The Furnace Man and The Bat Man and The Money

 

This receipt for our first service call a few days ago (the 9th).
Furnace still didn't work when tech left.

So today pest control man Eric Jewitt came out and discussed how to examine, find, and seal up any cracks and openings that bats may be using to access our attic. Then he creates a one way opening for bats to exit in the spring. Theoretically that shuts them out for good. His fee is $5,000.00

In the afternoon Bartlett Heating guys showed up to get our furnace going. This is our 4th or 5th day with it on the fritz. (Our wood stove has been saving the day).  Unfortunately we discovered a large hole and a crack in the heat exchanger. The furnace is toast and needs to be replaced. I suspect we've been operating it for quite some time in it's damaged state. Price Tag: $7,000.00

Yikes.

6,112 steps today.

Bartlett Heating technician working on our furnace, Monday the 9th.

Stressful Stuff: Hospital, Furnace Break Down , Bat in Basement

Wouldn't you know it? Goes down to 24 below zero and furnace breaks down. 

A lot of stress lately. The Better Half has been feeling poorly lately. Visit to her kidney Dr revealed low levels of iron and hemoglobin. This was on Wednesday Feb. 4. He admitted her into hospital for blood transfusion and an iron infusion. She was there overnight, came home on Thursday. At same time our oil furnace began acting up. Blower motor wouldn't shut off. Then when it did and seemed ok it began short cycling, that is the burner would stop before reaching the set temperature. The burner and fan were not working together. Seemed to me the Fan Limiter Switch was bad. Anyhow, it acted up. By Sunday morning it was 24 below zero. Called Bartlett's heating left message. They came out Monday morning. Got things going. Blower appeared to be working properly. Technician Wade left at 12:30. Blower was on. And stayed on. By 3:00 it was still going. Something wrong. Wade came back. messed around ith wiring and switches. I left him in basement for about 10 minutes. Went back to basement n discovered he had everything buttoned up and was gone. No word to me about anything. THEN, the blower would not come on at all. The burner would light and burn until it was shut off due to overheating. 

Today another guy came out, left without a repair. Need parts. Supposed to come back tomorrow, but will be someone else he says. When he left I was able to start and stop the blower manually with a jumper wire. After a couple hours I shut it down. When I tried to use jumper wire again there was nothing but a clicking sound. Like a relay not working. So tonight once again no furnace. Warmer tonight so less worry about freezing plumbing. Wood stove n kitchen gas stove keeps first floor comfortable. Just hope tomorrow they come back with parts and get it working properly. 

On another note, yesterday I walked 6,781 steps. Today was 4,824. 

OH! Horror of horrors, as cold as it's been I went to the basement last night to check temperature as there was no furnace going. I opened the door and saw a BAT flying round. I was astonished. Called Eric Jewitt a pest control guy that deals with bats. He is supposed to be here about 9:00-10:00 tomorrow morning. I searched the basement today and could not find any signs of the flying creature. 

Animal Tracks on Snowy Driveway and Sidewalk

 

Animal tracks on new fallen snow in our driveway and sidewalk.

Our driveway and sidewalk were covered with animal tracks in the snow this morning.I discovered them as I was taking the trash to the curb for Wednesday pickup. Animal activity is not unusual here. There appeared to be deer prints and cat prints as well as other critters. The cat could be one of the neighbors animals or a feral cat. We had gotten a thin layer of new snow overnight that recorded the imprints. 

The Better Half had an appointment today with podiatrist to look at a very sore toe. This doctor removed  the toe nail from it last June. He feels the toe has a sore related to poor blood circulation. So we will be investigating that. 

This evening I went to an art talk at Fibbonacci Gallery in Watertown. The speaker was local art collector Carl McLaughlin.

Animal tracks on new fallen snow in our driveway and sidewalk.

Animal tracks on new fallen snow in our driveway and sidewalk.

Animal tracks on new fallen snow in our driveway and sidewalk.

Animal tracks on new fallen snow in our driveway and sidewalk.

Animal tracks on new fallen snow in our driveway and sidewalk.

Moon Rise, View From Roof, Ice Dam

Sunday February 1, 2026 

Moon rising behind a house on Washington St., Chaumont, NY  photo copyright Gary Walts 

 

Moon rises at 5:40 behind a house a few doors down from me on Washington St., Chaumont, NY. Dave S. called me and said there was a nice moon rising, I should check it out. So I did. This was after a pleasant day of sunshine that found me shoveling snow and carefully chopping away at an ice dam tht formed on an almost flat section of our roof. It's a metal roof and very slippery. Beneath the heavy snow there was water, perfectly liquidy. It dawned upon me that I should have removed this snow a couple of times during the days it was accumulating. I snapped a view of a neighbors yard while I was up there. 

Today, Feb 2nd, awoke to see the temperature went to 13 below zero overnight. 

My neighbors yard as seen from my roof.

I think the high temp yesterday was 9 degrees. iPhone claims I walked 5,883 steps yesterday. today at 2:40 afternoon phone shows Ive taken 2,230 steps. 

Old Photo of Richard L Guga, Teacher From Indian River High School

History teacher of mine, Richard L Guga August 1972

I recently came upon this Ektachrome slide from August 1972. The subject is Richard L. Guga one of my high school teachers. He taught history and social studies.  He died in September 2024. His birthday was April 14, one day after mine, making us both Aries.  I always had trouble staying awake in his classes. For some reason he didn't capture and hold my attention. I realize now as a 70+ year old man looking back, I believe I might have had a learning disorder. BUT, it's more likely I too much of a day dreamer. If I was bored in a class I became a real Walter Mitty. I would get lost in fantasies, imaging myself as a research scientist, or discover lost treasure on a shipwreck, OR being a globe trotting photographer for Life magazine. Anyhow, Guga was a colorful character. In later years he developed Parkinson's disease. In another coincidence he once owned the house that I currently own in Chaumont, NY. 

                                   

On another note yesterday was another 20 below zero day. Sunshine all day was nice. This morning when I got up it was 5 degrees following an overnight low of 4 below zero. Yesterday I walked 6,520 steps. 

Snow Photos From January 28, 2026

 

Yesterday I awoke to 10 degrees below zero and sunshine. It was very pretty but I was too lazy to bother going out early to take the wonderful winter pictures I know were out there, away from home. But the sun didn't last long. It clouded up and we got more snow. Quite a lot. I ended up shoveling a great deal again. The Better Half had a 2:00 doctor appointment in Watertown. Her original appointment was for Monday but the snow was so bad she rescheduled it for yesterday. But that didn't help. The driving was somewhat dicy. At times poor visability because of wind and heavy snowfall. But we made it. I walked 7,455 steps. Anyhow, here are some photos from around our yard in Chaumont, NY.

A Green Whisk Caught My Eye While Making Bread Pudding

 

Green Whisk and bread pudding mixture

Yesterday I was mixing together some eggs, milk, sugar, and cinnamon to make a bread pudding and this green whisk and the mixture caught my eye. So I snapped a photo of it. I was doing this in late afternoon after yet another day of shoveling snow. In the evening we watched the 1963 movie Charade starring Carey Grant and Audrey Hepburn.  I walked a total of 9,641 steps. 

Making bread pudding after another day of shoveling snow.

It was cold and snowy all day. 

15 Inches of New Snow This Morning

 

My neighbor blowing snow at end of my driveway in Chaumont, NY.

Yesterday it snowed most of the day. A light, steady snow. By this morning there was 15 inches of new snow to clear. It was only 6 degrees. So my neighbor Jim borrowed neighbor Richard's snow blower and gave me some help. He blew out the street end of my driveway. Cold as it was , it was sunny and pleasant to be outside. Between the snow and bringing in firewood I spent a good 3 hours out there. Walked 6,798 steps today. Here are some more photos from today. 

Snowbanks steadily grow from more and more snow at our house in Chaumont, NY

Snowbanks steadily grow from more and more snow at our house in Chaumont, NY

My neighbor blowing snow at end of my driveway in Chaumont, NY.

20 Below Zero Winter Morning

 

View from our kitchen window this morning. Neighbor Jim's house, 20 degrees below zero.

There has been  severe winter weather warnings all across the country the past couple of days. ere in the North Country we have had quite a bit of snow. Now we have gotten into some cold weather. Started going down below zero last evening, awoke this morning to 20 below zero. All day the sun was shining. I went out about 1-4:30 doing some errands in Watertown. No wind and pleasant, just cold. Walked 4,597 steps today. 

Warming up fast (ha, ha). 20 to eight and temp was up to minus 12.

More Snow Shoveling and Grilling Chicken Legs

 

Somebody was moving a lot of snow in our village this morning.

It snowed some off and on again during the night and today. Peering out the window it didn't look like a lot of snow, just a covering. However, when I went out about 9:30 I discovered we had at least 5 more inches of snow. About 1:00 we drove to Clayton and went into the grocery store. We picked up some raspberry filled cookies that were really good. At 4:00 I had some Jamaican jerked chicken legs on the grill. They were beautifully cooked by 5:00

High temp today was 35 degrees. By time I was grilling it was 25 degrees and windy.

iPhone shows I took 9,961 steps today.

Charcoal in a chimney starter.

Using my old Brinkman All in One grill.

Charcoal grilling Jamaican jerked chicken legs. 

Charcoal grilling Jamaican jerked chicken legs. 

Snow Photos Again Today

 

Awoke to more new snow here in Chaumont this morning. We had new snow yesterday too but I never got around to posting any of them. This morning's snow was about 15 inches deep. Temp was 19 degrees when I went out to shovel at 8:30 this morning. I did a thorough jib clearing our driveway and sidewalks. All told I was out there for 2 and half hours. Grandson JJ happened to be driving a delivery truck by our house this morning which was a fun, brief meeting. iPhone shows I walked 7,123 steps. 

Grandson JJ on the job took him by our house in Chaumont, NY

More Snow Today

Sidewalk in front of our house in Chaumont, NY. Used a broom to write in the snow.

We got more snow today, about 4 or 5 inches. It was on and off lake effect snow. Very pretty as it came down, a couple times it was windy with lower visibility. Overall, not problematic. I spent some time clearing our driveway and sidewalk, a chore that I actually enjoy. High temp was 26 degrees. About 1:00 we had lunch at Maive's Diner in Three Mile Bay. We had cuban sandwiches and french fries. Very good. 

Yesterday I grilled some chicken legs and never photographed them or the process. I have no idea why I overlooked that. I did snap a photo of the legs in marinating in ziploc bags. That was it.

Our Chaumont NY house today. Was enjoyable being outside.

Chicken legs marinating. Left is chili, honey, lime. Right are in Jamaican jerk marinade.

I grilled the chili. honey, lime legs yesterday. Tomorrow or next day I'll be grilling the jerk legs. I like chicken to marinade in the jerk sauce for a day or two, maybe three.