I am not getting too much info. on this on Facebook. Hope all the folks
here are fine and have plenty of food! I wanted to bake bread today but am
holding off on that and really any cooking because somebody in the house is
on a clear liquids diet so I am trying not to be cruel. It's 63 degrees
here. Weird weather all over I guess.

On 1/26/2015 7:16 PM, Julie Bove wrote:
> I am not getting too much info. on this on Facebook. Hope all the folks
> here are fine and have plenty of food! I wanted to bake bread today but
> am holding off on that and really any cooking because somebody in the
> house is on a clear liquids diet so I am trying not to be cruel. It's
> 63 degrees here. Weird weather all over I guess.

The big snow starts after midnight. Expecting 24", maybe more.

"Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in message
...
> On 1/26/2015 7:16 PM, Julie Bove wrote:
>> I am not getting too much info. on this on Facebook. Hope all the folks
>> here are fine and have plenty of food! I wanted to bake bread today but
>> am holding off on that and really any cooking because somebody in the
>> house is on a clear liquids diet so I am trying not to be cruel. It's
>> 63 degrees here. Weird weather all over I guess.
>
> The big snow starts after midnight. Expecting 24", maybe more.

Ah. Well that is not good.

On 1/26/2015 7:37 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On 1/26/2015 7:16 PM, Julie Bove wrote:
>> I am not getting too much info. on this on Facebook. Hope all the folks
>> here are fine and have plenty of food! I wanted to bake bread today but
>> am holding off on that and really any cooking because somebody in the
>> house is on a clear liquids diet so I am trying not to be cruel. It's
>> 63 degrees here. Weird weather all over I guess.
>
> The big snow starts after midnight. Expecting 24", maybe more.

Stay safe. Stay warm. Make soup.

--
From somewhere very deep in the heart of Texas

On 2015-01-26 20:37, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

> The big snow starts after midnight. Expecting 24", maybe more.


I was at the dog park today and we were expressing our sympathy for the
people in NY getting the horrible storm we were hearing about. Then I
watch the news and heard about the horrible road conditions, and they
showed them..... slush on the streets. We had worse here and thought
it was just normal.

If they were so upset about it then I don't know what they are going to
be like when the storm actually hits.

On 1/26/2015 10:20 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
> On 2015-01-26 20:37, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>
>> The big snow starts after midnight. Expecting 24", maybe more.
>
>
> I was at the dog park today and we were expressing our sympathy for the
> people in NY getting the horrible storm we were hearing about. Then I
> watch the news and heard about the horrible road conditions, and they
> showed them..... slush on the streets. We had worse here and thought
> it was just normal.
>
> If they were so upset about it then I don't know what they are going to
> be like when the storm actually hits.

You've never seen more disappointed people as all the news and
weather people out of NY realizing they have to fill the show with
covering this little snow. Oh how hopeful they sound when they
say it's not over yet!

nancy

On 1/27/2015 9:04 AM, Nancy Young wrote:
> On 1/26/2015 10:20 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
>> On 2015-01-26 20:37, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>>
>>> The big snow starts after midnight. Expecting 24", maybe more.
>>
>>
>> I was at the dog park today and we were expressing our sympathy for the
>> people in NY getting the horrible storm we were hearing about. Then I
>> watch the news and heard about the horrible road conditions, and they
>> showed them..... slush on the streets. We had worse here and thought
>> it was just normal.
>>
>> If they were so upset about it then I don't know what they are going to
>> be like when the storm actually hits.
>
> You've never seen more disappointed people as all the news and
> weather people out of NY realizing they have to fill the show with
> covering this little snow. Oh how hopeful they sound when they
> say it's not over yet!
>
> nancy
>
Did everyone stock up on "white food"?

Jill

jmcquown wrote:
> Did everyone stock up on "white food"?
>
> Jill

We always have that "white food". I did my normal shopping for people
food, but did get a few more bars "just in case". However, the range in
my daughter's area is gas and can be lit even if the electricity is off,
so bars weren't even necessary. I baked a bit last night and plan to
bake banana-something (dunno what LC "starch" approach I will take) and
corn (or "corn") bread today, the latter to go with chili. Chili, of
course, is a perfect dish for a day like today.

(LC possibilities are hazelnut, almond, or pecan bread, or a combination
thereof.)

On 2015-01-27 9:04 AM, Nancy Young wrote:

>> If they were so upset about it then I don't know what they are going to
>> be like when the storm actually hits.
>
> You've never seen more disappointed people as all the news and
> weather people out of NY realizing they have to fill the show with
> covering this little snow. Oh how hopeful they sound when they
> say it's not over yet!


On a related note..... I am pretty disappointed with CNN these days. Are
they suffering from some sort of budgetary cuts that they can only
handle one news story at a time. Last month it was the Air Malaysia
crash. They had almost non stop coverage for two weeks until the Charlie
Hebdo killings and the manhunt for the shooters. Then the snowmageddon
..... nonstop all last night.

On Tue, 27 Jan 2015 09:04:15 -0500, Nancy Young
> wrote:
>
> You've never seen more disappointed people as all the news and
> weather people out of NY realizing they have to fill the show with
> covering this little snow. Oh how hopeful they sound when they
> say it's not over yet!
>
It seemed like it was 24/7 gloom and doom is on the way type coverage.
Wasn't there any other news (besides Charlie Hebdo, of course)?

Then according to what I heard on the car radio last night, the
European weather model had put the storm farther out at sea, so they
predicted the East coast wouldn't be as walloped as our weather model
thought. That news was coupled with the news of a huge upgrade in
American weather predicting computers, so oopsies like this one will
be less likely to happen again.


--
A kitchen without a cook is just a room

On 2015-01-27 8:36 AM, wrote:
> On Mon, 26 Jan 2015 22:20:49 -0500, Dave Smith
> > wrote:
>
>> On 2015-01-26 20:37, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>>
>>> The big snow starts after midnight. Expecting 24", maybe more.
>>
>>
>> I was at the dog park today and we were expressing our sympathy for the
>> people in NY getting the horrible storm we were hearing about. Then I
>> watch the news and heard about the horrible road conditions, and they
>> showed them..... slush on the streets. We had worse here and thought
>> it was just normal.
>>
>> If they were so upset about it then I don't know what they are going to
>> be like when the storm actually hits.
>
> I just remarked the same to a friend and reminded her about when
> Lastman said he was calling out the military Toranna's never lived
> that one down.


I do not live in Toronto but didn't see a problem with calling in the
military to help out with a natural disaster. It wasn't like they called
them in to use the streets. They needed them and their all terrain
vehicles that went on emergency calls in areas ambulances could not get
too. We spend a lot of money on the military, buying the equipment and
training them to use it. It makes perfect sense to put them to use, to
give them a chance to get some practical experience and make use of
their logistical skills.

I don't understand why people try to make such an issue of Toronto
asking for assistance from the military in that situation but not about
them being called in to help with the ice storm damage in eastern
Ontario and Quebec. There were only 400 troops called in to help in
Toronto. There were 16,000 sent to deal with the ice storm.


The only issue I had about the ice storm was guys like a couple of
reservists I worked with how wouldn't go when their unit was sent. They
whined about work commitments. Those two were always talking about their
reserve work and all the neat equipment they, their winter camping
experiences etc. I expressed my feelings about the rest of us paying
taxes to buy their equipment and paying them while they were trained,
and how they had let us all down, that they should have been kicked out
and replaced by someone useful.

On 2015-01-27 11:36 AM, wrote:
> On Tue, 27 Jan 2015 10:13:39 -0500, Dave Smith
> > wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> I do not live in Toronto but didn't see a problem with calling in the
>> military to help out with a natural disaster. It wasn't like they called
>> them in to use the streets.
>
> The problem was that it was a very minor storm

It wasn't exactly minor. They had had a series of storms and over a
period of two weeks they had 114 cm of snow... about 3 feet. That is
not minor in a city. In a rural area you can plow it over to the
shoulders, but you can''t do that on narrow city streets. The city was
struggling to keep major routes cleared but there lots of smaller
streets that they were unable to get to. They used the military and its
Bisons to provide emergency services when other vehicles could not get
to them.


>
>> I don't understand why people try to make such an issue of Toronto
>> asking for assistance from the military in that situation but not about
>> them being called in to help with the ice storm damage in eastern
>> Ontario and Quebec. There were only 400 troops called in to help in
>> Toronto. There were 16,000 sent to deal with the ice storm.
>
> The ice storm blanketed four provinces, nobody had power, it was
> urgent urgent to get round the houses and get elderly people out
> before they died of cold. That was just the beginning of the urgency.
> I know in Halifax apart from all the ice there were so many old, huge
> trees brought down, across roads or worse yet through houses. The
> whole thing was a terrible mess. Many died here one way and another.

Toronto is not entitled to 400 troops in an emergency situation, but a
smaller number of people over a larger area are entitled to 40 times
that number? I think that the millions of taxpayers in Toronto are
entitled to something for their money.




> Anyway, so far so good here. They were correct the winds are just
> beginning to really zoom, snow is flying horizontally past my window.
> Now what it is going to be like up in Cheticamp, I can't imagine
> They reckoned their gusts would run 120+.

Ouch. I would imagine that Cheticamp would be desolate enough at any
time in the winter, never mind a blizzard.
>

On Tuesday, January 27, 2015 at 10:36:53 AM UTC-6, wrote:
>
>
> When things were back to normal I saw the story of a Quebec small town
> that was heart breaking. I sent a cheque to the mayor and I guess
> many others did too. I had a lovely letter many months later saying
> how touched they were to find non-Quebeckers would try to help.

I had never seen Quebeckers spelled with a "k" before, so I looked it up,
and it seems that is perfectly proper when referring to English speakers.
Somehow I had gotten it into my head that these days it was politically
correct to call all Quebecers, "Quebecois," which in Midwestern vernacular
would be pronounced Kuh-beck'-ees (I know it's keh-beck-kwah').

St. Louis has French roots, being named after King Louis IX, and there is
a large creek near here called the Courtois Creek. It is pronounced,
coat'-away. It's funny, the corruptions of names. There is Rolla, MO,
named after Raleigh, NC. Some settlers were from Raleigh, and they
pronounced the name, roll'-uh, so...

Cabool, MO is named after Kabul, Afghanistan, and is pronounced, kuh-bool',
and Cairo, IL is pronounced like the corn syrup, care'-oh.

--Bryan

On Tuesday, January 27, 2015 at 6:20:08 PM UTC-6, wrote:
> On Tue, 27 Jan 2015 16:01:16 -0800 (PST), Bryan-TGWWW
> > wrote:
>
> >On Tuesday, January 27, 2015 at 10:36:53 AM UTC-6, wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >> When things were back to normal I saw the story of a Quebec small town
> >> that was heart breaking. I sent a cheque to the mayor and I guess
> >> many others did too. I had a lovely letter many months later saying
> >> how touched they were to find non-Quebeckers would try to help.
> >
> >I had never seen Quebeckers spelled with a "k" before, so I looked it up,
> >and it seems that is perfectly proper when referring to English speakers.
> >Somehow I had gotten it into my head that these days it was politically
> >correct to call all Quebecers, "Quebecois," which in Midwestern vernacular
> >would be pronounced Kuh-beck'-ees (I know it's keh-beck-kwah').
> >
> >St. Louis has French roots, being named after King Louis IX, and there is
> >a large creek near here called the Courtois Creek. It is pronounced,
> >coat'-away. It's funny, the corruptions of names. There is Rolla, MO,
> >named after Raleigh, NC. Some settlers were from Raleigh, and they
> >pronounced the name, roll'-uh, so...
> >
> >Cabool, MO is named after Kabul, Afghanistan, and is pronounced, kuh-bool',
> >and Cairo, IL is pronounced like the corn syrup, care'-oh.
> >
> >--Bryan
>
> My French is Parisian French, so I don't have a lot in common with
> Quebec French, which IMO is more a patois.
>
> The one that really got to me when we first came here was people, in
> referring driving to the USA, would suggest crossing at Callus.
> Finally after combing the map I realised they meant Calais.

If they were being totally honest, I think even most Mainers themselves
would agree that they talk funny.

--Bryan

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On 1/26/2015 7:16 PM, Julie Bove wrote:
> > I am not getting too much info. on this on Facebook. Hope all the
> > folks here are fine and have plenty of food! I wanted to bake
> > bread today but am holding off on that and really any cooking
> > because somebody in the house is on a clear liquids diet so I am
> > trying not to be cruel. It's 63 degrees here. Weird weather all
> > over I guess.
>
> The big snow starts after midnight. Expecting 24", maybe more.

Several times in my life we got more than 24" and they didn't arrest people
for being on the street. This time the Sandinistas declared marshall law
and we got 7".

--

On 1/27/2015 11:41 AM, Tom Del Rosso wrote:

>>
>> The big snow starts after midnight. Expecting 24", maybe more.
>
> Several times in my life we got more than 24" and they didn't arrest people
> for being on the street. This time the Sandinistas declared marshall law
> and we got 7".
>

The state said no driving from 9PM yesterday. Opened it up at 2PM
today. If you got caught, it was a $92 fine.

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On 1/27/2015 11:41 AM, Tom Del Rosso wrote:
>
> > >
> > > The big snow starts after midnight. Expecting 24", maybe more.
> >
> > Several times in my life we got more than 24" and they didn't
> > arrest people for being on the street. This time the Sandinistas
> > declared marshall law and we got 7".
> >
>
> The state said no driving from 9PM yesterday. Opened it up at 2PM
> today. If you got caught, it was a $92 fine.

In NY City it was $300. And it's even more ludicrous because the snow was
only a few inches at that time. They wouldn't have pardoned anyone when the
forecast was proven wrong.

We had a blizzard once with almost 3 feet on the day before my brother's
wedding. During the storm we went out to dig out the cars and move them in
preparation for the next morning. These Sandinistas would have had the
wedding party arrested. The basis of their philosophy is that people can't
take care of themselves and make their own decisions.

--

On 2015-01-28 9:06 AM, Tom Del Rosso wrote:

> In NY City it was $300. And it's even more ludicrous because the snow was
> only a few inches at that time. They wouldn't have pardoned anyone when the
> forecast was proven wrong.

As it turned out, there was only a fraction of the amount of snow that
had been forecast. It was a good idea to be proactive.
>
> We had a blizzard once with almost 3 feet on the day before my brother's
> wedding. During the storm we went out to dig out the cars and move them in
> preparation for the next morning. These Sandinistas would have had the
> wedding party arrested. The basis of their philosophy is that people can't
> take care of themselves and make their own decisions.

Some people can't. It takes just a few of those to screw things up for
those who may have had a chance of getting through if the others had not
got stuck and blocked the roads for everyone else. The government has a
responsibility to keep roads clear enough for emergency vehicles to get
through.

On 1/27/2015 8:20 AM, wrote:
> On Mon, 26 Jan 2015 20:37:58 -0500, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:
>>
>> The big snow starts after midnight. Expecting 24", maybe more.
>
> I guess it has left the USA now because it is here. I am just keeping
> my fingers crossed that the power does not go down The wind is
> due to gust at 100km around lunchtime.
>

It may have moved into Canada, but it has not left the USA. Still
coming down heavy and will for a few more hours. Expecting another 6" or
so on the 14 we have now. It is supposed to start tapering off at noon.

On 1/27/2015 9:25 AM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On 1/27/2015 8:20 AM, wrote:

>> I guess it has left the USA now because it is here. I am just keeping
>> my fingers crossed that the power does not go down The wind is
>> due to gust at 100km around lunchtime.
>>
>
> It may have moved into Canada, but it has not left the USA. Still
> coming down heavy and will for a few more hours. Expecting another 6" or
> so on the 14 we have now. It is supposed to start tapering off at noon.

You got a good amount. Did you get a lot of wind? Naturally
I slept most of the night, but I didn't hear any wind and there's
no drifting. Pretty much a non-event, and I'm not complaining about
that.

nancy

On 1/27/2015 9:40 AM, Nancy Young wrote:

>>
>> It may have moved into Canada, but it has not left the USA. Still
>> coming down heavy and will for a few more hours. Expecting another 6" or
>> so on the 14 we have now. It is supposed to start tapering off at noon.
>
> You got a good amount. Did you get a lot of wind? Naturally
> I slept most of the night, but I didn't hear any wind and there's
> no drifting. Pretty much a non-event, and I'm not complaining about
> that.
>
> nancy
>

The winds were about 35 mph, less than the predicted 45 mph.

It was hyped as a storm of "historic proportions" but it is not in the
top five from what I can tell. But it has some hours to go. Plenty of
drifting around my house and yard. The garage roof has one at least 3
feet high on it. Minimal power outages.

"Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in message
...
> On 1/27/2015 8:20 AM, wrote:
>> On Mon, 26 Jan 2015 20:37:58 -0500, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:
>>>
>>> The big snow starts after midnight. Expecting 24", maybe more.
>>
>> I guess it has left the USA now because it is here. I am just keeping
>> my fingers crossed that the power does not go down The wind is
>> due to gust at 100km around lunchtime.
>>
>
> It may have moved into Canada, but it has not left the USA. Still coming
> down heavy and will for a few more hours. Expecting another 6" or so on
> the 14 we have now. It is supposed to start tapering off at noon.

Reports we got was that you were going to have 3ft of snow!! Do report
back?


--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/

On 1/27/2015 10:36 AM, Ophelia wrote:
>
>
> "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in message


>>
>> It may have moved into Canada, but it has not left the USA. Still coming
>> down heavy and will for a few more hours. Expecting another 6" or so on
>> the 14 we have now. It is supposed to start tapering off at noon.
>
> Reports we got was that you were going to have 3ft of snow!! Do report
> back?

Just came in from clearing some of the snow. We have about 20" and it
is still coming down a little bit. Supposed to be light snow for
another couple of hours. We'll probably get another inch or two. I've
not heard of anyone with 3 feet yet.

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On 1/27/2015 10:36 AM, Ophelia wrote:
>>
>>
>> "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in message
>
>
>>>
>>> It may have moved into Canada, but it has not left the USA. Still
>>> coming
>>> down heavy and will for a few more hours. Expecting another 6" or so on
>>> the 14 we have now. It is supposed to start tapering off at noon.
>>
>> Reports we got was that you were going to have 3ft of snow!! Do report
>> back?
>
> Just came in from clearing some of the snow. We have about 20" and it
> is still coming down a little bit. Supposed to be light snow for
> another couple of hours. We'll probably get another inch or two. I've
> not heard of anyone with 3 feet yet.
>
I will try to get out and measure ere it settles too much, although,
with drifing, it'll be hard to find a representative area.

"Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in message
...
> On 1/27/2015 10:36 AM, Ophelia wrote:
>>
>>
>> "Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in message
>
>
>>>
>>> It may have moved into Canada, but it has not left the USA. Still
>>> coming
>>> down heavy and will for a few more hours. Expecting another 6" or so on
>>> the 14 we have now. It is supposed to start tapering off at noon.
>>
>> Reports we got was that you were going to have 3ft of snow!! Do report
>> back?
>
> Just came in from clearing some of the snow. We have about 20" and it is
> still coming down a little bit. Supposed to be light snow for another
> couple of hours. We'll probably get another inch or two. I've not heard
> of anyone with 3 feet yet.

Let us hope not!!!


--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk/shop/

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> It may have moved into Canada, but it has not left the USA. Still
> coming down heavy and will for a few more hours. Expecting another 6" or
> so on the 14 we have now. It is supposed to start tapering off at noon.

It looks like we have the predicted 2-3 feet of snow. Ugh. I am short.
I am going to have to dig forward. At least it looks like the drifts
are not against the door.

On 2015-01-27 8:20 AM, wrote:
> On Mon, 26 Jan 2015 20:37:58 -0500, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:
>>
>> The big snow starts after midnight. Expecting 24", maybe more.
>
> I guess it has left the USA now because it is here. I am just keeping
> my fingers crossed that the power does not go down The wind is
> due to gust at 100km around lunchtime.
>


Good luck. Our east coast is famous for it's lovely winter weather.

I have been looking out my window. It is snowing. We have at least twice
as much snow as I saw on the ground int he video coverage of NYC last
night. No one is alarmed. The schools are opened. People are driving.

I guess it wasn't really crying wolf. When there was warnings of a
weather disaster it makes good sense to be prepared for the first. The
governor was right about how just a few vehicles can screw things up for
millions of people.

On 1/27/2015 10:16 AM, Dave Smith wrote:
> On 2015-01-27 8:20 AM, wrote:
>> On Mon, 26 Jan 2015 20:37:58 -0500, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:
>>>
>>> The big snow starts after midnight. Expecting 24", maybe more.
>>
>> I guess it has left the USA now because it is here. I am just keeping
>> my fingers crossed that the power does not go down The wind is
>> due to gust at 100km around lunchtime.
>>
>
>
> Good luck. Our east coast is famous for it's lovely winter weather.
>
> I have been looking out my window. It is snowing. We have at least twice
> as much snow as I saw on the ground int he video coverage of NYC last
> night. No one is alarmed. The schools are opened. People are driving.
>
> I guess it wasn't really crying wolf. When there was warnings of a
> weather disaster it makes good sense to be prepared for the first. The
> governor was right about how just a few vehicles can screw things up for
> millions of people.

Early warning (even if crying wolf) is a good thing. Try living in the
mid-South US where they have never heard of (okay, I exaggerate, but
they don't have) snow plows and have no idea how to handle snow, much
less ice. When I lived in the Memphis area, at the slightest hint of
snow everything shut down. Toilet paper flew off the store shelves. It
was pretty comical.

I went to work one morning when there was about 2 inches of snow on the
ground. No big deal but the roads were pretty much sheets of ice. I
dressed prepared for possible road/car problems: I wore a pair of black
jeans. I got to work just fine. Sure enough, half the staff didn't
show up. Rather than worry about that, my idiot manager chided me for
wearing *jeans*. "You know that's not allowed." I looked around at the
empty cubicles, then looked at her and said, "You're lucky I showed up."

Most people who don't live where it snows every year don't have any idea
how to drive in it. I don't know why but I do know how to drive in snow
and icy road conditions. First rule, don't hit the brakes! I don't
miss having to deal with it.

Jill

On 2015-01-27, jmcquown > wrote:

> they don't have) snow plows and have no idea how to handle snow, much
> less ice.

Not jes The South. I was in a blizzard in Buffalo NY and those ppl
couldn't drive fer spit. Icy streets reduced traffic to pray and
spray driving. Took me 3 hrs to go 6 blocks.

nb

On 1/27/2015 9:33 AM, jmcquown wrote:
> On 1/27/2015 10:16 AM, Dave Smith wrote:
>> On 2015-01-27 8:20 AM, wrote:
>>> On Mon, 26 Jan 2015 20:37:58 -0500, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:
>>>>
>>>> The big snow starts after midnight. Expecting 24", maybe more.
>>>
>>> I guess it has left the USA now because it is here. I am just keeping
>>> my fingers crossed that the power does not go down The wind is
>>> due to gust at 100km around lunchtime.
>>>
>>
>>
>> Good luck. Our east coast is famous for it's lovely winter weather.
>>
>> I have been looking out my window. It is snowing. We have at least twice
>> as much snow as I saw on the ground int he video coverage of NYC last
>> night. No one is alarmed. The schools are opened. People are driving.
>>
>> I guess it wasn't really crying wolf. When there was warnings of a
>> weather disaster it makes good sense to be prepared for the first. The
>> governor was right about how just a few vehicles can screw things up for
>> millions of people.
>
> Early warning (even if crying wolf) is a good thing. Try living in the
> mid-South US where they have never heard of (okay, I exaggerate, but
> they don't have) snow plows and have no idea how to handle snow, much
> less ice. When I lived in the Memphis area, at the slightest hint of
> snow everything shut down. Toilet paper flew off the store shelves. It
> was pretty comical.
>
> I went to work one morning when there was about 2 inches of snow on the
> ground. No big deal but the roads were pretty much sheets of ice. I
> dressed prepared for possible road/car problems: I wore a pair of black
> jeans. I got to work just fine. Sure enough, half the staff didn't
> show up. Rather than worry about that, my idiot manager chided me for
> wearing *jeans*. "You know that's not allowed." I looked around at the
> empty cubicles, then looked at her and said, "You're lucky I showed up."
>
> Most people who don't live where it snows every year don't have any idea
> how to drive in it. I don't know why but I do know how to drive in snow
> and icy road conditions. First rule, don't hit the brakes! I don't
> miss having to deal with it.
>
> Jill

Our high today was 79 degrees (F), and I got recipes via email from
Taste of Southern, and they said, "Whether you're covered in snow or
not, this weeks recipe will warm you up on a cold, brisk, winter day."
They write as if the entire country is covered in snow.

Becca

On 1/27/2015 6:00 PM, Becca EmaNymton wrote:
>
> Our high today was 79 degrees (F), and I got recipes via email from
> Taste of Southern, and they said, "Whether you're covered in snow or
> not, this weeks recipe will warm you up on a cold, brisk, winter day."
> They write as if the entire country is covered in snow.
>
> Becca

The weather people here talk as if 60°F is freezing. Bundle up! Make a
pot of soup! Uh, I make soup in the summer, too. But just to let
everyone know, it's not cold!

Jill

wrote:
> On Mon, 26 Jan 2015 20:37:58 -0500, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:
>>
>> The big snow starts after midnight. Expecting 24", maybe more.
>
> I guess it has left the USA now because it is here. I am just keeping
> my fingers crossed that the power does not go down The wind is
> due to gust at 100km around lunchtime.
>
It is still snowing here. When I awoke, late (I obviously was going
nowhere) and looked out the window, the snow looked quite innocent, with
tiny flakes flakes drifting... I was going to say down, but they were
dancing all over the place. For a moment, I thought this must be a good
sign, that there couldn't be that much snow on the ground. But when I
got to the point where I could gaze out at the bird feeders and toward
the road, I was greeted by the appalling sight of A LOT of the dreadful
white stuff. I had decided NOT to start dealing with this at a time
that would guarantee that I would get soaking wet, so I haven't explored
yet. Instead I am pondering the most-logical approach. At least it
looks like the thoughtful plowing contractor has been on the job,
because we don't have a lot of compacted snow at the end of the driveway.

I will add that my main preparations were to get two more bird feeders
and a lot of bird food and suet, so my birds would be happy even if I
couldn't get to the feeders for a couple of days. Some idiot at one of
the places where I bought bird food told me I should take in my feeders
because the birds wouldn't be out. I am glad I was skeptical, because
the birds are very much in evidence.

wrote:
> On Tue, 27 Jan 2015 14:08:00 -0500, "Jean B." > wrote:
>
>> wrote:
>>> On Mon, 26 Jan 2015 20:37:58 -0500, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:
>>>>
>>>> The big snow starts after midnight. Expecting 24", maybe more.
>>>
>>> I guess it has left the USA now because it is here. I am just keeping
>>> my fingers crossed that the power does not go down The wind is
>>> due to gust at 100km around lunchtime.
>>>
>> It is still snowing here. When I awoke, late (I obviously was going
>> nowhere) and looked out the window, the snow looked quite innocent, with
>> tiny flakes flakes drifting... I was going to say down, but they were
>> dancing all over the place. For a moment, I thought this must be a good
>> sign, that there couldn't be that much snow on the ground. But when I
>> got to the point where I could gaze out at the bird feeders and toward
>> the road, I was greeted by the appalling sight of A LOT of the dreadful
>> white stuff. I had decided NOT to start dealing with this at a time
>> that would guarantee that I would get soaking wet, so I haven't explored
>> yet. Instead I am pondering the most-logical approach. At least it
>> looks like the thoughtful plowing contractor has been on the job,
>> because we don't have a lot of compacted snow at the end of the driveway.
>>
>> I will add that my main preparations were to get two more bird feeders
>> and a lot of bird food and suet, so my birds would be happy even if I
>> couldn't get to the feeders for a couple of days. Some idiot at one of
>> the places where I bought bird food told me I should take in my feeders
>> because the birds wouldn't be out. I am glad I was skeptical, because
>> the birds are very much in evidence.
>
> I have feeders on my balcony and there has been a lineup nearly all
> day with squatters on the rail and feeders occupied! Ground feeding
> birds find snow very difficult and need the extra. I put out lots of
> suet to try and keep them warm.
>
Same here. They really NEED to have their food. I can't imagine why
this guy said what he did. I sure hope he didn't convince anyone to put
away their feeders.

I do have a question, which someone might be able to answer. One is
often told (or reads) that birds need water in the winter. BUT how on
earth did the birds survive before man started putting out water for
them? Obviously the birds DID survive without man putting it out. What
am I missing here?

(And I do view food differently because I have been feeding the birds
and figure they make their nest near sources of food and thus become
reliant on those sources.)

"Jean B." > wrote in message
...
> wrote:
>> On Tue, 27 Jan 2015 14:08:00 -0500, "Jean B." > wrote:
>>
>>> wrote:
>>>> On Mon, 26 Jan 2015 20:37:58 -0500, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> The big snow starts after midnight. Expecting 24", maybe more.
>>>>
>>>> I guess it has left the USA now because it is here. I am just keeping
>>>> my fingers crossed that the power does not go down The wind is
>>>> due to gust at 100km around lunchtime.
>>>>
>>> It is still snowing here. When I awoke, late (I obviously was going
>>> nowhere) and looked out the window, the snow looked quite innocent, with
>>> tiny flakes flakes drifting... I was going to say down, but they were
>>> dancing all over the place. For a moment, I thought this must be a good
>>> sign, that there couldn't be that much snow on the ground. But when I
>>> got to the point where I could gaze out at the bird feeders and toward
>>> the road, I was greeted by the appalling sight of A LOT of the dreadful
>>> white stuff. I had decided NOT to start dealing with this at a time
>>> that would guarantee that I would get soaking wet, so I haven't explored
>>> yet. Instead I am pondering the most-logical approach. At least it
>>> looks like the thoughtful plowing contractor has been on the job,
>>> because we don't have a lot of compacted snow at the end of the
>>> driveway.
>>>
>>> I will add that my main preparations were to get two more bird feeders
>>> and a lot of bird food and suet, so my birds would be happy even if I
>>> couldn't get to the feeders for a couple of days. Some idiot at one of
>>> the places where I bought bird food told me I should take in my feeders
>>> because the birds wouldn't be out. I am glad I was skeptical, because
>>> the birds are very much in evidence.
>>
>> I have feeders on my balcony and there has been a lineup nearly all
>> day with squatters on the rail and feeders occupied! Ground feeding
>> birds find snow very difficult and need the extra. I put out lots of
>> suet to try and keep them warm.
>>
> Same here. They really NEED to have their food. I can't imagine why this
> guy said what he did. I sure hope he didn't convince anyone to put away
> their feeders.
>
> I do have a question, which someone might be able to answer. One is often
> told (or reads) that birds need water in the winter. BUT how on earth did
> the birds survive before man started putting out water for them?
> Obviously the birds DID survive without man putting it out. What am I
> missing here?
>
> (And I do view food differently because I have been feeding the birds and
> figure they make their nest near sources of food and thus become reliant
> on those sources.)

Before we built roads and houses like we have now, there were likely not
only more natural sources of food but sources of water too! Things like a
fallen log could hold water in the cracks of the bark. And naturally shady
areas tend to hold moisture.

I see now not only why we got that rat under our house but why my neighbor
has a mud slide in front of his house. He did clean up the mud on Sunday
only to have it come right back. Not only did he remove every bit of
vegetation from his back yard but he totally leveled the land as well. The
entire back yard is mud now. And it is on higher ground than the front yard
that slopes towards the street. I also think there still is a broken pipe
there that needs to be fixed because I had that problem as did the person on
the other side of me. And we had over 24 hours of dry weather, yet the mud
slide came back.

Julie Bove wrote:
>
> "Jean B." > wrote in message
> ...
>> wrote:
>>> On Tue, 27 Jan 2015 14:08:00 -0500, "Jean B." > wrote:
>>>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>> On Mon, 26 Jan 2015 20:37:58 -0500, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The big snow starts after midnight. Expecting 24", maybe more.
>>>>>
>>>>> I guess it has left the USA now because it is here. I am just keeping
>>>>> my fingers crossed that the power does not go down The wind is
>>>>> due to gust at 100km around lunchtime.
>>>>>
>>>> It is still snowing here. When I awoke, late (I obviously was going
>>>> nowhere) and looked out the window, the snow looked quite innocent,
>>>> with
>>>> tiny flakes flakes drifting... I was going to say down, but they were
>>>> dancing all over the place. For a moment, I thought this must be a
>>>> good
>>>> sign, that there couldn't be that much snow on the ground. But when I
>>>> got to the point where I could gaze out at the bird feeders and toward
>>>> the road, I was greeted by the appalling sight of A LOT of the dreadful
>>>> white stuff. I had decided NOT to start dealing with this at a time
>>>> that would guarantee that I would get soaking wet, so I haven't
>>>> explored
>>>> yet. Instead I am pondering the most-logical approach. At least it
>>>> looks like the thoughtful plowing contractor has been on the job,
>>>> because we don't have a lot of compacted snow at the end of the
>>>> driveway.
>>>>
>>>> I will add that my main preparations were to get two more bird feeders
>>>> and a lot of bird food and suet, so my birds would be happy even if I
>>>> couldn't get to the feeders for a couple of days. Some idiot at one of
>>>> the places where I bought bird food told me I should take in my feeders
>>>> because the birds wouldn't be out. I am glad I was skeptical, because
>>>> the birds are very much in evidence.
>>>
>>> I have feeders on my balcony and there has been a lineup nearly all
>>> day with squatters on the rail and feeders occupied! Ground feeding
>>> birds find snow very difficult and need the extra. I put out lots of
>>> suet to try and keep them warm.
>>>
>> Same here. They really NEED to have their food. I can't imagine why
>> this guy said what he did. I sure hope he didn't convince anyone to
>> put away their feeders.
>>
>> I do have a question, which someone might be able to answer. One is
>> often told (or reads) that birds need water in the winter. BUT how on
>> earth did the birds survive before man started putting out water for
>> them? Obviously the birds DID survive without man putting it out.
>> What am I missing here?
>>
>> (And I do view food differently because I have been feeding the birds
>> and figure they make their nest near sources of food and thus become
>> reliant on those sources.)
>
> Before we built roads and houses like we have now, there were likely not
> only more natural sources of food but sources of water too! Things like
> a fallen log could hold water in the cracks of the bark. And naturally
> shady areas tend to hold moisture.
>
> I see now not only why we got that rat under our house but why my
> neighbor has a mud slide in front of his house. He did clean up the mud
> on Sunday only to have it come right back. Not only did he remove every
> bit of vegetation from his back yard but he totally leveled the land as
> well. The entire back yard is mud now. And it is on higher ground than
> the front yard that slopes towards the street. I also think there still
> is a broken pipe there that needs to be fixed because I had that problem
> as did the person on the other side of me. And we had over 24 hours of
> dry weather, yet the mud slide came back.

That's gross.

Re the birds and water, sure. But the moist areas are covered with
snow. I don't know what the birds are doing, but they survive. (Or
maybe I just don't see how many don't survive, which I am sure is the
case in general.)

wrote:
> On Tue, 27 Jan 2015 17:47:38 -0500, "Jean B." > wrote:
>
>
>>>
>> Same here. They really NEED to have their food. I can't imagine why
>> this guy said what he did. I sure hope he didn't convince anyone to put
>> away their feeders.
>>
>> I do have a question, which someone might be able to answer. One is
>> often told (or reads) that birds need water in the winter. BUT how on
>> earth did the birds survive before man started putting out water for
>> them? Obviously the birds DID survive without man putting it out. What
>> am I missing here?
>
> They drink from puddles, I have seen them doing that and I think they
> get moisture off blades of grass as well when times are hard.

But in the winter, puddles are apt to be laced with salt. And the
grass, at least now, is covered with snow. Obviously birds did survive
the winter. Hmmm. Maybe the salt complicates things?
>>
>> (And I do view food differently because I have been feeding the birds
>> and figure they make their nest near sources of food and thus become
>> reliant on those sources.)
>
> I am certain the old trees near me get more woodpeckers because I feed
> during the summer as well and it's a short flight between my balcony
> and the trees. The woodpeckers are probably my favourite, they become
> the most friendly and by mid-summer do not fly off just because I go
> out there.

I love my woodpeckers! I have two feeders and foods that they
particularly like: blueberry pellets (which never attracted
blueberries) and a fruit-nut blend. Both of these are in peanut
feeders. Now I can't find more of those feeders. The ones I DO see are
just wire mesh. The ones I have are metal with round holes in it.

"Jean B." > wrote in message
...
> wrote:
>> On Tue, 27 Jan 2015 17:47:38 -0500, "Jean B." > wrote:
>>
>>
>>>>
>>> Same here. They really NEED to have their food. I can't imagine why
>>> this guy said what he did. I sure hope he didn't convince anyone to put
>>> away their feeders.
>>>
>>> I do have a question, which someone might be able to answer. One is
>>> often told (or reads) that birds need water in the winter. BUT how on
>>> earth did the birds survive before man started putting out water for
>>> them? Obviously the birds DID survive without man putting it out. What
>>> am I missing here?
>>
>> They drink from puddles, I have seen them doing that and I think they
>> get moisture off blades of grass as well when times are hard.
>
> But in the winter, puddles are apt to be laced with salt. And the grass,
> at least now, is covered with snow. Obviously birds did survive the
> winter. Hmmm. Maybe the salt complicates things?

Not here where salt is never used. And did they use salt in the old days?
I don't really know. I just either read this or saw it on TV. Can't
remember now as I saw things about ponds in several places. But they were
talking about man made ponds in your back yard and they said that the trick
to keeping them free of ice in the winter was to put tennis balls in the
water. They claimed that the balls would move around and help prevent ice
from forming at the top. I suppose this might only work if you lived in an
area where you didn't get an extended deep freeze and perhaps if the water
was deep enough.
>>>
>>> (And I do view food differently because I have been feeding the birds
>>> and figure they make their nest near sources of food and thus become
>>> reliant on those sources.)
>>
>> I am certain the old trees near me get more woodpeckers because I feed
>> during the summer as well and it's a short flight between my balcony
>> and the trees. The woodpeckers are probably my favourite, they become
>> the most friendly and by mid-summer do not fly off just because I go
>> out there.
>
> I love my woodpeckers! I have two feeders and foods that they
> particularly like: blueberry pellets (which never attracted blueberries)
> and a fruit-nut blend. Both of these are in peanut feeders. Now I can't
> find more of those feeders. The ones I DO see are just wire mesh. The
> ones I have are metal with round holes in it.

Oh man. I have wood siding so I do not like them at all. I had one peck
on. I spoke sharply to it and told it to go elsewhere. It did! But I
still hear them around here.

My parents were not so lucky. Their house was targeted several times by
woodpeckers and they did a lot of damage to it. In the end they had to hire
a company to put stuff on the house to scare them off. The things that my
dad bought and tried did not work. What they eventually put up were some
bright, silver things that spun in the wind. They had to be put on every
corner of the house and more in the areas where the woodpeckers often
pecked, which was outside what used to be my bedroom window.

It's 2:15 pm in Southern NH, so far we've had over two feet of powdery snow and it's still blowing hard. Because it's so light and powdery, it isn't heavy enough to take down tree limbs and power lines, at least not yet. Big storms without power outages are kind of nice once in a while. My husband's work actually called off work today, first time since he started working there in 1968. Even though I'm enjoying a nice quiet day inside with hubby and pets, in a few hours we will start the clean up of an 80' long driveway and digging out our vehicles. We will be pulling out the heating pads and Bengay tonight.

Denise in NH