November 12, 2013--Midcoast: Ken's Fault

It had turned cold and we were huddled in a booth at the Bristol Diner.

"Body heat works even better than our propane heater," Rona said, snuggling closer to Ken. "But the Rinnai does manage to make our living room cozy."

"So why are you leaving so soon?" Al asked. Sitting next to him I could feel heat coming off him like from a wood stove.

"It's November 10th," I said. "This is the latest we've ever been able to stay."

"It's all Ken's fault," I said, winking at him across the table. He smiled knowingly back at me.

"Ken's fault?"

"Right. It all started about four years ago. It was late September and we were having an innocent enough breakfast, I think in this same booth, and Ken began to ask us about our fireplace. 'You have one, right?' "Yes,' I said, 'but we haven't used it much.' 'How wide is it? I mean, can it handle logs about this size/" To illustrate, Ken held his arms out about 18 inches apart.

"'That's about right,' Rona said. 'It would help a lot if you made a fire in the morning,' Ken said, 'It would for sure take care of the overnight chill.' 'We'll have to look into our firewood situation,' I said."

"I'm not following this," Al said, signaling to Amanda to refill his coffee mug. "Nice and hot this time."

"So the next morning," I continued, "I was in bed reading and Rona was just beginning to rouse. It was about 7:30 when we heard stomping on our front deck. It sort of frightened me," I said, "Since we weren't expecting anyone--deliveries or workers--and sounds of any human activity so early where we live are not only rare but unknown. Rona with a start woke fully and whispered that I should get up to see what was going on."

"What does this have to do with Ken?" Al asked, sounding impatient, "Or how early or late you've been staying in Maine?"

"I'm getting to that. The stomping was coming from Ken. He had backed his truck into our driveway and was unloading this beautifully split fire wood onto our deck. Stacking it just perfect. I knew then why he had been quizzing us about the size of our fireplace.

"I went out both to thank and help him, but he waved me off. 'I had all this firewood we don't need anymore. When our house burned down about 15 years ago we rebuilt without a fireplace. We didn't want any more fires in our house. But I thought you could use this. You can keep your house heated and maybe that would allow you to stay on a little longer.'

"And with that and a wave he was gone. I thought, sort of like the Lone Ranger who does his good deed and doesn't stay around for thanks."

"That was about how many years ago?" Al said, "And what does that have to do with now?"

"Well, through the years, each year Ken either did something or suggested something we could do to keep our place livable as the weather got colder. As you know we have a cottage--a real cottage--without much, actually any insulation. With the exception of maybe above the dropped ceiling in our bedroom. The rest is open, uninsulated rafters.

"So Ken three years ago suggested we get a Rinnai heater and have it installed in the living room. Between the fireplace--and his firewood--and the Rinnai, he speculated we could stay at least a week more even if over night the temperature dipped below freezing. 'With that,' he said, 'plus running the hose faucets at night--really letting them drip--there's not much danger of the pipes freezing. So if you're cozy inside and the spigots are slowing draining, you should be fine.' And we were and could stay until at least the first week or so of October."

"Amanda, can I have so more coffee. Steve here is only up to three years ago, and I suspect we'll be here until lunchtime before he finishes his Ken story."

I knew he was fooling with me--Al likes stories as much as the rest of us--"But I'll speed things up," I said. "So two years ago, Ken began to talk with us about things we could do to insulate the place. Not change its character by lowering the ceiling in the kitchen, dining room, and living room, or sticking insulation up in the rafters and then covering it over--that would change the look of the place. We'd rather be a little chilly than take away what we think of as part of the place's charm.

"'I mean,' Ken said, 'you have that open loft behind the fireplace, don't you? Well, half your heat from the fireplace and the Rinnai is going up there and doing you no good, unless you move up there as well.' 'So, what should we do?' Rona asked. 'How about draping the opening that separates the loft from the living room?' Ken suggested. 'With insulated drapes? They work pretty good. You can get them ready-made at Kmart or Walmart and then tack 'em up to fit the sloping ceiling.'

"We did that last year and it made some difference. Ken also suggested we put draft blockers at the base of all our doors to eliminate much of the cold air coming from outside and from room-to-room where some rooms are warmer than others. Like we have a really efficient electric heater in our bedroom but cold air comes through the closets that share a wall with the unheated guest room. We did that too and, boy, did that make a difference!"

"Can we get to this year already?" Al sighed, rolling his eyes. "I'm have an appointment and don't have all day like you guys to drink coffee and tell endless stories."

"Well, this year Ken has had all sorts of suggestions about what to do with the pipes under the house."

"Wrap them?" Al said, attempting to move things along.

"That was one thought," Rona said, "But he felt it would be better to see if our plumbers could build an enclosure under the house around the core where all the pipes are. This wouldn't change the look of the place--you know we have lattice around the house that's open. We don't want to seal all that up since it would change the look of things."

"The 'look of things' again," Al said, giving Rona some grief.

"You know we're serious about the aesthetics of the place. We don't want to--"

"Change the character of the pace. I've heard you kids say that a hundred times. Maybe a thousand." he chuckled.

"Well, the Pendeltons, the plumbers came over last week and said it wouldn't be that hard to do. And, again at Ken's suggestion, they liked the idea of having insulating foam sprayed up under the floor. By doing that, they said, and it's been confirmed by the Seal-It insulation people, the floor would stay warm and with all the other things Ken has been suggesting, we probably would have no trouble staying all the way til the end of December."

"And come back in early May," I added, grinning.

"I gotta go," Al said. "To tell you the truth, I've been playing with you a little bit," as if we didn't know, "But, if thanks to Ken, you can stay until then, that suits me just fine."