Greetings from Ice Station Zebra! Don started calling the cottage, in this frigid, stuck-in-the-house, worried-the-pipes-might-freeze weather, Ice Station Zebra (after the movie of the same name) when he was dealing with it all by his lonesome 4 years ago. At that time, I was working in sunny San Diego. Now, the tables are turned and I’m dealing with it all by my lonesome. I get it. I feel like I’m in some cold, lonely outpost trying to stay sane.
Incidentally, I turned on TCM last night and what was on? Ice Station Zebra.
After I wrote and published yesterday’s post, I went to turn on the cold water in the kitchen. Nothing. The pipe had frozen. Trying to ignore the more than slight feeling of panic that was trying to take over, I grabbed a hair dryer. Sometimes we have to go down into the basement to thaw the pipes. But I thought I’d try the pipes under the sink first. After about 5 minutes of work, I saw the stream of water from the tap get a little stronger. Eventually there was a nice, heavy flow as the pipe thawed.
Phew!
Our pipes in the kitchen and bathroom have a history of freezing. They are on the outside wall and I suspect there’s not quite enough insulation there due to some mouse activity in the past. Since the next 2 or 3 days promise to be just as frigid, I am now dripping water which has turned into a steady stream, all the time in both the kitchen and the bathroom – hot and cold. I might just go mad. I’m also keeping the heat at a higher temperature than I like overnight. Monday, when the temperatures are supposed to be warmer, cannot come soon enough.
Because of all this, I have truly lost track of what day it is. I was all set to do a big post today on Decorating on a Flea Market Budget in the Kitchen. But then as I emerged from a restless sleep, I realized that today is Friday. Not Thursday. Friday. And my posts on Friday are usually not big ones because I also post A Favorite Thing on Friday evening. So I’ll hold off on the kitchen post for a day or two.
In the photo, a few treasures: my dad’s toy, a Model T made out of cast iron that still has remnants of its original yellow paint, and some things I’ve gathered on my walks – a pinecone, a feather, some pods and some acorns – sitting on a brown transferware dish.
And I made another scarf:
I love this color. If you were interested – and why would you be – you’d find several items in my wardrobe in this color. It’s made of silk and bamboo – very soft and silky to the touch.
I’ll be back this evening for A Favorite Thing. In the meantime, I’m running some quick errands and getting ready for the snow that is supposed to fall overnight.
Why am I not in Southern California at the moment?
Happy Friday.
My folks used to do the dripping water bit to keep pipes from freezing too when I was a kid. They always left to cabinet door open under the sink too. Funny how some things have not advanced much!! Good luck!!
I always have the cabinet doors open, too.
Hi Claudia,
I’m dealing with the pipe freezing thing here in Indiana too. I leave the doors under the sink open. The heat from the house then helps to warm the pipes. You may already do this I don’t mean to be a know it all I’ve just had to deal with this since I was a young. Also, just leaving the cold run in a steady but slim stream should do it. Know that we are all here for you if you’d like to chat. No fun to be alone with responsibilities. Hugs ~ Rita
Never fear, though I didn’t write about it, I always keep the cupboard doors open. I have to run both hot and cold as each of those pipes has been known to freeze.
I was just coming to say that when I was young and lived in an old farmhouse, my parents used to leave the cabinet doors open also. I see that everyone has the same solution for you and you already do this. I hope you don’t have any more problems.
I watched Ice Station Zebra last night!!!!
So far, so good, Pam.
Morning Claudia
So glad that your frozen pipes were a somewhat easy fix. It’s darn cold here too – yes, bring on the warmer cold temps:)
Leann
Can’t wait!
Stay warm, Claudia! I’ll be wearing my “Claudia” scarf today while I’m out running errands. That’s what I call it :-)
Stay warm yourself, Karen. I love picturing you in your scarf!
Good morning Claudia. It is still morning, isn’t it? Forget about what day it is, I can’t even keep track of the time it is.
I love the title of your post. It’s so cold here that Mom was saying something about balls and brass monkeys yesterday ;).
Reading about your pipe problem made me think of that Sarah Harmer song “Basement Apartment”….”and the tap drips all night, water torture in the sink, the furnace is burning but it’s still cold I think”. Take care and I’ll pray for warmer weather. J
It IS like torture – Chinese water torture!
Claudia, I feel your cold! Hopefully we have just a couple more days of this frigid weather and then temps in the 40’s. I haven’t left my house since Monday afternoon. I really need to get out today. We are due for some snow tonight, maybe a couple of inches. I wish I was in sunny Cali too. xo
We’re due for at least one inch, maybe more. I ran my errands this morning so that I wouldn’t have to be out driving in the snow.
We should all be in Southern California! It is times like this, I seriously consider living in another part of the country. At least for a couple of months…wouldn’t that be wonderful! A girl can dream! ;)
Would love to have a winter home and a spring, summer and fall home!
So glad that you were able to get the pipes thawed! It seems like we’re more alone when frozen pipes or the need to shovel an entire driveway present themselves. My husband used to live in our 5th wheel in the winter for work… now there is a challenge for you. Northern Alberta in the winter in a winterized holiday trailer. Can you say brrrrr? Stay warm!
Oh my lord, I can’t imagine how hard that must have been!
This is how I expected you to feel a couple months ago. Don’t worry I am always asking what day it is. My husband looks at me like I am loosing it. So sorry that Don isn’t feeling well. I hope that he is getting better. Both the tummyand the respiratory is just so hard to get over. Esp. without the TLC from your honey.
Hope you get out for some staples before the snow gets to you. We were to get 1=4 inches. I can’t even see the roads. No getting out for me. Wondering it my hubby will get home tonight. Surely the plow will get here sometime today. I like it as long as the electric stays on and the pipes don’t freeze. Once in another house the pipes froze one day. I ran out in the garage and felll really hard on the water from the pipe busting. Ouch. The next day it busted again and I ran out into the garage and fell hard again. Ouch again. Wouldn’t you think I would have learned the first time.
Stay warm and safe.
(((((WARM HUGS)))))
Stay warm, Debby. We’re supposed to get between 1 and 3 inches. I’m hoping it’s closer to 1 inch!
I’ve heard bad things about hair dryers and frozen pipes..like burst pipes from uneven thawing?? I don’t remember..Anyhow, you were lucky..so glad your water is running again even if it is all the time..I don’t know if you can get to enough pipe to make that electric tape worthwhile..I guess I’d worry about fire..Only a couple more days..:)
Electric tape makes me nervous. We’ve never had a problem using a hair dryer. There can be complications with anything.
It’s raining here in San Diego, but at least it isn’t freezing. (Just so you didn’t think we were basking in sun or something). I’ve been a day behind all week. I assumed it had to do with the MLK holiday, as hubby had the day off, but perhaps it’s something in the blogosphere. And I have a blog post that I wrote in my head last night and this morning while I was waking up, but do you think I can remember a word of it? *sigh* Hopefully it will come back to m e and I can write it down before it is lost again. (that was just a random whinge.)
I understand. I seem to forget things more often lately.
We have so been there with the pipe freezing, Claudia. Have to love old houses. You are a real pioneer woman, I think I would have called my father in law!! I’ll remember the blow dryer trick. We woke up to snow today. It’s warmed up to 23 degrees, but I don’t think it’s going to melt any time soon. Another day to hunker down after the every day errands.
I really love this scarf pattern. I would love one in cream…do you take custom orders?
Have a great weekend. I’m looking forward to seeing your kitchen. I joined your party this week…thanks for the reminder to link up!
XO,
Jane
It’s 20 degrees here, which feels positively balmy – maybe because there’s no wind. We’re supposed to get snow this evening and into tomorrow. Maybe an inch or two. I wrote you back via email, but yes, I do take custom orders. The silk and bamboo comes in a lovely cream color.
Well someone has to stay home at Ice Station Zebra so the pipes don’t freeze! Stay warm and snuggle with Scout! Love that green, I bet it looks great on you! I’m going to visit Mr Toes again today and I hope he is feeling better. This has been a rough week! See you later for Favorite Thing!
hugs,
Linda
Linda, your yarn came and I’ve started on your scarf. Hopefully, it will be done by tomorrow.
I never heard of the dripping water thing until my parents’ pipes froze just two days ago! Wishing you warmth and running water as we go through this cold snap!
Thank you, Jeanmarie!
Hoping a thaw will come for you soon! We’ve had single digit temperatures for several weeks and have just reached the freezing mark yesterday! I felt like celebrating. I’m so ready to move to Hawaii.
Blessings,
Betsy
http://www.betsy-thesimplelifeofaqueen.blogspot.com
Me too!
It drives me crazy to have to leave the water dripping. Seems like such a waste of good water, so I let it drip into water jugs if I can and save it for drinking water or use it to flush the toilet or water plants or put in the dogs dish. Good luck. Our pipes burst in the bathroom once and wow, what a mess. I hope that never happens again.
That’s a good idea, Kim. I think I’ll do that, too!
rented an old farmhouse for a few years as a young married and we had to leave the water drip too.
ALSO the curtains would blow on the INSIDE when it was really windy. Ugh…had to put plastic over those old windows in the coldest part of winter.
I had that with an apartment I lived in. Every winter I had to put plastic on the inside of the windows.
Claudia, that scarf is GORgeous! What a beautiful pattern! I love anything green. =) Hope you will have a cozy weekend, and that it warms up for you. Today was a little warmer here (NEOhio) — by about 10 degrees, and we got about 3″ of snow. We are “hunkered down” for the evening, and looking forward to a quiet weekend. Blessings! ~Sally
I think your snow is headed our way this evening, Sally!
I completely understand how you feel about this weather and being stuck in the house. This is the kind of weather that reminds me of ‘Ground Hog Day,’ the movie. It seems like every day is the same…cold! But I haven’t had to deal with frozen pipes. Yikes. That is no fun at all!
Love the little vignette with the car. That is wonderful!
It IS like Groundhog’s Day! Enough already, let’s get some warmer air in here!
Hi Claudia! So sorry to not have commented this week, I have peeked in but I’ve been trying to get some stuff done around here. WAH! I love visiting all my blog pals but I don’t seem to be able to manage my time very efficiently – I sit down and next thing I know, hours can have passed.
I’m so sorry you and Don have each been hit with all these challenges while you’re apart! As they say, a problem shared is a problem halved (or lessened or something?). It just plain sucks to have to shovel snow, tend to frozen pipes, etc. on one’s own – and poor Don, to have to perform when he is so very ill. I know it may not feel like it but you guys are big troopers. I’d be a whining weeping nincompoop in the corner, if it were me.
Sending you lots of hugs and wishes for Don to feel better very soon!
Take good care of yourself xo
Thank you, Sally!
We have lots of family in FL and they are always asking us to come down and escape the winter cold. What they don’t understand is that if the temps dip, my husband stays busy seeing that the pipes don’t freeze. Old houses, you love them, wouldn’t want a new one, but they are work. It sounds like you are managing, though. Hopes for warmer weather soon.
Exactly. That’s why I couldn’t go to California with Don – someone has to stay here and monitor the house.
We got about 5 inches today. I went out and shoveled twice today and we have one of those double drives where you come up the main one and pull out the other side because we live on a corner. You will be getting our snow we had today in fact it is out of here and I see it has already moved on the east coast. Hey, I do the same thing with getting my days of the week mixed up. Sometimes it’s just from being stressed out sometimes it is because of a holiday messing me up. Hang in there Claudia! ~Hugs, Patti
I hope you got to relax after all that shoveling, Patti!
Oh my gosh frozen pipes! I remember years ago when we lived in this house the kitchen pipes would freeze every year and every year my brother would get up screaming and yelling and go outside under the house with a hair dryer.. he finally had it all fixed but year after year we went through this.. Im so glad those days are over.. Hang in there, the warmer weather will be here soon.. I can NOT wait for that post about the kitchen and I love that scarf. I am a knitter and a Crocheter but I don’t think I could make something that pretty.. I get very confused with all the crochet stitches. Wish I could though.
Thanks, Robyn!
Oh, my heart goes out to you regarding the frozen pipe situation! We have a similar situation in our basement bathroom. We just try not set the thermostat too low. Also I wanted to let you know I mentioned you in my blog today as I am wearing your soft obsession scarf. It seems when my neck is warm, my whole body is warm.
Oh dear,I feel your pain about the frigid cold, Claudia! I’ve been worried about pipes as well during this horrendous cold snap. I’m so sorry you’ve been having that trouble. I’m glad you were able to solve it without having to have a plumber. I am very austere when it comes to heat in the winter, not wishing to pay the princely sums they charge. I keep it at 52 when I’m not home or when I’m sleeping at night, and I turn it up to 58 when I’m home and wakeful. (I only push it past 60 if I’m expecting company!) But with this terrible freeze we had last week, my poor ancient system was chugging away day and night, trying to maintain even the most spartan temperatures in the cottage. (And I kept hearing the “ka-Ching!” sound in my brain the entire time!?) Mercifully we are due to have snow today (followed by rain) so it’s a veritable heat wave outside right now. A blamy 30 degrees!!!