It's coming

We're supposed to get our first real snow of the year in the next 24 hours: 20-30cm.

Shortly thereafter it's supposed to drop to -23C or lower. It's going to be very hard on the plants; the soil is still dead dry.

Last night I was out with the headlamp and then this morning out with the headlamp again.

I got the tillers under cover, got some roofing on next year's split wood (but there's still maybe 2/3 cord to split, and the splitter is still out there, and I didn't do the aspen yet).

I got all my lumber (2x4s, spare house wood, etc) under cover but not up on racks. I had to pry some of it off the ground, pretty much everything has a couple inches of gravel frozen to it at this point.

I got the garlic covered in straw.

I raked the snowblower path from the house back to get twigs etc out of the way, but I didn't get the front of the driveway done.

I got the animal carriers split, clamshelled, roughly cleaned (there was some frozen stuff I couldn't get off) and put under cover.

I got extra straw to everyone to keep them warm.

I picked up a bit more garbage and organized some things, put all the cardboard in the cardboard pile.

I got the hoses strung up on the deck, but only one got put away (I snaked it through the rafters on the goose shed, which is honestly where I should put some of the 2x4s)

I did not get the far-back straw bales re-covered for a third time after the wind blew the tarps off; my plan was to bridge between the two with some treetrunks and put some roofing over so I can get the pigs back there in the spring. I need to do that tonight, during "at snow; at times heavy".

I did not get the back side of the animal carrier A-frame reattached where it blew off.

I did not get the missing metal panel from the pigpen reattached; I need to cut several metal panels and put them up for that.

(Doing this now) I did not let the fire go out and clean the chimney, but I really should do that before the hard cold comes.

I did not test-start the snowblower or pull the garden textiles off it (they have not been stored in a bin safely).

(Did half of this) I did not get all the flower pots from my deck moved off the lawn out of the snowblower path.

I have not yet wrapped the apple trees and berry bushes to keep voles from eating the bark.

Busy times.

Self-care

Went in to work. Got the flu shot (they bring someone in to give it once a year). It snowed 3". Did some work. Overheard a coworker on a hiring panel making mean and kinda prejudicial comments about the applicants. Was given a slice of cake. Learned that since our union didn't negotiate to pay the new higher professional fees (nor cost of living upgrade) I'll be paying $80 this year for the privilege of working, and if I become a full professional it'll be more like $200 per year. Got scent bombed in the supply closet. Got scent bombed in the bathroom. Came home at lunch to work from home through 3" of snow. Stopped and picked up a freezer lasagne I don't have money for because I'll be out in wet snow all evening and don't want to cook. Stopped to pick up a package for Tucker he asked me to pick up, but because he didn't tell them I was coming to pick it up they wouldn't give it to me. Went around the first car of the year that had spun out and was kinda in the ditch in the 50km strip of the highway downtown. Got home, by now there was 4" of snow. Turned up the stove so I can clean out the chimney tonight/tomorrow morning.

Will work from home this afternoon, go out into the wet snow to pick up sticks and do a first manual pass on the driveway at the part that has all the willow twigs, come in and sweep the chimney, eat lasagne, shower, and go to bed.