BS: It's Snowing...!

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: gnu
Date: 23 Feb 09 - 08:58 AM

I like storms like that. I looked out at 02:30h and it wasn't bad. Must have started up around 3 or so. I looked out at 5 and it was bad. I shovelled the doors clear at 5:30 and the drifts were about 2 feet. And the wind was gusting around 50mph. Dunno how much snow we got, but I went back out at 8 and the drifts were 4 feet on the lee side of the house.

"Like?", you ask. Yup. 3AM to 8AM. Nice and short.

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: Rapparee
Date: 23 Feb 09 - 09:07 AM

No, right now it's raining.

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: Jeri
Date: 23 Feb 09 - 09:12 AM

Bird feeder's working. I did a half-assed job porch, driveway and car. I'm considering waiting for it to melt. Hell, I have water, power, food and toilet paper. I could do it. The snow weights about 50 lbs a shovel-full and doesn't come off the shovel without a fight. It's the perfect packing snow for ... Hey! Anybody ever tried making snow flamingos? Maybe a snow whale or a shark or something.

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: gnu
Date: 23 Feb 09 - 11:02 AM

Yes, Rapaire. Here too... gonna be an awful mess when it turns back to snow late afternoon.

Jeri... like... God put it there so God can take it away?

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: SINSULL
Date: 23 Feb 09 - 11:04 AM

Oh FUCK!
That about sums it up.
I had one more day of vacation left from last year and took it today. Good thing. I couldn't have got out of the driveway anyway - a power line is dangling there and i am not about to see if it is live.
Dug out the front walk and the back. Dug out the car.
Amos, it is official. I hate the state of California.
BUT...there is a large yellow dog asleep on my couch - he refused to go home on Saturday. He loves the snow and loves to steal the mittens right off my hands while I shovel. You have to laugh.
Maybe I will make a snowman later. Why not?

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: SINSULL
Date: 23 Feb 09 - 11:14 AM

To add insult to injury, both bridges in and out of South Portland/Portland are closed.

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: gnu
Date: 23 Feb 09 - 12:41 PM

Oh SINS! Had to take a vacation day! That reeeeally sucks. And then to find out about the bridges... insulting to say the least.

I am dreading tomorrow morning... or even tonight if I wake up... when I will probably have crab hands. My poor arthritic fingers are in pain with every move.

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: Rapparee
Date: 23 Feb 09 - 12:48 PM

Oh, you people need to see some REAL snow. Just a couple of miles from here there between four and six FEET. No power, no water, no nothin', either. Nobody's getting out or getting in.


























Of course, it's on top of Scout Mountain and Kinport Peak and...down here it's 40+ and the snow is rapidly melting.

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: gnu
Date: 23 Feb 09 - 12:58 PM

Yeah, Rap? Well, take a look at this pic of my cat Snowball walking away from me across the front yard earlier today....



                            *

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: gnu
Date: 23 Feb 09 - 01:10 PM

AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!! GUESS WHAT! SOB!

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: Jeri
Date: 23 Feb 09 - 01:47 PM

Hope you got enough toilet paper, gnu. Hang in there!
(Crabs got hands? I didn't know crabs got hands!)

I think I might mix up some cranberry juice. I need something to put the rum in - at least the first glass. I'm on a low fat diet, but happily, rum is 100& fat free. My only regret is that I don't have any of those little umbrellas.

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: Charmion
Date: 23 Feb 09 - 02:56 PM

Make the drink in a big enough bucket and you can use your regular umbrella.

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: gnu
Date: 23 Feb 09 - 04:48 PM

Jeri... swipe? I got swipe ass deep. I can swipe and more for well over six months. I am a boy sprout, always prepared.

On the other hand, it's snowing a banshee again.

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: Rapparee
Date: 23 Feb 09 - 06:14 PM

How (chuckle chuckle) awful for you. It's actually raining a little bit here and a lot of the snow has melted away.

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: SINSULL
Date: 23 Feb 09 - 06:33 PM

Gnu - warm wet heat helps. Try wrapping your hands in a wet warm towel if nothing better is available.
SINS

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: MaineDog
Date: 23 Feb 09 - 07:46 PM

Yup
They canceled my Sunday pm gig. Beat the storm home. Woke up this AM to 8 inches of heavy wet. I have about enough room for 3 more storms, then I'll have to start selling used cars.
MD

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: gnu
Date: 24 Feb 09 - 05:23 AM

The plow just winged the snow banks and then cleaned the street. He put one "chunk" of packed snow in the driveway that is over three feet across. And, there's a fair sized drift in the driveway. Hot wet heat, eh SINS?

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: maeve
Date: 24 Feb 09 - 05:01 PM

Here in midcoast Maine we have 16" of heavy wet snow on top of the 2-3' already on the ground. We will be shovelling and using the snow rake all week. The snow banking all around the house foundation is now four to five feet high. We can walk up the drift behind one shed all the way up to the roof. We enjoyed rye bread baked in a Dutch oven on the wood stove.

Central Maine Power has worked hard restoring power to the 130,000 people and businesses reporting outages across Maine at the height of the storm. I have no idea how many are still waiting; ours was out for only 36 hours.

I love the quiet while all the power is off.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: gnu
Date: 24 Feb 09 - 06:01 PM

Love the quiet.... I love it.

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: curmudgeon
Date: 24 Feb 09 - 06:04 PM

When we lose power here, which we did yesterday for seven hours, the silence is broken by the noise of the neighborhood generators.

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: maeve
Date: 24 Feb 09 - 06:27 PM

A neighbor up the road toward the village has a generator, but we haven't needed one in the ten years we've been here. Nearer to town there are many generators, and it gets noisy.

Here, we listen to the quiet and the birds and put another log on the fire while the bread bakes.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: gnu
Date: 24 Feb 09 - 06:34 PM

My Gramma Owens used to be shocked at the people scurrying to clear the snow and get to work in the busy city... back in the 60s. She told me that when a storm would sock in, it meant some more carrots and turnip in the stew on the back of the wood stove and more time to enjoy company.

Your "listening to the quiet" reminds me of Gramma, Maeve. Thanks.

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: Rapparee
Date: 24 Feb 09 - 08:14 PM

48.6F and sunny today. The snow is going away, away (at least in the valleys).

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: Rapparee
Date: 24 Feb 09 - 08:15 PM

"Valleys" is a relative term, I guess. The town is at 4,400 feet above sea level and my house is at about 4,800 feet.

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: Amos
Date: 24 Feb 09 - 08:22 PM

I don't understand that at all...here we are offering the sole hope for Spring, the first glimmer of renewal and hope, and we get castigated. You guys enjoy suffering, don't you? Admit it, now!! It makes you feel big and brave.



A

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: SINSULL
Date: 24 Feb 09 - 08:50 PM

It makes me feel old and fragile. I dread falling on the ice. Have avoided it this year...so far.

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: Rapparee
Date: 24 Feb 09 - 09:32 PM

I know what you mean, Sins. Back in January I was wearing Yaktrax as I cleared the driveway. (If you don't know what Yaktrax are....)

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: gnu
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 11:26 AM

It's snowing.... March flakes. Ya know them there HUGE flakes what comes down real fast cause they are just barely snow and make a "splat" noise when they hit yer forehead and melt right quikc and run down yer face? That's them.

It was +8 and raining, but someone upstarirs messed with the thermostat, I guess.

Since yesterday morn, our snow shrank over 60cm.

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: gnu
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 11:32 AM

Rats! +8 was just a ruse by Mom Nature. -19C tonight and 40cm of snow beginning tomorrow night.... sooooo...

IN LIKE A LION!

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: number 6
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 01:54 PM

Hopefully that snow will miss New Brusnwick blow over to Nova Scotia gnu.

This has been one hell of aa long cold, harsh winter.

biLL

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: gnu
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 02:20 PM

Actually, sIx, it's been darn good here in Moncton. Yes, we got a few nasty storms and yes, -30 to -40WC for a while, but, for the most part, Moncton dodged a lot of bullets... so far. The snow and heavy ice storms seemed to split in the Albert County hills and pass us to the north and south... so far.

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: maeve
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 02:45 PM

The path to the chickens is solid ice, but there's sun coming your way, gnu. Still that cold northerly wind blows.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: Amos
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 06:30 PM

I'm telling you guys, it's coming on Spring. You can't tell yet, up where you are, but it's surely here!! Why today, I went over the border to a Mexican dentist and it was so warm I had to take off me jacket, and there was bright sunshine all over, so deep and high it was running into the gutters in torrents. Toasty and bright!!

A

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: maeve
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 06:50 PM

Thanks, Amos. We've had plenty golden sunshine...I do love your description. You make the sunshine sound like a flood of honey!

Spring is here. Bantams are laying their creamy white eggs, the chickadees are singing, magnolia buds are swelling. Soon the flowers will open and the mud will flow freely once again.

You really need to visit Maine. Mwahahahaha

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: Alice
Date: 28 Feb 09 - 10:19 PM

Just saw that Memphis, TN, is getting a snow storm of up to 7 inches of snow.
Stay off the roads down there, folks, it's fender bender weather!

Alice in Montana

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: Tinker
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 09:44 AM

Big fluffy flakes and their predicting 6 inches over night .... but I saw signs of daffodils peeking through earlier this week...

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: gnu
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 09:48 AM

Maeve... I am waaaaaiting.... while watching the fluffies and wind increase.

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: number 6
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 09:54 AM

Starting to see some damned fluffies here in SJ right now.

"Now you know what they say about snow flakes
How there ain't no two the same
Well, all them flakes look alike to me
Every one is a dirty shame
My ears are cold
My feet are cold
Bermuda stays on my mind
And I'm here to say that if winter comes
Then spring is a ways behind"

.. excerpt from the song Snow by Jesse Winchester

biLL

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: Janie
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 10:17 AM

We are waiting/hoping for a decent snow that is predicted to move in late this afternoon and tonight. Haven't had enough snow for a sled ride in 3-4 years, nor enough to cover the ground by more than a dusting in 2 years.

Janie

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: maeve
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 10:18 AM

This is a spring snow storm we're expecting, gnu...Only 12 inches of snow expected here tonight.

maeve

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: jacqui.c
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 10:19 AM

Janie - you're welcome to come share our snow anytime!

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: Janie
Date: 01 Mar 09 - 10:35 AM

Jacqui,

I confess that while I look forward to an occasional good snow, I could get real sick of it real fast if it 'twere a common thing.

By the time you and Kendall and here will be hoping for blue spring skies and dogwoods in bloom. There is nothing so lovely as a Carolina spring.

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: SINSULL
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 08:53 AM

West Virginia got dumped on last night. Our turn this morning. High winds tonight to blow it all into nice neat little drifts against my front and back doors.

All the local and state offices are closed - wusses! Private companies can't afford to close.

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: curmudgeon
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 09:24 AM

About eight inches here now, with the possibilty of double that before it ends.

The plow made the first run of the driveway an hour back; don't know how many more he'll need to do.

Surprisingly, this may be the first really accurate prediction in the OFA. Its forecasts are usuayy more or less correct in some small part of the Northeast, but this was right on, "March 1 - 6. Snowstorm, then sunny, cold."Also, "The biggest snowstorm will occur in early March..."

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: Jeri
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 09:24 AM

More than 12" here, but it's light and fluffy. See, when this shit first starts in November or so, it takes about a day to dig out from 4". At this time, there's traffic on the road outside. Not much, but some, and I could get out if I wanted to... HAD to... once I got the igloo off my car.

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: jacqui.c
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 09:31 AM

We have no need to go out right now so are not going to think about clearing the driveway until the white stuff stops.

Take care if you have to be out there today.

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: SINSULL
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 09:33 AM

LL Bean is closed - go figure. At least that's what the Portland Press Herald reports.

My little car negotiated the plow poop in my driveway on the second try. The van would still be sitting there, wheels spinning. Neat!

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: ranger1
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 09:42 AM

I am now officially sick of this s***. Sick of plowing, sick of shoveling, sick of climbing over snowbanks when I try to walk the dog 'round the neighborhood, sick of spending the day on the John Deere knocking the snowbanks at the park over. And I'm sick of the ice, I've taken Mary's share of the falls this year, I think.

I left my poor boss to deal with this storm on his own. He lives there, I have a 22 mile commute and my dear old dad always used to tell me that no job is worth my life or my vehicle.

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: Maryrrf
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 09:48 AM

We finally got it here in Richmond, Virginia. We'd escaped all the other storms that hit the East Coast, but this one is pretty significant. I'd say there's about 8 inches on the ground outside and still coming down a little bit. Some people don't have electricity, mine flickered but didn't go out. A line went down outside my son's apartment last night, and he lost power, so he came over here to ride out the storm. Couldn't get the cars out of the driveway this morning so he called in and said he wouldn't be going to work (not many people are out and about anyway). I've got plenty of food and as long as the power stays on I'm quite happy to have a day at home. Must have a look outside, I think a tree is down but happily it did no damage.

Subject: RE: BS: It's Snowing...!
From: gnu
Date: 02 Mar 09 - 10:01 AM

We are dodging the bullet yet again. Forecast was changed from 16"+ to less than an inch, 4" of ice pellets and an inch of freezing rain. On the radar, the nasty stuff is passing 20km SE and 60km NW of us.

Of course, an inch of freezing rain can be far worse than the snow, but the wind isn't expected to be bad, so it should be fine.

Speaking of falls... Maeve... how is your wrist?