Many A Cold Step Tonight

I know that winter death has never tried
The earth but it has failed; the snow may heap
In long storms an undrifted four foot deep
As measured against maple, birch and oak,
It cannot check the peeper's silver croak;
And I shall see the snow all go down hill
In water of a slender April rill....
From "The Onset" by Robert Frost



The winter death has descended on us and April's rills cannot come soon enough to suit me. Right now I'd settle for +2 degrees. The frost on the window is the frost on the window just above my bunk. The frost is between the outer window and the inner storm window, the outside window doesn't seal properly and condensation has formed on the glass. It's usually misted over first thing in the morning, this is the first time it's frozen.

Outside the wind is roaring in the bare limbs of the apple trees. We are at the crest of the hill, unprotected from the wind's teeth, which right now are biting at -21 degrees. It's blowing a steady 35 kmh with gusts to 53 kmh.

The snow has drifted high enough to be up over the ankles of my jeans. I've packed my winter boots so well that I can't find them, and snow wedges into my runners with each step.

Meanwhile hardy James, who, with wife Cathy owns and runs Bel-Air Cedars shoveled snow all day long, clearing not only the walks but the roads! Here he is, clearing the walk in front of the motel. What energy these two have!



There will be many a cold step tonight. While we are a comfy 72 degrees inside our dump line is frozen somewhere, leaving us without a way to dump the septic tank. What you can't dump you can't use, hence a block's walk to and from the bathroom every time.... oh, it's going to be a long and bitter night.

Being inexperienced in the ways of winter trailering, and reading the weather forecast a few days ago, we sought the advice of the RV repairman as to whether we needed to insulate and heat the dump valve and line. He assured us that it was unnecessary, as the sewer lines don't freeze up. (Right)

He's coming as soon as he can get here, which will probably be tomorrow, as he was on his way to repair a failed furnace when I talked to him. He will regret his advice. Yes, he will be paid to do the job, but how much is cleaning out a frozen sewer pipe worth, when the temperature is -15, maybe -25 with wind chill? You couldn't pay me enough to get me to do that willingly.

Later: In a clear demonstration of James' devotion to his "snowbirders", he showed up at our door as soon as it was too dark to shovel snow. He spent an hour in the bitter cold trying to fix our problem, without success, but not for lack of trying. Gary, the RV repairman, stopped by at 5:00 to check if he could come tomorrow morning, which of course we agreed with.