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Winter can be long and harsh in Maine… and though it hasn’t been as cold or as snow covered as previous years, keeping a sense of humor through the dark months is important.
And from a glimpse of the following?
It seems my town is holding the line.
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Best use of spare mannequin parts… ever.
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No man can resist.
😉
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We haven’t had a lot of snow this year.
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Or last year or the year before that unfortunately … so when the pretty white fluffy stuff does fall and stick?
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I wake up early to photograph it in that lovely pinkish blue morning light.
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And while I do enjoy it…
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Our contractor who still has to replace the siding from the bedroom window replacement does not.
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Can’t say I blame him.
🥴
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The ice was here to stay… so work on the bedroom windows was fraught with slippery hazards.
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After the two small windows were installed our contractor needed another set of hands to help him with the big picture window…. so out went my husband.
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The jerry rigged planking platform was less than ideal.
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And the supports were definitely not OSHA approved.
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Mind you, that’s all ice covered snow.
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*Gulp*
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They did it, so naturally I had to document the event.
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That thing was heavy, and awkward to maneuver.
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I was cringing the whole time… expecting a slip and a crash.
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But it exited without mishap.
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And a giant air conditioned hole was left.
The crazy part of the removal? When they took it out we found this on the sill.
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A handful of screws.
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The old window was sitting right on them. How crazy is that!
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Winter a/c.
You gotta love it.
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Work moved on to the three remaining windows that needed replacing in our bedroom and as with every single other project we attempt in this house, it was a monumental f*ck up.
These are the old windows, stripped of trim and ready to be removed.
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Yes, that’s snow you see outside.
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Ideal conditions for exterior work.
Not.
The trouble began when the first small window was removed and its replacement was fitted.
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The problem? It didn’t fit.
Because it was too big.
Incorrect measurements by our contractor? He says no and has the paperwork to prove it.
Incorrect measurements by the retailer? They say no and have the paperwork to prove it.
Incorrect measurements by the manufacturer? They say they built what they were told and refuse to refund and replace.
Solution… (other than pulling my hair out, stripping naked, dousing myself in tequila and running down the road cursing the home renovation Gods?) … cut bigger holes in the wall.
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It wasn’t that much bigger. Maybe and inch and a quarter on each side but it meant (what has now become my mantra) more time, more work, more money. Not to mention a tighter fit when it comes to trim.
And after that first window rough opening was enlarged and the slightly larger window fitted and secured?
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An ice storm.
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Which coated everything that stood still.
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Good times.
😩
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In my younger days I was a sun worshiper.
A summer lover. A beach bum who loved nothing more than sultry hot days and long walks on burning white sand.
Now? I like a different kind of white.
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I want cold crisp air and a blanket of snow.
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While most people crave warmth as they age, the older I get the more I look forward to winter.
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It’s beautiful…
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And peaceful.
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I love the gentle colors …
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And the stillness of the season.
❄️
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Now it feels like winter!
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We had our first snow recently and it was the heavy wet variety that instantly turns your world into an ice cream wonderland.
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Yes, it’s hard to shovel… but with the smooth new driveway under me it was much less painful.
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We only got a few inches and it will probably melt before long because winters aren’t as cold as they used to be in Maine…
Look at the green grass underneath.
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But for now, I’m enjoying the storybook scenes.
❄️
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The Marvin window specialist didn’t show up the day they were scheduled, which for once was a good thing. Our contractor is back in town now and thankfully will be meeting the rep at our house later this afternoon.
That’s the good news.
The bad news looks like this :
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Not exactly optimal window repair and/or extraction weather.
And while I feel sorry for our contractor… it seems like the expert is getting what he deserves for making us wait an entire month.
😈
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After the recent mass shooting tragedy in Maine lots of people were paying tribute to the resilience of my state and its people. I happen to like Stephen Colbert’s take…
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And since it’s November in my northern home, temperatures are dropping rapidly at night. They had snow to the west of us and we’re waking up to frost. I say bring it! But my husband is starting to shiver. Since menopause has endowed me with internal heating I’m slow to crank up the furnace these days and see nothing wrong with throwing another blanket on top of the spouse. … which is why I got a kick out of seeing this online the other day.
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I really need to post that on our thermostat.
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If you’ve never listened to the Grateful Dead? Never mind, you won’t get it.
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And if you’ve never watched Game of Thrones or The Last of Us? Never mind you won’t get this either.
But speaking of the latter?
It’s real.
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Thankfully it hasn’t moved on to humans, but you never know.
Which is why I was a little shocked to see it was the top ingredient in a coffee that’s being hawked on FB.
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What the Hell people?
😳
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We’ve all seen the bell ringers standing in front of stores during the holidays. They’re raising money for the Salvation Army which is one of the few charities you can trust not to spend 80% of donations on “administrative” costs.
Standing outside in Maine in December can be tough. I’ve seen bell ringers wrapped up in so many layers of clothing they look like the Michelin Man.
Hell, I’ve bought coffee and hot chocolate for those poor volunteers to keep them warm.
Because, you know… they volunteered to help.
Or did they?
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Whaaaat!
Is this a new thing… or am I just woefully out of touch.
What happened to the volunteers?
🥴
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We had a really warm week in Maine with temps hitting the lower 80’s. Not my idea of fall, but lots of people were thrilled summer is still hanging on.
With cool nights and warm days comes fog.
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So much fog the deer who usually only show up at dusk are here at dawn.
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This next picture is of a poor starling who smashed into our living room picture window.
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He was okay and eventually flew away after recovering from the shock. But he sure drove our cat crazy.
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Yes, people here still believe caterpillars can predict the weather.
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Looks like a mild winter to me.
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River's world..... 