Continued from last Tuesday.

 

Our local library doesn't have one of these anymore.  Someone came in to look for a book and looked around for the card catalog. Nope not here!  They were offered the librarian's computer.

You would think makers of cell phones would consider someway to slam the phone.

One of our vacation rentals had one of these slides.  The granddaughters learned really fast how to climb up the slide.

And there's more to come.

A Giant

 

A giant icicle that is.  

Granddaughter #1 harvested it from a neighbor's and wanted to share it with anyone stopping by at the library open house.

House Project in Progress

Realizing after a power outage in December that we should have a secondary heat source we explored several options and settled on a woodstove. Where to put it was the next question so we settled on the part of the house farthest from the furnace so even when furnace is on it will provide additional heat to the part of the house that is coolest.

We settled on a woodstove from Woodstock Soapstone Stoves in Lebanon, NH and went with the smallest - the Keystone.  It loads from the right side but has a window in front like a fireplace.  It has a catalytic converter to burn off all the extra gases in the smoke, reduce creosote build up in the chimney and reduce air pollution. Woodstoves have come a long way since we last had one installed in the 80s.

 

The woodstove company recommended an installer who came out to assess our location.  Originally we thought we would take out the middle window in the back, but in order to run the stove pipe up outside we would have had to have too many bends. Instead he suggested between the windows, a lower cost required for installation.  We then ordered the stove and the hearth pad.  Luckily the company had just finished manufacturing the model we wanted and had one in our preferred color that had not been spoken for. The hearth pad will not be delivered until the end of February.

Monday, in the snowstorm the installer came with the stove which he brought in with a hydraulic dolly - it weighs 440 lbs. He went to work preparing the hole for the stove pipe.

Below is how it looks now until we get the hearth pad.  The blue tape marks the approximate location.

The stove pipe is capped outside for now.

And we have this lovely art installation between the windows.

Art Work

 Granddaughter #3 loves to draw and at 5 1/2 she's making progress.

Here are two of her masterpieces that I display.

Not sure who is depicted here, maybe a prince and a princess.

The one above from left to right depicts the artist, her sister who turns one next month, her mommy and her daddy.  The family used this as their Christmas card this year.