It's that time again...a little later this year because I've been away. The recent $500 oil filllup (75 cents per litre) was an eye opener. Time to get the old Vermont Castings Resolute belting out the BTUs...
It's interesting that I have not written anything here yet this year, not even a Happy New Year. I must be busy. During this season, I do much thinking about snowstorms, power outages, survival etc. I like to think that most bases are covered. I have enough firewood to last me into next winter, so a power outage is really only an inconvenience at worst. Of course winter helps in that the only real electric dependency, Refrigeration, is offset by the fact that it's cold. However, and to get to my point, I'm a little obsessed with the whole concept off "off-grid refrigeration". It's actually a childhood throwback on two fronts. Let me explain, first I remember going to our "camp" in the summer. Routinely, considerable quantities of Soda Pop (we just called it "drink") were lugged to the camp. Sometimes it was Co-op brand tin cans, Pepsi, or even green bottles of Mountain Dew complete with the hillbilly exclaiming "it'll…