Snow clearing. Tractor leak.

Sunday I went and cleared the driveway.  It didn't take long, only a half hour.  I also noticed when I went out to start the tractor that I appear to have developed a very minor hydraulic oil leak.

The source of the leak appears to be where all the lines connect (whatever the hydraulic equivalent of a master cylinder is called)

Despite the small leak, there didn't appear to be any issue running the hydraulics.  I found a combination of the rear blade and the bucket to be the most effective.  The tractor really isn't good at clearing the middle of the driveway, it is just too uneven.  In a really big storm I would likely still have to clear that with the snowblower.  But the rear blade worked well on the lower part of the driveway.  I used the blade to drag the snow down to the apron, and then used the bucket to scrape it off and dump it in the drainage ditch.

Something else I noticed, the tractor doesn't warm up nearly as much in the winter.  It was chilly and windy out, but the gauge is usually a little over half.  It is also time for the next greasing.  

After that, I went to Home Depot.  I was trying to find a match for my current countertop:

These were the closest that Home Depot could get, and these would be a special order, they weren't something that was stocked.

They had unfinished cabinets, but they look different than the ones I got.  My entire kitchen came from Lowes (cabinets, counters, and even the over-the-range microwave), and I will probably make a trip there later this week.  I think these wouldn't be too noticeable if push came to shove though.

One other idea I had was putting a butcher block countertop on the other side.  It is only a little bit heavier than a formica coated MDF counter, and wouldn't look terribly out of place.  They are a fair bit more expensive though and require maintenance (they are supposed to be treated periodically and stuff like that).

Another interesting thing I noticed while I was there: small chest freezers might fit under a countertop.  This unit was only 34" tall.  It isn't something I will ever implement (I don't have a large cabinet I can sacrifice) but worth keeping in mind should the house end up in someone else's hands and they extend it.