ICE

Since our last snow we have had a ridiculous amount of ice on our front steps. An inch or two thick in some spots and as soon as it is removed it is back within a few hours. It wasn't hard to figure out why... the gigantic dripping icicles overhead were clearly to blame, but even after knocking them down daily and using ridiculous amounts of ice melt, the problem seemed to be intensifying. None of the other houses in our neighborhood seem to be having this ice problem. After some research we learned our 2nd furnace, which they installed in the attic, is likely to blame; melting the snow on the roof, and then it cools as it reaches the eaves, making an ice dam. The furnace is getting serviced tomorrow, since it really doesn't seem to be working very efficiently, (some bedrooms are warm, others are chilly) and we now get to add in professional ice removal. It was getting pretty scary with the big chunks of ice falling... and I don't want anybody to get hurt. Next we get to see about additional insulation in the attic, or other remedies to fix this problem from happening again. Oh, the joys of home ownership.
These pictures are after several icicle knock-downs and several days of melt.
(Even so, it is still so very pretty here!)