnation.com/many-babies-pet-mice-have-1284.html     

Six months later, it’s not mice, it’s the birds. I enjoy birding. I filled up the sunflower seeds, suet cakes and clean fresh water. In the morning, early, the pileated woodpecker makes a cackling laugh, and it’s the largest bird in North America. I like the bluejays, the cardinal and the titmouse (no pun intended). http://www.firehow.com/component/option,com_articleman/id,13775/task,editart/  

Randy vacated the tube out in the woods, hooked the dryer up and a shiny new tank appeared.

Maybe a small screen outdoors for the dryer vent. It’s always something.

A pileated woodpecker.

Relax, put your feet up. The woodstove is clean, safe and creosote-free.

How to Light a Wood Stove

Before the stroke, I was an excellent firebuilder. 

I love the smell of woodsmoke, soot, the dust, the coughs fits and the sneezes.  Hhmm.  Let me rethink that. Yeah, it's dirty.  However, there's a warm, toasty feeling with a woodstove.  First of all, put down the remote and get off the couch!  Fresh air and sunshine is key. 

I trekked into the garage and the wood guy left a big pile of wood. Fragrant wood, it's oak-key, the cherry and the black walnut. I use the wood for stacking. My left arm works quite well. I mound wood on the wall. Meanwhile, the caregiver breaks up the sticks with a big garbage can. It's good to sweat!

The Roman Emperor Hadrian said "brick by brick". Yes, a useless fact. I lift the log one piece at a time for the woodstove in the living room to the deck. It's good to exercise. Use your muscles. I have a small stove; about 10 to 12 inches. 

How to Light a Wood Stove

(It's not brain surgery...)

Open the flue - This is paramount. The air sucks the fire to the chimney to the roof below.

Matches are good - Even better, a multi-purpose lighter.

Newsprint - Color bleeds with the papers.  Creosote is transfered to wood preservatives, tar, and smoke with the walls of flue.  Plain old paper newsprint, please.  Six sheets of paper is plenty.  Arranged the kindling.

Kindling - Get yourself a garbage can and have at it.  Pine trees burn minimally.  Oak or maple's good, or cherry, walnut and black locust.  Hardwood is excellent.  Break up the kindling and branches, and soon the garbage can is full.  Or, fatwood is perfect for cityslickers breaking away to the cabin for the weekend.  Fatwood sticks are naturally saturated with fir resin, and burn well.  No chemicals.  LL Bean, Orvis and Plow and Hearth; look on the internet.  Fatwood abounds.

Sometimes we're cheaters - We are lazy. The starter logs are chemical-based. The foot-long log ignite both ends with a hefty match and let it burn.  Six-inch logs are adequate too.  Most sawdust logs are connected together, and must be pulled apart. It's tedious. Check natural pine fatwood.

  

Wood - Consult the Wood Guy. There's plenty of woods in the mountains, chain-saw at the ready. Oak, maple and cherry, just to make a few. Look at the Yellow Pages or the internet.  A full cord of wood is 4' x 4' x 8' and the common firewood is 16 in., although 12 in., in a very small stove. The cord of varies, $75 to $125.  Barter a bargain. The wood is heavy and dense. The softwood is lighter weight, for instance, locust, and perfect with oak hardwood. Use a balance and judge.

Get yourself a premier fireplace gloves - They are thick gloves, fully insulated and non asbestos with a welted seams to guard the digits.  The hearth gloves are about 14" long.

Fireplace tools - A shovel and a poker and maybe a brush from the soot and your good to go.  For the  common folk, Amazon by Madison $30 and Jan Barboglio for the spiffy sum of $950 dollars. Pretty cool.

Wood produces ash - Sad but true. The steel ash bucket generates 2 or 3 gallons of warm ash securely.  I recommend a double-steel bottom, and watch out for hardwood floors.  The ash drawer works well and the plain old ash from the receptacle woodstove is acceptable to shovel it out.  Leave about 1-2 in. for the next fire.  It's dirty.  Handy tip; ashes are perfect for roses outside.  Ashes are high alkaline.  Use gloves, please.

The woodstove is hot and dry - Use an humidifier or a tea kettle. The cast iron steamer is good, with just hint a spice or vanilla, fills the bill.  The tea kettle goes for $25 in the store and the cast iron is pricy.  Check the catalog, around $20 to $75.

Clean your flue once a year - No exceptions. The chimney sweep, with his brushes and drop-cloths and soot, is a master at wood stoves, fireplaces and general fire-building. He'll check chimney, clean out the flue for creosote and cracks on the woodstove. It's well worth it, for $75-$125.

Check out the fire extinguisher - $20 bucks at discount stores.  You never know.  "A" for trash, wood and paper, "B" liquids and "C" for electrical equipment and stand back 6 feet to the fire.  Read the instructions, and be prepared.

Relax, put your feet up.  The woodstove is clean, safe and creosote-free.

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