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The ground hog was wrong. Spring is nowhere to be seen here. Got a good dumping of snow. And the gas powered snow blower is still not working.

Not because I can't fix it but because it's so cold my fingers won't work. At least not to fiddle with the bolts and screws I need to remove to get to the hose thats not hosing properly lol. I'm just done playing with it.

So instead it's shovel time. Ya I could call over the guys who did the driveway before but that cost money.

Thursday was the start of the snowpocalyps. Buses weren't cancelled even though the forecast predicted a treacherous afternoon drive. Kids all made it home just fine and dd insisted buses would be cancelled Friday even though the storm stopped in the early evening.

I said they wouldn't. Dd said fine I bet you they will be. I said bet me what? She said $20. I said how about if buses aren't cancelled she has to do dishes by herself for 3 days. If they are cancelled she doesn't have to do any dishes. Bet agreed.

6am Friday morning I check the bus app and no cancelations or delays. Yes! 12 minutes later my phone goes crazy. Email and text notifications that all buses have been cancelled. Shit.

My momma senses were way off on that prediction. Plows were out all night and the main road out front was fine. Must have been back roads that lead to the no bus thing. Poomp!

So Friday no buses and Monday a holiday here which gave us 4 wonderful days for me to help dd with a history project that she sprung on me. A diorama of a WW1 trench that had to have 6 things from a long list.

I helped sculpt the trench with Styrofoam, do the hot glue stuff and sculpt mini sandbags from clay. Lots and lots of sandbags. She made a fire step, duck boards and barbed wire and we found some old soldier toys to add it. She added actual dirt and painted it all. Man it looks awesome!

I could do stuff like that all day long instead working on snow blowers.

You areb't going to have time to fix that sbow plow - you will have dishes to wash.

Oh heck no. There's 3 other kids who can do dishes. Lol

Little M enjoys dishes. Thr boys hate it. Dd hasn't done dishes in years...

Nope I'm back playing with the snow blower since just shoveling around the gate to get it open did me in. Stupid wrist, shoulder and back!

The blower isn't getting gas. Got my brother on video to help me and he's like does it have gas. Duh! I'm not stupid. Yes it has gas it's just not getting gas. When I prime it all I hear is air so the hose is off somewhere inside. Grrr.

I sent a message to the plow people. Screw it. Even gots the kids out here shoveling but it's alot even though it's the light kind of snow and... .. now it's shovel snow onto eachother play time. Kids!

My hands are black from grease.

Who the heck designs these things to be so damn difficult to take apart! I've got to remove the starter thrn the whole top cover to find this stupid hose. 😒 dumb design for sure.

Oh and it's laundry day so I've got that going too. I want a hot shower then a steaming hot lobster bath! With bubbles!

I'm quite sure you WILL get it going! I have a friend up there who made his own snow blower by 'gadgets' hooked up to his riding lawn mower! haha! His wife said now the neighbors call HIM to clear their driveways and sidewalks.

Shout out to DS and Little M for helping me clear snow from 400+ feet of driveway.

I got the snowblower half apart then thought there's got to be an easier way how about I Google it.

Yep there is. Hose looks fine. Perhaps the primer itself has a hole somewhere. I can replace it and see if that fixes the issue.

Hose going from carburetor to gas tank is fine. Hose from primer to carburetor is fine.

Fingers crossed it IS the primer bulb.

Just wait, I'll get the darn thing running and it won't snow again... lol

Hi Dragn, Snow Queen!!! I know this won't help with getting your stubborn snow blower starting right now, but from what I've learned through neighbors' chit chat, in the future try to buy only Ethanol-Free gasoline - if any station sells it up there near you. Ethanol (derived from corn) just eats up soft rubber parts, especially on small engines. Although you did say the hoses are fine, so who knows?

Just a suggestion, if you haven't heard of that.

PS I think your WWI trench project should get an A+!

Edited for stupid typos...

[This message edited by Superesse at 2:52 AM, Tuesday, February 20th]

Hmmm would that be Premium gas? There's three grades of gas at the station.

A friend of mine said he only ever outs premium in all his gas taking equipment.

I took the whole thing apart and looked over those hoses so closely. I'll try thr easiest thing and that'd replace the primer bulb. After that I'll just drag the thing doen to my brother snd get him to take a look at it.

And ya, the trench better get an A+ lol. I've got hot glue gun burnt fingers! Thus why I do it and not let dd. She got to play with the regular glue and she really enjoyed painting it all.

The modeling clay we used for the sandbags is an air dry one and it was sticky at first. Dd doesn't like sticky, unless it's slime which isn't really sticky, just slimy. Anyways it took a while to do each little one but we got it done.

Now I want to break out all of my clay stuff and play. I joined an online polymer clay group and have been looking and reading about what everyone is doing. I think it's time I sculpt again. Thats my love.

I love the wonderful interaction you have with your kids -- in both work chores AND play. They are having a life that will always be remembered by them when they are adults. You have been so strong for them and they will not forget that. In addition, you are giving the world a gift by raising wonderful, responsible citizens.

As for the snow blower, the suggestion about non-ethanol gasoline is a good one. I always put the best grade of gasoline in my John Deere mower. If you have a rider mower, have you thought about a snow blade attachment to add to the front of it? The new thing here for expensive new home builds is HEATED driveways and sidewalks. We don't get a lot of snow but definitely get ice. I cannot imagine how expensive the heated driveways would be but some people have to spend their money on something, you know?

Well as much as I'd like to think my kids are angels they do have days where I can't get them to do anything. Typical kids I think.

Yes I have a riding lawn mower and yes I have thought about putting a blade on it but it, like the big international tractor, have flat tires and they aren't cheap to replace.

The big tractor has a massive snow blade on it. One trip up the driveway would clear it. But alas the snow blower and tractor both suddenly ended up with flat tires when we were out... the snow blower tire I filled and it's holding air. The tractor tire looks like it got stabbed twice. But everyone who has looked at it says it's a blowout. K.

Just another thing to add to the list of things I need to fix.

I couldn't afford to pave 400+ feet of driveway never mind heat it lol. I'll be lucky just to get a load of gravel in and graded. A friend smoothed it out before winter which was awesome but it needs to be raised and graded so that the water drains down to the pond instead if pooling on the driveway or backing up to the garage.

I also want it widened at the gate.

Lots of adult stuff that needs to get done but for now I'm going to do the rest if thr crafts the kids and I planned, play with some clay and maybe do a painting or two. Oh and I bought a series of books from a member here I still need to read. I'm stubborn and will polish off a book in a Night once I get going. It's just getting started.

"in the future try to buy only Ethanol-Free gasoline -"

We had to have an expensive repair done to our generator because we were unaware of this. We bought a new snow blower last year and they told us to only use Ethanol-Free gas.

Our old snow blower lasted twenty five years and never failed us despite using regular gas.

I hope you get it fixed without too much trouble!!!

they told us to only use Ethanol-Free gas.

From what I have read all Canadian gas has 10% ethanol in it (regular, mid grade and premium are the only choices).

Dragn you may have to call around and see if your area has any stations that offer Ethanol-free. Here it is only sold at 1 local gas station, and I think that is only because the owner of the regional fuel company is a farmer himself and understands how bad it is on rubber engine parts like gaskets and hoses. Older vehicles used more of those, too. So anybody with a collector car can find it won't start after sitting. Very common problem.

[This message edited by Superesse at 1:16 PM, Wednesday, February 21st]