Clattering into the New Year

As we come into the new year I am not one to make a hundred resolutions or even finish projects before the new year.  If anything I get less done at the end of the year with the holiday season than I usually do.  With that being said I have put off blogging just a little with the holidays and work being so busy so you are in for a long read and a bunch of pictures. 
     To start off on a year ending beat I did get the furnace and oil tank completely hooked up in the shop. 

I got the nice stand for the oil barrel from work and the barrel I got from my brother.  Since I am mainly burning oil I get from work I cut a hole in the top of my barrel and using a five gallon bucket made a screen of sorts to keep the larger debris out of my oil barrel.  I did install an in line filter on the furnace but the cleaner the oil the better. 

On Christmas weekend it warmed up and rained so we subsequently had a flood in our lower field.  The rain alone did not cause the flood but the stream was iced over and the excess water caused the ice to break up and jam.  This water is over 200 yards further into the field than it normally is. 

 The ice was so big Cricket, Emily and I were able To have a photo shoot standing on one of the "icebergs" that had come inland before the water went back down.

 

The ice that was jammed was about eight inches thick and there were some huge pieces left behind.  There were a few at almost 100 yards ashore that measured at least six foot by six foot. It was strange to see our usual slow moving shallow stream raised up around seven feet and moving chunks of ice downstream at record speed. 
             Another project that I have started in this year that I definitely plan on carrying into the new year is not so much a project but an interesting change of scenery.  This past Sunday I got to haul logs again.  I am driving for Hillside Excavating On the Paper mill property.

For now we are just hauling softwood from one of the mill's wood yards on the property down to where they feed the wood into the mill.  It is by no means a long haul but it is fun and a change of pace.  For this post I am going to call it good and have another one ready for your viewing tomorrow. Here at Rusty Gold Farm we wish you all an amazing new year!!!