Snowmagedden

[berettabone]

Well, 12" of snow Thurs. & Fri.............another 14" on Fri. night and Sat...........4 hrs.of snow blowing on Fri., 4 1/2 hrs. on Sat..........of course I had to cut some trails around the house for the dog. Had to go out to the road and cut trails on the grass circle. She never s#!ts where she lives or eats.............................Me, I'm a hurtin unit today.........

[DavidR]

Don’t eat the yellow snow.

[getsome]

56 degrees and sunny in Atlanta, come on down!

[340pd]

One state to the west in MN, we were forecast a mess and I had the snowblower at the he ready facing the driveway. The twin cities got less thah a half inch. All my snow clearing was gone with a cordless leaf blower.
So far this winter, grass in the yard is still visible. Waiting for the other shoe to drop.

[yqtszhj]

56 degrees and sunny in Atlanta, come on down!

Sadly we get a dose of cold here in the Deep South tonight and tomorrow. Good it won’t last long.

[340pd]

https://www.1911addicts.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,onerror=redirect,width=1920,height=192 0,fit=scale-down/https://www.1911addicts.com/attachments/419722033_757609373067705_2685683541482783929_n-jpg.1482827/

[340pd]

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[340pd]

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[340pd]

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDsyciwZ0hUmuE8WkSe58HCDPUREV18Nls8Gw-0aMYgB9nwSemrQYGjhorLEXrDWJxB2nH2Y7AWPuTXZg26DNS97 x2QvoSvGg0PXLxZmuCRWe56_Go_EjiUKxUcBgJzvhC7LNTUCuD bpBPIUwQkDTnNDwMbsM8RuNY9EB2z__svlSQa1_Rdy1l0csGLh D0/w546-h640/201.jpeg

[340pd]

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrBevqmaDptbPQb1mfwVDRUrH8iPSgP92CpU-lBkx9mfql7GGVVREI1iw82-M_q2mtSErm256BJUjKJn_9FAtGel_FOP39uI6j5VhiwAeAbepe ZCgxXLZSutwRqKWCLUBOYhOBRx3Tb1Euv0GzuM5-DblVezKc_EmXi6HmV-ILTWYHlAAmyZ7EAIx30uVT/w640-h454/209.jpeg

[kenemoore]

Now you've done it. Not snow, but temperatures in the teens overnight. We Sandlappers are not equipped for this kind of weather. Gonna be lots of busted pipes this week.

[BirdsThaWord]

Sorry fellas! In the 70’s down here and still in shorts and t-shirt. Now would be a good time to clean and polish them guns you’ve been puttin off!
Seriously tho, hope you all are warm and not having any power issues. After the hurricanes last year (opposite issue with heat/sweating) we had no power for a while. Misery!

[AJBert]

20969

This was taken this morning, about 20 inches or so. Hard to get an exact number as the wind has been blowing so lower in some areas and higher in others. This is about the middle of the storm as it started yesterday late afternoon and supposed to finish up tomorrow afternoon. The driveway was most clear, just a few patches of ice that don't get much sun. Plenty of snow on the ground before this current storm. I don't mind that snow, just the stuff on the driveway. The driveway is about 100 yards long as an FYI. Real fun to clear that much snow. At least I have a snow blower for the chore.

I cleared everything around the vehicles and in front of the garage right after this pic. Will get out again tomorrow to clear everything after the snow stops. Another four inches fell from when I started until I finished today, and supposed to get another 4-8 inches until tomorrow afternoon. Temps aren't bad, low 20's all day, so no melting which is nice. This is the most we've had this winter, but we aren't close to being done with winter. That happens late May to early June. Just part of the fun living in the Colorado mountains!

[Bawanna]

We've had that kind of snow once in a great while. Haven't had any hardly at all this year. Now that I don't have to drive off our hellish hill to work. I like to look at it, don't mind driving in it except for all the people that don't know how in my way. You got a lot. Pretty picture.

[getsome]

74 and sunny here in Atlanta today, I don’t know but I’ve heard that “Delta is ready when you are”……….

[kenemoore]

Cut my grass for the first time this season. Was contemplating turning on the AC.
Most folks around here, have never laid eyes on a snow shovel. Me like.

[jeepster09]

I think we have gotten around 7 or 8 inches this winter.....:target:

[berettabone]

We had a mild winter last year, and another this year. Besides a couple of 10" falls, pretty tame for this neck of the woods. We've had extreme fire warnings because of the winds and drier conditions. Looking at another drought, I fear. Not enough snow to make up for last year. I don't know if the rainfall will catch us up. I don't like to spend half my time watering the garden, even though the end results are good.

[tokuno]

Encountered some of my wife's handiwork while clearing stumps in the upper field last weekend.
Her daffodils have been cheering up the lower driveway for the last few weeks.
Hope we get more rain, but spring has sprung in the Silicon Valley.

20971

[AJBert]

A week or so ago, we had to go down to Colorado Springs for something and had to put the a/c on in the car. The temp was all the way up to 55! I don't know how anyone could survive in the blistering heat.

And, no, we don't have a/c in the house. I think living at 9100 feet in elevation might have something to do with it, I think?

[Armybrat]

My nephew built his second home near Leadville at 10,000’ altitude. He has to sleep with an oxygen machine at night, but the altitude doesn’t bother his wife.
He is up there right now for SpringgBreak with his whole family of 14 packed into the 3 bedroom house.
Nice view out the back though.

[BirdsThaWord]

Beautiful view. Amazing how different our lives can be be depending on where we live. I can imagine life without a heater, but without a/c, death would soon follow.

[dao]

Yes, but how about life without your state bird, er, skeeters? :)

[kenemoore]

I tell you, I have travelled all over these united states. Travelled for a living for many years.
In my opinion, southern California has the best weather. Stationed there for almost 3 years, rained about every 6 months, 80's in the summer, 60's in the winter. Sunny all the time. I was dating a gal, that put her car heater on when the temperature dropped to 65F. What a life.
But I cannot tolerate the politics,(or the price now) so not an option for me.

However, one of my buds in the Navy, hated southern California. Per him.. no seasons, he missed his Minnesota winters. Bless his heart.

[jeepster09]

https://i.etsystatic.com/16137007/r/il/564fa5/2556198454/il_570xN.2556198454_9h0z.jpg

[AJBert]

When you are born and raised in an area that has four REAL seasons and you move to an area that doesn't, you truly miss those four seasons. I was born and raised in Colorado, and could ski and ride a horse before I could ride a bike. I taught myself, through a lot of trial and error, to ride a bike when I was around 4. Learned myself while my two older brothers were at school I believe.

After high school, I went in the Navy and finally graduated from that outfit after almost 26 years. In those years I was stationed in VA, CA three times, WA, MS twice, and FL. None of those had what I considered four seasons. It would snow a little in VA, a bit more in WA, but not in the other areas. Spent more than a few years overseas on five different ships. The only real winter I saw during those overseas excursions was in the North Atlantic in Jan and off the coast of Korea in the winter months. Even had a snowball fight on the flight deck while at sea off Korea.

The first time I was stationed in San Diego, it was great for the first couple of years. Then one gets to missing the seasons. Went skiing in Big Bear a couple of times, but it was nothing like winter. Man made ice crystals they tried to pass off as snow, temp in the 50s/60s, short sleeve tee shirts. I love all the seasons. Some places are nice to visit, but most I wouldn't want to live there.

Ended up spending 13 years on the Gulf Coast, and loved it there. Finally, the heat and humidity got to be too much. Always planned on moving back to CO after I retired, and did it 10 years ago. I really loved the Gulf Coast, half my family is there, but enough was enough. We still go back most every year, but never in the summer. Either early spring or late fall.

[getsome]

Standing at the kitchen window this morning I saw carpenter bees flying everywhere and noticed two in the trap I put up last weekend so they are still unaware of the danger of going into those little holes, sorry but it is my deck that you are boring into…. I saw pollen flying everywhere which explains my sinus headache but I also saw the first hummingbird of the year going to the feeder which made me think about how God is in total control of this crazy world and how little we humans really matter in the end…….

[Bawanna]

We have hummingbirds pretty much all year here. Couple feeders right outside the kitchen window. Don't often see them sit still but we got a little swing and they'll eat and then just sit on the swing, eat some more. Quite a few of them usually.

We had a genuine take off the sweater warm sunny day today, supposed to be another tomorrow. It was real nice. Been too cold and wet but no snow this year. Course it ain't over yet but it's looking like summer might come again.

[dao]

Beautiful down this way yesterday, and today also. Got a lot done on the house and yard so it's playtime today! Hopefully Spring is actually sprung!

I was born and raised back east. Been here now for over 50 years. I used to miss the four seasons but at my age I no longer enjoy the cold. Snow is beautiful. A nice warm home is even more beautiful :D

[berettabone]

I tell you, I have travelled all over these united states. Travelled for a livinYeah, between the droughts, floods, fires, and prig for many years.
In my opinion, southern California has the best weather. Stationed there for almost 3 years, rained about every 6 months, 80's in the summer, 60's in the winter. Sunny all the time. I was dating a gal, that put her car heater on when the temperature dropped to 65F. What a life.
But I cannot tolerate the politics,(or the price now) so not an option for me. However, one of my buds in the Navy, hated southern California. Per him.. no seasons, he missed his Minnesota winters. Bless his heart. Yeah, between the droughts, floods, fires, costs, and politics, I don't understand why people aren't flocking in droves to the dump.

[wyntrout]

We've lived in Jacksonville, FL, for 27 years now and don't miss the snow. We saw enough back in January when we visited Desiree's folks for her mother's 90th BD on the 3rd.. We've been there every December for Christmas and seen a bit of snow. The most recent this past January when we saw -9.4°F during at least 2 days of snow.21008
This was at 7,100 feet or so east of Durango, CO. There was a foot of snow on the roof and it's 82" high, but got it off before driving. The windshield cover helped quite a bit. The new van is about 110" tall and it will be much harder to remove snow! I don't expect us to make many more trips there, though, as her folks are very elderly now... more than I, at 77+! At least her stepfather has a Skidsteer with a plow for the heavy snow, but the shoveling is a b!tch. I helped with the shoveling and hurt my torn rotator cuffs from ski falls in Europe.
We've been very lucky with not getting stuck in a blizzard or bad storm in our travels out there. I-40 has all kinds of problems at times!
Yeah, Kalifornia is beautiful and I've been stationed there 3 times as well... a year in 1964/65 at the Presidio of Monterey for language school, about 13-14 months at Navigation/Bomb Nav schools at Mather AFB in 1972-1974, and B-52 refresher at Castle AFB in 1986.
I have a brother still living there near Paso Robles and a cousin closer to the coast and L.A. It's a real shame that politics has ruined the whole damned state. I don't want to go back out there. I like being free to carry all of the guns and ammo that I want/need when I travel. I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to see a lot of it back in better times. The forests and the coastal roads are fantastic. We drove from Maine down South and across to southern Kalifornia, visiting along the way to Seattle when Desiree was going to Korea for a year, remote station. We were in the AZ forest north of Payson with her family while her dad was working on loan to the forest service there and camping out during the Gulf War in '91. I had expected our guys to have great losses, but we were lucky... skillful, actually... knew what we were doing and had the trained military then.
Oh, I bought my first pistol at age 18 in Monterey, CA... a Rohm .22LR... for about $20 new... steel and pot metal with steel inserts. I couldn't drink until 21, but I could buy a pistol! Times sure have changed!

Oh, we saw enough snow up in Maine, too, where I saw -40°F a few times. I don't miss the snow and frozen slush on the windshield and headlights when traveling in Winter, especially at night! I did learn which wiper blades to buy. This van has the good ones without all of those little tension bits that gather moisture and freeze into blocks of ice!
I like driving and practicing snow driving, but not in blizzard conditions! Back in January 2018 my son got married again and we went up to near Columbus, OH, just beating a Winter storm on the way, and then got out of there just before another hit. I did get to practice in a large empty rear parking lot nearby. I scared myself with some of the slides, but had fun drifting and correcting slides... by myself in the AWD Savana. Desiree wouldn't have liked that. I loved playing in the snow, and in sandy beaches down here when I didn't get stuck.
I've only been stuck once... and then just long enough for me to scoop enough snow by hand from under the sides of my Audi Quattro up in Maine in 1987, when I had momentarily got stuck on a snow plow berm going into a parking lot.
I got taller snow tires on a set of steel wheels for Winter then. I have never needed chains, though I had them for my AWD vans... two Ford AWD Aerostars since 1990 when those came out with AWD. I have good sets of cable/chains for the Savana but didn't even carry those last January. I think they'll fit this Transit, too... same size almost... 235/65/R16's but heavier than the Savana's 235/75/R16's. The Transit is about 6,000 lbs empty and can haul up to about 3,500 lbs... much more than I need, and I wanted single rear wheels, not dual ones that can pick up small boulders between them and cause punctures, should we go slightly off the beaten path. 9,500 lbs GVWR and it was possible to go up to 9,950, but after that dual rear tires were necessary. It can tow 6,200+ lbs, too, and came with a factory brake controller. I have never towed anything with the Savana and don't plan on any towing with the Transit, but it's nice to have the option.
Dang. I took a 2-hour nap and still have to put the dishes into the dishwasher and get to bed. :Amflag2:

[dao]

Nice write up wyn. You've definitely been around this big old country and seen a lot!

[wyntrout]

There's still a lot that we haven't seen and being able to stand up and have more room will make it more enjoyable. Plus, I feel like a teenager with a hotrod when I punch that twin turbo! :o

[dao]

Be careful Wyn. The insurance on my truck just went up almot 75% over the last premium. Of our four vehicles this was the only one that went up that much. And the only one that is a GM. They're selling data to lexisnexis which is in turn selling it to the insurance agency. GM logs every driving trip and event, including data such as speed limit violations, hard braking, fast starts, miles driven, locations driven and others. I'm trying to find out how to locate and disconnect the onstar antenna connection.

[wyntrout]

After a few years I disconnected the antenna... cellular and GPS from the OnStar and will be getting rid of the Savana.

We have a 2018 Subaru and this new Ford can probably drive itself back to the dealership, if they wanted it back. I know they will have all of my data and I am heavy-footed.

ALL of our three vehicles cost about the same to insure at USAA and I had to get the Ford Transit insured through USAA with Liberty Mutual, after backing out of their putting me through to Progressive. Maybe it's the "cargo" designation... or my talking to the first "handler" at USAA about adding beds and stuff for travel, but NOT making an RV or living in the van. I think her notes influenced things after that. Me and my big mouth.
Anyhow, the first six months of FULL coverage with the lowest collision deductible came to $1,166... about the same as the other two vehicles. Those premiums have definitely gone up over the last few years!

[Armybrat]

Spring has sprung here for sure…

[Armybrat]

Bought myself a new car last week to replace the little Honda Civic coupe I gave to my grandson for his 21st birthday in February.
Yep, bought another Civic - but a 4 door Hatchback - with all the little bells & whistles.
Dang thing cost more than our last house.

[Armybrat]

And no, it is not an upside down hovercraft!

I sure am baffled why my photos flip flop.

[jeepster09]

Fixed it for you.....:popcorn:

[Bawanna]

bawanna towing flipped her over.

[Bawanna]

Love the string letting you know the door clears. I get the price of a house thing, why I'm driving a 24 year old van. She's still going strong. Hope she keeps going, don't need to buy a rolling house.

That thing ain't lectric is it? Tell me it ain't lectric.

[wyntrout]

Nice car... and color... heat reflective. All of our vehicles are white. We don't get new cars often, either.



Our 5 1/2 year old Subaru Forester may be my wife's last car and this new Ford Transit will be mine. They're supposed to last a long time. I got her car for about $26K... a 2018 and the 2019's were on the lot, but they were full of the new electronics and cameras that we don't want.

This new Ford Transit has ALL of the electronics and cameras. I wanted a lot because I only wanted the front windows. That thing was really expensive with an MSRP of $69K+, with no discount, so we're back in debt for a while. I thought about putting most of our savings on it to save interest... 5.99%!! But we need the money for home renovations, new generator, and getting the new van ready for overnighting on the road. I have way too many projects!

My GMC Savana was 19 years old in September and I'll be selling it and wish that I had a garage for the tall new van. I may get a carport if I can squeeze one in. I keep seeing all of those reports of large hail and other hazards... fires, especially. We've traveled I-40 a lot and I-10 along the coast and only once hit REALLY bad weather approaching Mobile from the East. That system was full of tornadoes and really scary. We've been lucky.

I like to keep our vehicles in the garage... along with a LOT of other stuff. Your garage looks neat and spacious. We have a string with the orange popup from a Spectracide Terminate stake that I use around the house. I don't need that with the GMC van since it takes up all of the space up to the step up in front at the back of the garage, I have a 2x4 block stop there that positions the van perfectly so the door closes.

[tokuno]

Love the string letting you know the door clears. I get the price of a house thing, why I'm driving a 24 year old van. She's still going strong. Hope she keeps going, don't need to buy a rolling house.

That thing ain't lectric is it? Tell me it ain't lectric.

Yep, my wife suspended whiffle balls for our cars. Bit of a minor nuisance to tie them back with slip knots when I wash the windshields, but more than worth it to simplify the parking spacing.
Don't get me started on car costs. I've always been a used car 'value' guy, but she insisted on new for her 2024 Sienna XLS . . .

[wyntrout]

I like new, but keep them a long time. My wife's last was a 2001 Volvo that we bought new off the lot. We were just looking and she got excited over it. I was looking for something with ABS and all of the safety features possible and there just wasn't much available in 2001. I kept it going for over 17 years, and was lucky they gave us $1,000 in trade on top of a good deal. The headliner(a known defect) was held up by that screen holding trim for doors and porches! :p I keep them in good shape and service them with the best lubricants and making sure everything keeps working.

It took a long time to get to the point that we had no mortgage or other debt and now we'll have the van payment... and the soaring insurance costs.

I need to get to work on our taxes. I don't think we'll owe anything, but need to git'r done!

[berettabone]

I do the same. Purchased a new Accord in 2000. Traded it for a new 2008 Accord. Purchased a new Legacy in 2014. The Subaru has 42,000 mi. and the Honda is approaching 200,000 mi. I'm not sure what we're going to do. We'll have to replace the Accord eventually, but I refuse to go into debt. So, I'm slowly looking for a decent used truck which is like finding a needle in a haystack around here. Don't drive enough to justify a new vehicle. I remember it took me a while to find the Subaru. Wanted the large engine and no electronics. I managed to find 2 within a 250 mi. radius at the time.

[Armybrat]

Love the string letting you know the door clears. I get the price of a house thing, why I'm driving a 24 year old van. She's still going strong. Hope she keeps going, don't need to buy a rolling house.
I
That thing ain't lectric is it? Tell me it ain't lectric.
It does have a 12 volt battery to start the tiny 1.5 liter turbo 4 banger ICE that cranks out 180hp. It moves out pdq at 7.5 seconds 0-60.
I remember when my Dad’s new 1954 Buick Super V8 boasted 182hp to haul around the 4,400 lb sedan - about 1,200 lbs more than the little Honda. Supposedly those did 0-60 in 13 seconds.

We usually run a car 6-10 years from new, depending on if we like it. And we pay cash, no financing.
I drove my 2000 Jeep Cherokee 20 years before giving it to one of my sons 4 years ago. It is still going strong with about 200,000 on it.
My wife’s 2017 Accord has 47,000 on it. That one will be around for a few more years.
The main fault with these newest Hondas, IMO, is the vast amount of computerized gadgetry that requires an IT nerd to program.
The owners manual has 40 pages devoted to just setting the frickin’ cruise control. lol
During my 30 years as a classroom teacher, my school car was mostly old heaps…a 1958 Olds 88, a 1960 Nash Rambler, followed by a ‘64 Rambler. All of them were so decrepit-looking, the vandals wouldn’t bother them. But I kept them all running reliably until a major breakdown dictated a replacement.
I even commuted on a little Honda CT110 Street & Trail motorbike for a couple of years until an old geezer dang near killed me on it.

My brother (age 86) is still driving our late Dad’s 1997 Saturn sedan with 370,000 miles on the clock, although he just had a new engine installed last month. He likes it for his daily driver even though he owns two beautiful vintage Mercedes sedans from the 1980s and a 2002 Jeep Wrangler.
All three of those are very low mileage vehicles (each one under 60,000 miles) and they all are in mint condition, including the Saturn.
He likes to play the eccentric oldfart.

[getsome]

My youngest son who still lives with us bought a slightly used 2023 Subaru Crosstrek and got a great buy on it but last weekend he went off with friends and I noticed the left rear tire was down, I checked it and it was at 15 lbs so I figured I would drive it up to the tire store to get it patched so I took the spare key without the fob and unlocked the door setting off the alarm so I got in and stuck the key in the ignition and started it up which shut off the damn alarm but more lights and info screens came on than in a F-18 Hornet jet fighter and the wipers were on and no matter what I did they wouldn’t turn off so I said screw it I’ll just take the tire off and drive my truck to the tire store so I tried to turn the motor off but the key wouldn’t turn…….Long story short, 20 minutes later after calling my son I found out you have to push in on the key to get it to turn………Life is complicated enough without all that crap……I’m a Luddite and proud of it!

[jeepster09]

This is my kind of car....

[dao]

I see what you did there, jeep :D

[dustnchips]

I hung a length of 3/4" PVC 4" from the front wall of the garage. No matter what car you are driving when it moves you are all the way in.

[Armybrat]

I still miss my Cherokee Sport though…

[AJBert]

No new vehicles for me. The longest I've held onto a vehicle thus far is my 2000 Blazer ZR2 with 300K miles. Bought it brand new in Oct 2000, so going on 24 years old. I keep it up on the mechanical side of things, not so much on the cosmetic side though. I bought originally to be my hunting and fishing vehicle as I had a 2wd truck that the time that I was tearing up. The wife forced me to "sell" the truck to our son, so the Blazer became my daily driver.

I bought a 01 Chevy 2500HD 4X4 a few years with the diesel Duramax that gets better mileage than the Blazer, so it gets driven much more, thus my Blazer has become the official hunting and fishing vehicle finally after all these years. I have modified it a bit to be better offroad, lift, bigger tires, winch, etc, yet it still ok on the highway. Just sucks the gas down pretty quick. I have a 5.3L that I need to put in it one of these days. Should increase mileage a bit.

And, yes, the wife likes a new car every few years. She currently has a 2019 Subaru Legacy. I need to change the spark plugs out here soon, but you pretty muchhave to put it on a lift and go at the plugs from underneath. Spend a few hours just remove the interference just to be able to get to the plugs, then a few hours reinstalling the interference. I don't have a lift, so I'm thinking I'll just bring it into a shop and pay out the...umm...wallet area of my backside. I used to love working on vehicles, now a days I find it to be more like work.