Slow Realization:

The top photo show a new non-electric fan for the woodstove that runs by heat. Over the past 24 years Carol's recliner has been next to the wood stove where she gets the radiant heat. My recliner is just far enough away where I would be cold and she would be cooking in the heat. We knew about these fans but never seemed to make the connection they would work for us. Now with the fan the heat is blown over to my side of the room where I am comfortable too. A $40.00 fan has made all the difference and why we did not make the connection before is strange to me. 

Another example is the deck rail. It took the high wind to blow a tree over on the house to realize what was an aggravation in the past is now solved. When the tree took out the end of the deck and I rebuilt it, I thought why not leave an opening at the bottom to sweep snow off. Working around those uprights in the past had been a major aggravation. Then I thought why not cut uprights off to enable easier cleaning of the deck. I cut three uprights at places where I could easily push the snow and it would be convenient to get to it with the snow thrower. Such a simple solution I wonder why I didn't think of it earlier.  In the past the push broom would hit the uprights and leave a ridge of snow that would turn to ice. 

Such simple solutions and I wonder why I/we didn't think of them earlier. I'll get a chance to check it our later today as 6-12" of snow is expected with wind gusting to 80 MPH. WHY didn't I think of these solutions before?  Arrggggg!!!!!!!!!!