Making sure all the solar panels are generating power.

 Today, with temperatures expected to go above zero, I felt it was time to clean off the snow from all the solar panels. From the computer display above you can see that I can reach and keep clean the first five rows of panels from the step ladder on my deck. The far two rows of panels are not reachable even with a 16 foot snow rake. They show no power since they are covered in up to nine inches of snow and ice.

 Here are the panels that are snow and ice covered.  To get to them, my son climbs onto the roof.

 They are accessible by walking on the roof to the side of the panels.

 An hour of scraping and pushing the snow and ice accumulation results on cleared panels. Some ice patches remain that will be easily removed once the temperature goes above zero.

 A job well done.

And now all panels are registering production. Tomorrow, I expect all panels to have more or less the same output.

Another significant snow event

Today we are expecting between 10 and 15 cm of snow. However, that total appears to have been reached already. I guess I won't be firing up the BBQ today. (The BBQ is on the table on the deck outside our back door almost completely buried by new snow.) This time the snow is light and fluffy not wet and icy like last week's. My son should be able to remove it fairly easily from the solar panels to reveal the ice and snow that remains from last week's fall.

More snow falls are predicted before New Year's Day. Temperatures will remain below freezing for a while yet. We do need temperatures above freezing to try to get the ice off the solar panels.

Winter Wonderland

 34 cm of wet snow gave our neighbours the opportunity to build the tallest snowman on our street.

 The high winds also began to fill in the cleared driveway. It is days of heavy wet snow that we bless our decision to make use of snow-blowing services to clean the snow from the driveway.

 The tree across the road is coated with wet snow too. This is unlikely to melt off for the next week with sub-zero highs forecast.

Even the ladder to the roof (for removing snow from the solar panels, not for Santa Claus access) has its coat of wet snow and ice.

It truly is a winter wonderland today.

A beautiful winter's day.

Today is the kind of winter's day that calls for getting outside and enjoying it. The sun is shining, there is hardly a breeze at all, and, at -9C (17 F) its nice and brisk.







The walk too and from church this morning was invigorating. When we left it was -14C, but a balmy -9C when we returned. Definately Long John, scarf, mitts and Parka weather, but weather that makes you glad to live in such a climate. With more of these temperatures and not much more snow, the Rideau Canal skateway will soon be open.

The willows in the photo above are the kind of willow I harvest either in the fall or the spring for my basket making. The long, narrow "Whips" are ideal for making the ribs of my rib baskets.