Killed the Treadmill!!

Have been having trouble with the treadmill smelling like it was getting hot when I used it so complained to RH and he said it probably needs grease and he would pick some up....well that is easier said than done!! Had to go to the city to get it so that took a few weeks. So he got it greased last week and said it was working great now. The beginning of the week I went down to use it as there was slippery snow on the ground and as we live on a hill it has been known for me to take a tumble, one time resulting in cracked ribs. I had been walking on the treadmill for a bit and all of a sudden I had all this smoke around me!! Total Panic.....unplugged it fast and debated whether I should get the fire extinguisher but finally the smoke cleared and things looked under control....dead treadmill!! RH took it apart and he said the motor is toast. They are saying we have a storm on it's way that is going to last a few days so decided to take Maxx and walk down the pasture to the dugout and see if the ducks are back to nest. Now my complaint around this place (or any place we have lived!!) is there are never gates for me to get from here to there and when I was younger it wasn't a problem to go over fences but in my advanced age and arthritis problems climbing over fences is a chore. So a walk through gate was put in the fence behind the house, now that is great but I can not get it open!!! Why would a gate be built that can not be opened!! I have to say here that the main problem with gates is RH can not close a gate and animals are always out, that is why there are no gates. So after much pounding with a rock etc.(and there could have been a couple of words spoken) I got the gate open but then could not close it....no animals in that field right now so not a big problem. Off I went for my walk, now as we live on a hill it is great walking down but your workout starts when you come back. I debated whether to take the camera and decided not to as there are no animals in that pasture and it was so cloudy and everything is so dry and brown but....but ...I found a crocus.....a crocus!! and I did not have the camera!! But I did do the happy dance...and hoped no one else had a camera. What is it about the first crocus that is so exciting? I think it is because of the dry conditions the last few years that it has been rare to see one. It is hope!! hope that spring is going to come. Well with the help of a rock or two I managed to get the gate closed again. Note to self...next time you go for a walk....take a hammer and a screw driver. I am hoping to get some fibre dyeing happening today, no exciting knitting has been going on, but have been knitting, thought I better get some things knit up and put in the bin for the fall markets, knit up three scarves and four hats for the market bin out of Bernat's soft boucle, they are such great sellers. Also have one large spool spun from the mohair/merino roving I had processed. Now I can do some fun stuff like dyeing,I just got the book in the mail Complex Color by Susan Rex which I have been reading and she has a lot of dye recipes on mixing different shades using your primary colors so will be trying them out. So am off to get the dye pots out and ignore the darkening sky outside. Will post a picture of last years crocus....although it can not do justice to the one I seen this morning!!