SNOW

[Mortblanc]

Just got a shout from some cousins living in Erie, PA.

They now have 1.8M of snow on the ground. More in the drifts but they do not count.

In my location we have more anticipated for tomorrow.

Winter is here folks.

I must get to the shops and stock back up. I have not left the house in 5 days and have depleated the inventory in the cabinets and fridge.

I have not touched the "Preps", but have consumed the weekly store of eggs, bread, fresh veggies and such that keep me fed day to day.

With these waves of snow coming through it is only a matter of time before we get a big one here that shuts things for a few days. It is inevitable.

[Straight Shooter]

Haul ass and geet some supplies MB ....hope the battery is up to it .

[CharlesHarris]

MB, don't forget The Pusser's Rum!

[Pete Grey]

In the UK we don’t usually have prolonged cold spells, after 3 or 4 days the temperature creeps up, any snow melts, it rains and the ground is waterlogged. Then we have floods. It’s so different to you in the US with your long cold winters. That is why we are always caught out, we do not have enough snow to warrant the resources to cope with heavy snow storms.
I hope you all over the pond keep warm and safe, God bless, happy New Year to you all.

[Mortblanc]

(28 December 2017, 17:18)CharlesHarris Wrote: MB, don't forget The Pusser's Rum!

I generally go the other way being from Kentucky.

In the past my favorite cold weather drink was the famed "Hot Toddy". A generous splash of bourbon, a spoon of honey, a squeeze of lemon and fill the glass with scalding water.

Now that I am not allowed sugar I just drink it straight up.

I have not tried the artificial sweeteners in a toddy. I might try that.

Back about two decades ago we were at a reenactment camp after the site had closed and the weather was a bit chilly. The lads were making hot buttered run in the tin coffee pots; a stick of butter to melt, fill half the pot with Run and half with water.

We were in one of the big tents playing cards and one of the girls knocked back a couple of mugs of HBR and was working on her third and was doing fine when suddenly her eyes rolled back in her head and she went over backwards chair and all.

We assisted her husband in moving her out of the way. It took several of us since she was a sizable bird. We covered her with blankets and she slept for most of the next day!

That stuff will sneak up on you!

[CharlesHarris]

MB,

Being from KY I fully appreciate your favoring the local spirits.

George Dickel and Evan Williams are close personal friends, and we also tolerate Jack Daniel visiting the housen if he behaves.

An advantage to being descended from a long line of Scots who were Presbyterians, we don't discriminate. Unlike Southern Baptists and snake handling Pentacostals who shun even the medicinal uses of spirits and fear rum as the demon's brew.

The Vermont and New Hampshire version of the hot toddy is wonderful and made with applejack or rye whisky and maple syrup.

[Mortblanc]

Being from the deep south I used to hang out with may of those strict fundamentalist lads and I learned something real quick.

You never take just one of them fishing, you always take two.

If you take just one he will drink up all your beer!

If you take two along they will not touch the stuff for fear the other one will rat them out to the Congregation!

I took a little road trip yesterday to do some shopping. 200 miles to Bardstown by way of Louisville. I passed three different distilleries on the journey. One being the oldest in the U.S.

It got me all historically emotional, thinking about all those pioneer mash boilers fighting off Indians and rushing home to tend the still, so I had to come home and finish off the last ounce of a bottle of Evan Williams I have been testing for possible stockpiling for the Apocalypse.

Now I will tie this all back to the thread by mentioning that I ran into a small blizzard about 25 miles outside of Louisville and drove in it for the remaining 75 miles home with the roads getting more dangerous by the minute. I arrived here at the house to find that it had only left about an inch on the ground but a bitter wind chill came with it.

We are not getting the big snows, just these little irritating covers that ice the roads and cause people to go insane behind the wheel.

Then the weather babe comes on TV and tells us that we have had 10"-12" total accumulation so far during the fall and winter, but it came 1/2" at a time and some of it melted before sunrise and we ever knew it was there!

[Lightspeed]

Greetings MB, hope Christmas went well for you.

Re feeling cold you have our sympathies. Something we've found id that our heating furnace has a variable output temperature that's linked to outside temperature. On the whole this works fine, but it leaves us feeling chilly if humidity is high and the outdoor temperature is between freezing and 10C. In these conditions we've found that setting the output temperature higher has a good effect on the perceived warmth in the house even though the thermostatic radiator valves keep room temperatures at the same level.

So, if you can control the temperature your CH furnace outputs, upping it 10C or so might be worth a try???

ATB for the new year from all at chateau Lightspeed.

[Mortblanc]

Just for the running tabulations, we had a dust added to the cover last night.

I woke to -15c and the high for the day is predicted at -10. We have also been plagued with a 10-15mph wind for some time which adds to the suffering when out and about.

My vehicle has a sensor that monitors air pressure and the cold is severe enough to decrease the air pressure in the tires. I had to add air to them yesterday, which meant taking off the gloves to deal with the caps and gauge. My hands stuck to the metal of the gauge and I though I was going to freeze to death before I got all 4 tended too.

I left the house in full arctic mode yesterday. Double layer flannel lined pants, wool socks, long sleeved tee w/flannel shirt, with down parka, snowmobile gloves, and watch-cap. I could barely fit into the vehicle.

I looked like an add for Michelin tires.

[Pete Grey]

Hi MB that is really cold, if I remember rightly mountaineers use thin inner gloves usually silk, so when they have to handle metal objects they don’t stick or freeze burn, you can get these for around $10 on Amazon. It might be useful to keep a pair in your vehicle over winter. Glad you got back safely from you shopping trip.