Burn Baby, Burn!

With all the time we spent without power last year Rebecca and I began discussing the advantages to having an alternate source of heat for our house during the cooler months. We agreed that a wood burning stove would be a good investment even if we only used it occasionally. I grew up with a wood burning stove so I didn't go into this venture clueless but I was surprised at how much stoves have changed over the past (gulp) 25 years!

 

Thankfully we have a very efficient home considering the cost of home heating oil. Rebecca being the awesome book keeper that she is was able to determine what we have spent on oil each year since we built the house.

We looked into the stoves that are carried by Tractor Supply Stores, Harbor Freight and the local Aubuchon Hardware Store. I wasn't against buying one of these stoves but really wanted to learn more about the brand name stoves that are popular throughout New England.

 Rebecca and I started researching stoves online prior to heading out to the local sales establishments. I was originally planning on getting the stove and installation as a package deal but after our first meeting with a stove sales man I quickly realized that we would not be able to afford it without me hitting the lottery or robbing a bank - neither of which was ever going to happen! Despite our first experience being a horrible experience due to a pompous sales man it ended up being a blessing in disguise. I'm not going to mention the company because I don't want to give them any undeserving business but as I go along I will eventually name the two places that were very helpful with our purchases.

Our second outing was a trip to Squire Lumber and Hardware and were treated like their #1 customer and given a wealth of information despite them not having the style stove we were interested in. While on site I watched another one of their employees show a customer step by step on one of their floor models how to take out and replace a part that was bad so the customer could save money by doing the repair himself. Despite not purchasing my stove at their store they made me into a loyal customer with their customer service. I learned a lot about the difference between the name brand stoves and the budget models sold at the supply stores, information I would use to determine my final purchase.

We had started our quest for a stove mid year and I decided that we would wait a little longer and take advantage of the deals that are offered during the autumn "fair" season. Not only would this be a great way to save a dollar it would be a worth excuse to take a day off from work and spend the day at the Big E with the family!

We all enjoyed a day at the fair and the kids were very grateful to have the option of taking in the sites and sounds of the fair while Daddy was "wheeling and dealing" with all the stove vendors on site. I had narrowed my options down between two different companies that were there and before signing on the dotted line I took the offer that I liked best and went to the second vendor. Now this vendor sold the same stoves as the store Rebecca and I had our first bad sales experience with but hoped that dealing with factory representatives would be better. Needless to say the factory representative was not only as pompous as the sales man from the store, he was also deceitful and when I caught him in his deceit he asked for the paperwork back that he had given me and threw it in the garbage. This was his way of letting me know he didn't want to play "deal or no deal" with me anymore.

I made my way back to the first vendor which was Green Mountain Stove Company from New Hartford, CT. Once Rebecca realized I was going back to try and get an even better deal than Jerry had offered me earlier in the day she too was grateful for the option to go enjoy the sites and sounds of the fair. Jerry was happy to see me back despite my declaration to him that there was more that I wanted in order to finalize our deal. In the end he made a couple phone calls and met my demands and in exchange for his flexibility I offered to pick up the stove from his warehouse and save him from delivering it across the state. My father taught me that "one hand washes the other" and to "always take care of those who take care of you." Now those may seem like cliche' sayings but to me they are practiced whenever possible. This can be done in person or sometimes its as simple as making a call to an employees supervisor to let them know that you had a good experience at their establishment.

Once I had the stove home we needed to pick up all the supplies to install the stove and chimney. I had learned while shopping for the stove that the chimney was going to be expensive whether I did it myself or if I hired someone to do it for me. Once again my wife took to the computer and started researching where I could get the parts I needed for the best price. We also called and received a quote from one of the local chimney companies for a full installation. It was quickly evident that we would be doing the chimney ourselves. At this point I called Rebecca's father to let him know I would be leaning on him for his expertise with cutting holes into my house, something I was really worried about doing.

Now that I had the guaranteed help I would require we started purchasing the parts and pieces which Rebecca had found some amazing deals on Amazon and the Ace Hardware Outlet for all our Class A chimney pipe. When I say amazing deals I am not exaggerating we found out the deals we paid equal or less than Squire Lumber pays for their pipe!

Chuck (Rebecca's Dad) came over one afternoon and together we cut the hole and installed the through the wall kit which was the hardest part of the install. The remainder of the parts arrived and Rebecca and I decided to put the effort into finishing the job ourselves. I had dad's 30' ladder and piece by piece I began assembling the chimney up the side of the house making sure it was level and maintaining the necessary clearance from the siding. Eventually I made it to the roof line and needed Rebecca to get up on the roof to assist me. Now I said earlier that cutting the hole in the wall was the hardest part of the install - I've since changed my mind, getting my wife who is afraid of heights on the roof was harder! After promising to clean up after myself and offering to do the cooking, dishes, cleaning of the bathrooms once a week and vacuuming the house the rest of the year I was able to convince her to make her way up the ladder onto the roof where she sat securely straddling the eave of the house.

The final sections were in place and the roof braces installed all I needed to do was complete the internal connections now. I took a trip back to Squire Lumber where once again the employees went above and beyond to assist me with everything I needed to finish my install which I was able to do shortly after getting home that night.

It was with much excitement that I lit the stove for the first time to start breaking it in first with a slow burn and eventually working up to the roaring hot fires that heated my house the remainder of the year!

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Living in the country I had plenty of seasoned wood to get me through the fall, winter and beginning of spring which resulted in our thermostat remaining off for the entire year and the only oil used was for heating the water for bathing via our heat as you go tankless system. The stove is a Pacific Energy Summit and does a great job of heating our home, thankfully we had the option of opening windows and doors when needed to cool things down although I will admit it was fun asking the family if they thought I was made of money so they could heat the outdoors!

Off to the Races!

The weekend of 5/13/11  we drove down to Dover, DE for our annual NASCAR race trip and this year Grandpa Roger went with us. We made the trip there in record time and were there in time to watch the practice sessions for all three series as well as the truck series qualifying. Of all the race tracks I have been to the Monster Mile is one of my favorites. As it's name suggests the track is a one mile track with plenty of banking and a concrete surface. So far every time we have made the trip my favorite driver, Kyle Busch has won at least one of the races during the weekend and this was the first time we were watching him race as an owner of the #18 truck.

Friday was a beautiful May day with lots of sunshine. We sat at the top of the grandstands so we could enjoy the cool breeze as well as the shade from the luxury suites behind us. Kyle started the race in position # 3 and Ariel's favorite driver (Kevin Harvick) started in position #2. Our family definitely likes the drivers who have colorful personalities and Kyle and Kevin lead that group!

The race was fast paced and full of action which kept us on the edge of our seats most of the race. To my delight Kyle won the race after leading 123 of the 200 laps. Kevin also had a great finish within the top 5. After leaving the track we went back to our Hotel and the kids and I went for a nice swim in the Hotel Pool. When we got back to the room we all enjoyed our annual treat of Domino's Pizza. For some strange reason we all crave it when we go to the races so I figure once a year it's allowed!

The next morning we woke up ready for another full day of racing! We had breakfast at the hotel then stopped at the store to fill up the cooler with treats. Just as we were getting off the highway next to the track it started to rain. By the time we parked and began making our way into the track the skies opened up and we all began to wonder if the remainder of the weekend would be washed out. Despite the rain we made the best of our time together and when the rain lightened up we took turns stomping in the puddles and worked our way around the souvenir haulers picking up miscellaneous goodies.

The sky was dark and gloomy but to our surprise we heard the jet driers fire up in the distance, the good thing about concrete and all the banking they can dry the track in about 90 minutes.  We made our way back to the grandstands which were much cooler than they were the day before. It actually felt like an early spring day which forced me and Alex to head back to the truck so we could change into some dry clothing. Thankfully I got an amazing deal on a fire suit style jacket so not only was I warm I was sporting my drivers colors!

Just like the day before the Nationwide race was full of action from start to finish. Kyle's car was good but didn't seem to have what it needed to get to the front and every time he made progress something would send him to the back of the field. At the end of the race there were several cautions which sent the race into overtime with multiple attempts at a "Green, White, Checkered finish" As the cars came out of turn 4 in front of us Carl Edwards and Joey Logano made contact which triggered a huge multi-car crash. I love racing and there is a part of me that enjoys watching cars beat and bang on each other but I had a lump in my chest after watching cars flip over at 150mph in front of me and I actually sat down and said a prayer for each of the drivers involved. Thankfully everyone was able to get out of their cars (more like wads of crumpled metal at this point) 

Once we knew all the drivers were okay we were able to celebrate the fact that even though he didn't win our driver ended up finishing 2nd! He managed to weave his way through the wreck and was challenging for the lead at the end of the race.

Throughout the summer we took several more trips to our local short tracks as well as trips to New Hampshire for the Cup and Truck races. While racing may not be everyone's idea of a good time I will tell you don't knock it till you try it. There is something about the smell of racing fuel in the air, the roar of the engines and the vibration you feel in your chest each time they speed past you! 

Alex's Birthday - 2/28/12

   
     Alex and I were seasons ticket holders for the 2011-2012 AHL CT Whale Hockey team. It turned out they had an 11:00 game on the morning of Alex's birthday. I decided that we would spend the day as a family and the kids got the day off from school and I took a vacation day so I could enjoy the all day celebration.

 
     For his birthday I surprised him with a Zamboni ride during the first and second period of the game and they also wished him a "Happy Birthday" over the PA System and on the Jumbo Tron!

     It was an amazing game - It was tied at the end of regulation, then scoreless through overtime and we ended up deciding the game in a shootout which our team dominated! Every time our team scores 2 goals during a period everyone in attendance gets a free taco from Moe's so I bet you can guess where we went for lunch!

After Lunch we decided to go shopping at several of the area Toy stores between Hartford and Springfield where Alex was able to use the cash and gift cards he received for his birthday to purchase the different items he had on his wish list. The day went by fast and once again our minds turned to food. Alex requested a steak dinner so we headed off to Texas Roadhouse for the early dinner specials.

After dinner we finished Alex's shopping spree at Toys-R-Us to pick up Nerf guns and Skylander's and then headed over to the local Friendly's restaurant for some ice cream. I was a great day spent together as a family and while Alex had the most fun I can honestly say that Ariel, Rebecca and I all enjoyed every aspect of his special day too! To finish out his Birthday celebration Alex and I took a road trip to Maine to watch our team play the Portland Pirates and spend the weekend with my cousin Rick and his wife Lynne, more on that in my next post.

Where to start?

     I was wondering where I should start with a years worth of stories to catch up on and it almost caused a severe case writers block! I decided to look at where in time I left off posting and quickly realized it was at the end of the 2010 hunting season. Now everyone knows that I absolutely love talking about my hunting adventures so why not start with the 2011 hunting season and work my way back filling in the gaps!

     This past year I promised Ariel that we would spend some time in the woods on the 2011 youth deer hunting day the first weekend of November. We spent the week prior ensuring her aim was still true by going to the range with her .243 shooting targets. We started at 25 yards and worked our way out to the 100 yard targets. Ariel made me proud as she was safe and proficient and left me knowing that she would fill the freezer if presented with a shot at a deer in the woods.

     To our surprise on October 31'st we had an amazing snow storm that crippled not only our state but a large part of New England. We registered just under 14 inches at our house and despite the massive destruction the only damage to our house was the cable/telephone wires being ripped from the house. The snow came quick and was heavy which resulted in downed trees everywhere and left us without power for 13 days. Thankfully we purchased a generator at the beginning of the year so we were still better off than the majority of the area citizens. Once we were able to escape the neighborhood I took a trip to our friend's farm where we hunt to verify the tree stand was still standing and safe to use. I was worried as I made my way into the woods and saw how many trees were down but to my surprise the one tree that wasn't damaged was the one with my 2 person stand! Unfortunately one of my other tree stands was heavily damaged and the other one was stolen. When I got home I told Ariel of my findings and prepared her for the trip ahead of us. Normally we are able to drive into an upper field and work our way down to the tree stand but due to the damage we had about a one mile hike on foot to the tree stand.

    Friday night came quickly and we spread out our clothes and hunting equipment in preparation for the morning hunt. I don't think either of us slept well as we were both excited for our first day of tree hugging together this season. We were up early and after a quick breakfast we drove to the farm. I was very excited to see that Stan had started clearing the trees in the roadways which meant I was able to drive all the way to the top of the tractor road. It was going to be a great day!

     Ariel followed me through the fallen trees and before we knew it we were cuddling together in the comfort of my tree stand. It didn't take long before the sun began to rise behind us and within minutes of me telling Ariel it was legal shooting time I turned to see a big healthy doe working her way towards us along the brook! I tapped Ariel on her shoulder and she nodded letting me know that she had seen it too. Now I have shot a lot of deer in my years of hunting but the excitement of watching my oldest child sharing my love of hunting makes me fall apart. My knees were knocking my hands shaking my heart pounding so hard I thought for sure the deer could hear it!

     I watched in anticipation as Ariel readied her rifle and took aim. The deer was 15 yards away and I prepared myself for the sound of her gun firing. I waited, and waited some more. I then noticed there was another deer 30 yards behind the first following the same path. I whispered into Ariel's ear that there was another deer coming so she would be prepared and not alarmed when it finally came into her line of sight. I continued waiting and before I knew it the first deer was out of range and Ariel had taken aim on the second one. Once again I readied myself and the waiting game began.

     At this point in time my work appointed cell phone began vibrating in my pocket. I pulled it out and wanted to cry when I realized it was work calling and I was about to get dispatched to an emergency call. When I looked up I sat in disbelief that the second deer had made its way past us and was now out of range. Why didn't she shoot?

     Once I was sure the deer were gone I informed Ariel that I just got called into work and that we had to leave. I was confused and now very disappointed. We climbed down from the tree and made our way out of the woods without saying a word. Once we were in the upper field I asked her the question that was burning inside me, "Ariel, why didn't you shoot? Did you freeze up or was something wrong?" She answered me with "Dad, I didn't have a clear shot." I was shocked to say the least. "Ariel, what do you mean you didn't have a clear shot? Both those deer presented you with great shots." When she answered me my disappointment turned to sheer pride. "Dad, you told me that I should never shoot through anything with my gun and only shoot if there was nothing obstructing my shot. As the deer worked past me there were branches with leaves that I didn't want to shoot through because I didn't want my bullet to get deflected."

     It was then and there that I knew she listens to my instructions and wasn't willing to take an unethical shot no matter how bad she wanted to harvest another deer! At this point were were sitting in the truck and I explained to her that shooting through a couple of leaves wouldn't have been unethical as she was sure of her target and not shooting into branches that could cause her bullet to skip and change directions. She looked at me and said "If I had know that I would have shot BOTH of those deer!" I told her I was proud of her and that I would rather her enjoy watching the deer and go home empty handed rather then take a shot that she didn't feel comfortable with. There is always the possibility of going hunting another day and seeing another deer, you can't however call a bullet back once the trigger has been pulled.

     As we drove home we were thankful for the short time we got to spend together and that we were lucky enough to even see deer but still sad that our time together was cut short due to my job responsibilities. Before we made it home my phone began to ring again - it was my buddy Seth checking in to see how we were doing and hoping to hear that the freezer was about to get filled. He was surprised when I answered and by the volume of my voice realized that we were not in the woods. I explained what happened and he asked Ariel if he could take her back out after lunch to which she replied "Yes" of course.

     I drove to Salem, MA and thankfully my job was completed without any further issues so I began my drive home hoping to take in the end of night stand with Ariel. I arrived at the farm and began changing into my hunting clothes, I had let Seth know I was on site and would work my way through the woods to them once I was dressed. I leaned over to tie my boots when I heard the distinct sound of a rifle firing in the distance. I waited for another shot, thinking it was someone target shooting nearby but there was no second shot. I went back to tying my boots when my phone began buzzing  - It was Seth and he informed me Ariel had shot at a deer and despite thinking she hit it he couldn't find it.

     I was excited and worried at the same time - It's a horrible feeling when you shoot an animal and it suffers and you can't find it. A feeling I pray my daughter never has to experience. At this point I will tell you 3 days prior I had minor surgery on the bottom of my left foot and it was no where near healed. Keep that in mind as you picture me running as fast as I could, looking like Forrest Gump singing to myself "Run, run as fast as you can, you'll never catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!"

     I made it through the field, down the hill, and into the swamp by the tree stand without falling although I came close several times. As I looked up into the tree stand I realized Ariel was still sitting there and she was     smiling. She didn't look worried or upset, she was smiling. My first thought was she was smiling rather than laughing out loud because she had, with a birds eye view, just witnessed me running and then the thought occurred to me, maybe I wasn't singing to myself, maybe I was shouting the Gingerbread man song out loud? Despite my embarrassment I moved on and asked, "Where is Uncle Sesame?"

     She said nothing, she only pointed. I turned and to my surprise there was Seth standing in an opening about 50 yards away. I slowly made my way towards him at first not knowing where the deer was when she shot and I didn't want to disturb any areas we would be checking for signs of a hit. I said I was moving slowly at first - that was until I got about 20 yards from him and realized that he too had a smile on his face. Now I know he could see me but unless I was shouting there was no way he heard me singing so his smile could only mean one thing.

     I began running again and sure enough there it was, the deer Ariel had shot. I was like a little kid on Christmas morning! It turns out there was never a question of Ariel's shot. It was a clean, well placed shot that dispatched the deer quickly and humanely, they just wanted to have a little fun with me.

     I went back and helped Ariel down from the tree stand and after a prayer of thanks I gathered my emotions and we took a few pictures. After we finished taking pictures and reliving the memories of the past hour while they were still fresh in our minds the work began.

     Thank God that Seth was there to help me get the deer out of the woods and that Stan had cleared the fallen trees from the road way because I think I would still be dragging that deer if they hadn't done what they did!

     I have been truly blessed with family and friends who share my love of  hunting and the great outdoors. I admit having Ariel put the first deer in the freezer two years in a row provided me with a feeling of relief that we would have fresh meat for the winter but I also felt the pressure that if I didn't get a deer during the upcoming weeks that she would never let me forget it. Thankfully the 2011 season was a bountiful one.