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I had to use the snowblower to dig out the antenna base

 I had to take a pass on this year's ARRL CW DX contest I was not happy about it but I wanted to play it smart. I did not want to be looking back and saying "I should have sat this one out". Here was the issue, here in the Maritimes we had an incoming snowstorm which is not an issue. This one had the potential of freezing rain and high winds. On Friday the storm had passed and we did not get much freezing rain and the Hustler 4BTV was fine. Around 9 am on Friday, the winds began to pick up, and then there were powerful gusts of wind. These were the speed of the maximum rating for the antenna and were not forecast to be this strong. I have the luxury of being able to take the vertical antenna down which I did. The plan was to put it back up on Saturday if the winds died down, come Saturday they had lessened but not by much and on Sunday another storm was headed our way with wind gusts of 90km or more. 

Removing ice coating

 With heavy snow, winds and freezing rain, I made the decision then and there to sit this contest out. I did not want to put the antenna up for Saturday to then again take it down for Sunday. Besides I was checking the solar weather and Saturday was showing a Kp5 along with the Bz index dipping into the negatives. Ultimately, I did not want a damaged antenna for the sake of one contest knowing the potential weather that was coming. On Sunday evening we had lots of freezing rain and I am very glad I left the antenna down along with winds peaking again at 90 Km.