We've been having one gray day, then one clear day, then one gray day and so on. It snowed a little the last couple of days, which was nice, really. When it snows you generally know the temperatures aren't too extreme. Lose that cloud cover (as horribly depressing as it is) and the temperatures go down to the basement. A couple days ago it was a balmy 20 above. Yesterday it was 10 above and snowing. I got home around 7:30 last night and it had stopped snowing and was 0°. Two hours later it was -20° and that's where it has stuck. Good thing I plugged in the truck last night. It's not good for it to start up unwarmed at temperatures like that.
The dogs aren't minding the temperature change at all! I just took them out and they weren't even picking up their feet, which surprised me. All the more so since yesterday at my studio something went wacky with the furnace (maybe a stuck zone valve) and by 5:00 it was 80° and rising! I don't relish going from -20 to over 80° just by entering my studio! I hope they got the furnace fixed last night!
I really need a back door so that I can let the dogs out to play while still getting ready to go somewhere. Especially in very cold weather! As it stands, I have to gear up for standing out in the weather for 20 minutes, leash up the dogs, arm myself against moose (tambourine!) and walk all the way back around the house to the gate to get into my own backyard. Then stand in the yard with them until one of us is too cold to stay out any longer, or everyone is pooped out from playing. Or just pooped out. ;o)
Life would be so much easier if I could open the back door and let the dogs out like a normal person. Most of you take this sort of thing for granted. Unfortunately a little cabin in Alaska doesn't always have normal amenities!
It's an expensive project (because everything in Alaska is an expensive project!) involving cutting a hole in my house, adding a header (weight-bearing wall), adding a window (so I can see the dogs, moose, whatever) and building at least a small porch because my house is up off the ground about four feet. Alaska houses have massive walls to keep in the heat and incorporate lots of insulation. It's not just cutting a door-size hole... And this doesn't include paying someone to do it!
This would help in case of a fire too. I have no exit other than a balcony and a front door. Dogs can't exit a balcony! I need a back door to be safe from fire. This is probably more important than letting the dogs out!
Anyone who would like to help me with this project (can't do it until at least June) please feel free to donate any amount at all to the Back Door Fund. There is a button and explanation on the left sidebar about halfway down the page. Many, many thanks to anyone so kind as to help me with the expense!
