10:29 – We’re snowed in, more or less. Oh, we could get out with the 4X4 if we had to, but only in a real emergency. When we got up this morning, it was 16F (-9C), and it’s since dropped to 15F. There was about 8″ (20 cm) of snow accumulation, and there’s been another inch or so since. It’s still snowing.
USPS is trying to run, but chances are they won’t make it out to us today. They haven’t even gotten their delivery from Greensboro this morning. We have a Priority Mail package awaiting pickup, but if it doesn’t get picked up until Monday that’s no big deal. There’s no point to the carriers risking their lives trying to deliver mail in these conditions.
Jeezum Crow! You’re getting what we used to get during winter. Now it’s just cold up here, and very little snow so fah.
Yo, is that a “Liberty” sign in your back yard?
This probably won’t be our big snow for the season. Last year, we had an 18-incher.
Yeah, that’s the Four Brothers/Liberty gas station/convenience store, but it’s in our front yard rather than back. Its parking lot opens onto our road (Macedonia Church) on one side and US21 on the other side.
The near edge of Macedonia Church Road is about 45 yards/meters from our front door. That proximity made me nervous at first, but Barbara wanted a house closer to civilization than some we looked at. I agreed, because I don’t want to be out in the middle of nowhere with no close neighbors or major roads. Of course, that’s what the 0.1-gauge shotguns are for, along with IEDs that I can place if needed. Also, one of the items on my to-do list is to pick up a couple 440-yard spools of barbed wire, which is pretty easy to turn into field-expedient concertina.
Speaking of IEDs, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for some people to pick up a few pounds of Tannerite to make detonators (it detonates high-order when hit by a high-velocity rifle bullet), a few 50-pound bags of 100% ammonium nitrate fertilizer, and a few gallons of diesel or fuel oil.
That’s pretty normal for winter in my area, where we have about the same amount of snow but at -14C… We just deal with it…
No school closures this winter, we had a two day closure last year, which was the first school closure in 28 years.
From the How To Get Noticed By Somebody Department:
“…a few 50-pound bags of 100% ammonium nitrate fertilizer, and a few gallons of diesel or fuel oil.”
Actually, in the vicinity of a fairly large farming AO, this probably wouldn’t raise too many eyebrows.
I’ve started a bit of wire on our rear perimeter, which faces one of the town park entrances, which is where some of the dope dealing goes on between occupants of vehicles from time to time. The road is between us and them, along with a roadside ditch, plus trees and brush, and the wire fence I began unrolling and attaching, so a little more wire can’t hurt, plus more solar motion-detector floods and webcams.
If and when things get sportier around here, I’ll escalate the home and property defenses accordingly. In any case, I’m gonna start on the front and back doors this week.
It’s 42 and overcast in Lost Wages. The dogs are all in bed with one of my Twins. I’m in the kitchen with my iPad, socks on, and hot coffee (third cup). Life is good.
tRump 2020!
It’s 28 degrees and cloudy with 31 mph East wind in Portland with snow predicted later today and freezing rain predicted tonight. Portland is near the mouth of the Columbia River Gorge (aka the wind tunnel of the Northwest) and we’re floating on the river, so we get the full force. We’re well stocked with wood for the wood stove if we lose our power. Lots of things to do around the house. We’re not likely to go anywhere until Monday.
Our princess arrived in Seville, Spain yesterday morning, so she’s missing all of this. It’s sunny and in the 60’s there.
“…I’m in the kitchen with my iPad, socks on…”
TMI, hermano, TMI.
Our princess went back to Moh-ree-all but is coming down again today or tomorrow or something; I can never get this stuff straight, and then back up tomorrow or Monday, when her damn classes start. Let’s just cram every last bit of social butterflying and entertainment in until the very last minute, shall we? Screw getting prepped for the first week of the last semester (and it better be!) before graduation.
Mostly sunny, high 20s, no wind, and a bunch of local derps out on the ice fishing.
Wife feeling better today after coffee and a hot shower; out in the studio but will probably crash with all systems down in about twenty minutes. Has to leave for Memphis tomorrow at noon, for three days and then back here on Thursday afternoon for ten.
To this native Floridian, those photos are a nightmarish scene. It’s in the mid 40s here today, with strong winds from the north, and I’m staying huddled inside.
Huntington Beach, CA: 63°F, SSE 6mph, 67% RH, 52°F Dew Point, 30.21 in Hg, Mostly Cloudy, 44% chance of rain.
How can people stand to live that way?
Which way? The peeps here who live in the tropics? Or us up here with winter not even a month old and peeps out on the ice fishing?
There is no way in Heck that I could comfortably live in Floriduh, Kalifornia, or the great Lone Star State; just going south to Maffachufetts is traumatic.
In Florida, got out of Atlanta yesterday afternoon before the storms hit. Abou 45f here with a strong wind. Hope it gets warmer.
Hah, finally above freezing in the sun, but still have ice on the water buckets and rainwater catchment…much to the kids’ delight. Got out the stereoscope and looked at ice under about 40x. Different formation structure in each of the buckets. One like frozen flat bubbles, one fishscales. Kids ohh and ahh. Take every chance you can to catch their interest.
Too cold out to do much work today, but I have some ebay to ship, including one of the stereoscopes…
I might have to add more light bulbs under the plants if this cold keeps up. I thought it would at least warm up during the day.
nick
I sure am sorry as all heck that y’all’s bananas and mangoes ain’t doin’ great in that bitter, bitter cold down there…
And the day kidz up here marvel over ice crystals will be one for the books.
MIL reports from Williamsburg, VA that they also got the eight inches and it’s still snowing, but wife’s flight to Memphis is still all systems go for now.
Yeah, I spent a few minutes going “it’s ICE, what are you guys going nuts for” then I decided that they DON”T see it in nature, so I should just go with it.
n
Hey, I’m looking at the basics here, root veg and collards! None of that namby pamby furrin’ crap!
My radishes are doing so well, I’d hate to lose them, even if it is just 50c worth of seeds. And I’ve got WAY too much invested in the citrus trees, after watering them thru the great drought and babying them thru the winter of ’14!
Plus the kids are amazed by food “from our very own garden!!1111!!111!!”
And yes it is D@MN cold for down here, D@MN cold!
n
There is no way in Heck that I could comfortably live in Floriduh, Kalifornia, or the great Lone Star State; just going south to Maffachufetts is traumatic.
Gators and Libs and Snakes, OH MY!
Robert, this might be worth looking into for solar.
http://greenenergychronicles.com/blog/post/north-carolina-launches-no-cost-solar-program-for-middle-class-homeowners
http://redalertpolitics.com/2017/01/06/liberals-issue-privilege-cards-white-christian-straight-males/
Yo, fools; to save time, just hand me one with all the boxes checked.
And add another box for military veteran, you know, the poor sods who think they’re righting for your freedumb and liberty. While Pajama Boy and you cuddle in your mom’s basement.
Heh. I get to check all of them except Christian. I’d fill in the blank line with “gun owner until I lost all of them in the lake”.
“How can people stand to live that way?”
It’s tough here. Out in my backyard every morning to pick fresh oranges, navels and valencias, to squeeze for my breakfast. Not easy to forego supermarket frozen concentrate OJ.
But wait…..there’s more. Half Mexican son-in-law always wants fresh lime from my yard to rub on the mouth of his bottle of Pacifico Cerveza. Then, my daughter wants lemons from my trees for lemonade.
Outside of that, this place is almost tractable.
yep, that’s me, suck it fag boy…
Oh, sorry, suck it hag girl…
n
add- privilege whores, not anyone here
OK, here is the only solar energy contract that I would consider.
1. I would consider savings of 25%.
2. Contractor may install as much panel area, battery capacity and inverter capacity as he wishes.
3. Must install an additional meter whose downstream leads connect into my panel and whose upstream leads connect into the downstream leads (formerly connected to my panel).
4. The inverter output leads will be connected to the inlet of the new meter and the outlet of the old meter.
5. Solar derived and conventional CH4 power can then flow into my house via the new meter and excess solar power back to the power company via the new meter.
6. The solar company will own all the equipment that they installed.
7. They will contract with the power company to replace me as their customer for their CH4 generated power.
8. Monthly, I will read the new meter (that connected to my panel), determine the amount consumed by me that month, and go to the power company’s website and survey their pricing factors.
9. I will then calculate what they would have billed for the power that was delivered into my home through the new meter.
10. I will send the solar energy contractor 75% of that which the power company would have billed me.
Yes, I am defining 25% savings from day 1, not 25 years from now when I’ve paid off scores of thousands of dollars in loans to buy the solar equipment.
Outside of that, I have a great knowledge of economics and thermodynamics.
Can;t say the tune is that catchy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QHxWNl3TDI&feature=player_embedded
Yo, is that a “Liberty” sign in your back yard?
That is RBT’s gasoline storage tank in his front yard. Only 12,000 gallons or so.
I think it’s closer to 30,000 gallons of gasoline and diesel.
I think it’s closer to 30,000 gallons of gasoline and diesel.
Yup, would not surprise me in the slightest. But, do you have any diesel equipment ? My parents have a gasoline vehicle and a diesel vehicle in the hopes that they can get one of the fuels in bad times.
Nope. I’d like to get a pre-computer diesel pickup, but it’s not a high priority.
I had a pre-computer 1982 diesel VW rabbit. Was an incredibly cheap car and cheap to run. I think my lowest gas mileage was 40 mpg. My best was 50 mpg. Max speed was 82 mph in 4th gear. Or 78 mph in 5th gear. I ran it 106,000 miles before selling it to my father-in-law. My Dad had a 1982 VW diesel pickup for his gofer. It got the same mileage and was incredible useful for a max of 2 people until the gofer got drunk and totaled it.
And my Texans just beat the Raiders. No turnovers. Now for the Pats or the Chiefs. The goal is the Cowboys in NRG stadium here in Houston.
With the cold temps here all day we lost a few more plants than I expected.
Lost the aloe vera, the japanese eggplant, the pentas (although wife says they’ll come back) the basil, but not the cilantro(yet), the peppers, and anything with delicate leaves. Some houseplant types too, although the bougainvillea should come back (it looks like a bonzai due to previous freezes).
We’re under a hard freeze warning tonight, although the temps are 10F higher than the same time last night. We’ll see.
n
“And my Texans just beat the Raiders.”
Yup. With the help of former Patriot and nude model, Vince Wilfork. Watching Seahawks and Lions now and hoping the Lions can pull it out. Could be Pats vs. Cowboys in the SB and the former have QB issues.
https://westernrifleshooters.wordpress.com/2017/01/07/one-of-these-things-is-not-like-the-other/
Nice little exercise to try, when I get a chance. I’ve already written stuff to Leahy, Sanders and Welch (the rep) on gun stuff; only one who’s ever answered was Leahy; he lives in Middlesex and I used to bump into him at the Shaw’s in downtown Montpeculiar; tall bugger in a dark suit but friendly enough. They’re all lefties and none are for gun rights. I’ll see what their offices have on intercepts “besides Mexicans” up here.
“We’re under a hard freeze warning tonight…”
What is this “hard freeze” you speak of, Grasshopper?
It’s now 9F here, headed for 4F, not counting whatever wind chill a 40 MPH breeze provides. Does that count as a hard freeze?
“We’re under a hard freeze warning tonight…”
What is this “hard freeze” you speak of, Grasshopper?
Any temperature under 50 F (10 C) around here.
We are going to be back at 74 F by Tuesday.
https://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=ksgr&MR=1
Yeah, basil seems to die if you get near with a cooler full of ice. Aloe Vera, ya never know for sure. Peppers and tomatoes die with a breath of frost.
That’s how it is here, for me.
Today made it to 41. Now 23, supposed to be 18 tonight.
Knocking ice off of water buckets is a pita. Tomorrow may involve toting pitchers of hot water around to thaw pipes to the water buckets. Or, if the forecast is correct, just knock the ice out with a 3# hammer and re-fill with a bucket of water from the kitchen sink.
Toting water is probably easier.
I wonder if my 3 years since I planted it crab apple tree is going to survive. It’s not much of a tree. I really wonder if my Arizona Ash is going to live.
0 here now with wind at 6 MPH, a nice mild breeze to take the edge off the heat.
Supposed to hit 40+ from Wednesday on, though. I hope to get some outdoor chit done again then.
My pineapples and oranges kicked the bucket, I guess. Oh well.
Back to turnips, rutabagas, spuds and onions. Also garlic, carrots and beets. Learn how to make borscht and speak Russian so I can hack some USDA mail servers.
Da, Comrade. Single digit temperatures all around tonight.
So tragic; the whole nayshun in a hard freeze.
Somebody tweet Professor Algore about this climate change stuff.
If it’s not too inconvenient.
I avoid uninformed opinions about climate science; not my field.
I do note that everybody says there’s weird stuff happening, but then they have to put their own political spin on it.
[snip] I sure am sorry as all heck that y’all’s bananas and mangoes ain’t doin’ great in that bitter, bitter cold down there… [snip]
In my case, it’s a lemon tree. Not a particularly big one, but fairly productive. More importantly, it’s my last link to the sister who gave it to me. It’s wrapped as best I can. It might or might not make it to 0*C here tonight, usually the world’s largest hot tub {hat tip} just to my south helps keep things warm.
And the “no cost” part of North Carolina’s program is a falsehood. The laws of economics are as immutable as those of thermodynamics. TANSTAAFL, as Mr. Heinlein said. A pity we can’t lob rocks from orbit at the fools who push this crap.
FWIW, “Hard Freeze” is apparently a term of art. Quoting from my Alert from Houston’s Emergency Management Office:
“The National Weather Service has issued a Hard Freeze Warning for Houston in effect from 7:00 p.m. Saturday to 10:00 a.m. Sunday. ”
The Capitals are in the original.
n
ADDED- my weather station is currently showing 46F and 32%RH. It says the all time recorded high was 116F and the all time recorded low was last night with 21F in my driveway. No wonder all my unprotected plants are dying.
ADDED and FWIW, that 46 isn’t right. It hasn’t changed since this afternoon, and the window thermometer says 31F. Are there batteries in that thing?
Hard Freeze Warning: Take Action! NWS issues a hard freeze warning when temperatures are expected to drop below 28°F for an extended period of time, killing most types of commercial crops and residential plants.
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/cold/ww.shtml
My Mom always made me look things up. It took.
Then I guess we have a “hard freeze” up here for two or three months, mostly. I guess I can forget about mangoes and pineapples, eh wot?
Peeps in the experimental farming end of things up this way are growing wheat and have had some limited success with rice. And besides all the craft breweries, we also have several folks distilling hard spirits, mainly vodka.
WRT looking things up; there is the innernet, of course, but I noticed a long time ago that there was a ton of info in the older printed encyclopedia sets that I don’t see anymore. I had an old Encyclopedia Americana from early 70s and it was chock-full of stuff that we won’t find on the innernet; what I mainly remember is state and town and city histories and information. You go to a town’s crappy web site nowadays and they have a minimal historical background and the rest is Chamber of Commerce and Jaycees boilerplate (they used to be called, pejoratively, “boosters) and the basic government office stuff. There are pretty good exceptions, to be sure, but in the main, finding reliable info on the net in certain areas is a total crap shoot.
Hard freeze is an important term in marginal areas. Here in California’s San Joaquin valley it can result in significant crop losses. It determines if I cover tender plants like succulents. Fortunately I live in what are the beginnings of the Sierra Nevada foothills which are thermal belts where the coldest air drops down to low places. Lots of citrus still grown in these belts.
http://www.sunset.com/garden/climate-zones/climate-zone-central-california
I’m in a zone 9.
“finding reliable info on the net in certain areas is a total crap shoot.” Yep, this is particularly true if there is a product that shares the name, or if there is some big event or news linked to it.
One thing I have found, that goes counter to my ingrained habit, is to now use as complete a sentence as possible when asking google for certain types of info. You are more likely to get the site where someone asked that exact question, with a good answer, than by using keywords.
I’m in the habit of using keywords.
As an aside, given comments here, I’ve occasionally checked the walmart website for product. I find it almost completely useless as their search is F’d UP. NO way to exclude keywords, super wide back-end includes cluttering up results, NO way to limit categories. They’d rather return every stinking thing that someone might want to buy than allow someone who knows what they want to easily find it.
n
“One thing I have found, that goes counter to my ingrained habit, is to now use as complete a sentence as possible when asking google for certain types of info. You are more likely to get the site where someone asked that exact question, with a good answer, than by using keywords.”
Ditto here, and I’ve also found that simply asking the right question with as few words as possible and the “?” at the end works great a lot of the time. You have to find the right words to use and may have to play around a little with them once you see how others have phrased their questions.
I used to do the keyword and Boolean searches but often came up with crap anyway; like Mr. Nick says, complete questions often work better.
I used to smudge for an orchard in Medford OR when I was young’n. Winters were not the real problem but spring when the pear and apple blossoms would appear. Back in the 60’s you could use smudge pots burning some type of oil mixture. Dirty and hard work. Running from pot to pot with a blowtorch lighting the pots. A couple dozen of us running down the rows. A few others that were refilling the pots although a lot of that was during the day. Would get a call early in the morning to arrive and start the pots.
Of course now they cannot use the pots. They have to use huge powered propellers to move the air around or use sprinklers to coat the plants with a layer of ice. The conversion from water to ice gives up a lot of heat and that is just enough to keep the plants from freezing. I guess moving air stops the frost from settling.
Damages from a cold snap could wipe out 50% or more of the crop. Harry and David was the major buyer in the area and a big shortage caused prices to jump.
There were strawberry fields in the area but they were always just sprinkled with water. Doing the same to trees is more difficult because of the height of the trees.