Heat source here is a freestanding 30/K btu propane stove along with a single register 30 amp Gree mini split system. Amazing how the mini split can still put out heat at 40 below. Toasty...
Cold weather coming this week, get those hose bibs covered...
- Thread starter Josh
- Start date
For years family in Colorado would give us crap about the West Coast not being able to handle snow. Nevermind that our snow is not their snow, that plowing often makes it worse, etc.
On the way out to go fishing in Warm Springs from Portland, one of them insisted on driving because it was starting to snow. My statement that our snow usually lands on wet pavement, creating a layer of ice, and our snow is usually not powdery, was met with the statement that “you just don’t know how to drive in the snow”.
When we went to return I again offered to drive, but was again rebuffed because I “just don’t know how to drive in the snow” because I’m not from Colorado. Ok then.
Traffic came to a stop on the inside of an outwardly-banked curve on the shoulder of Mt. Hood. A light amount of snow on a thick layer of smooth ice. A semi had jackknifed. “See? Even your truck drivers don’t know how to drive in it.” I mentioned the ice, but he kept going...Ad nauseam.
The stopped car, sitting on the ice, began slipping sideways and he grew quieter. As we crunch-slipped into the oncoming traffic lane he fell silent. When we were within a couple of feet of the outside shoulder—no guardrail—his knuckles went white around the steering wheel. Eventually, almost on the gravel shoulder, the car stopped sliding.
"You want to drive?", he asked.
"Nah," I said, "we don't know how to drive in the snow out here."
On the way out to go fishing in Warm Springs from Portland, one of them insisted on driving because it was starting to snow. My statement that our snow usually lands on wet pavement, creating a layer of ice, and our snow is usually not powdery, was met with the statement that “you just don’t know how to drive in the snow”.
When we went to return I again offered to drive, but was again rebuffed because I “just don’t know how to drive in the snow” because I’m not from Colorado. Ok then.
Traffic came to a stop on the inside of an outwardly-banked curve on the shoulder of Mt. Hood. A light amount of snow on a thick layer of smooth ice. A semi had jackknifed. “See? Even your truck drivers don’t know how to drive in it.” I mentioned the ice, but he kept going...Ad nauseam.
The stopped car, sitting on the ice, began slipping sideways and he grew quieter. As we crunch-slipped into the oncoming traffic lane he fell silent. When we were within a couple of feet of the outside shoulder—no guardrail—his knuckles went white around the steering wheel. Eventually, almost on the gravel shoulder, the car stopped sliding.
"You want to drive?", he asked.
"Nah," I said, "we don't know how to drive in the snow out here."
And that's why family on father's side all eventually moved out of MT and ND. That, and very few employment opportunities.
Heard endless tales about frozen dead cattle and people disappearing because they didn't have handlines to follow on trips to the outhouse in blizzards. Probably too fucking poor to own a chamber pot....hence the term "Didn't have a pot to piss in".
Ah...the "Good ol' days"! People have gotten soft with the fancy-pants inside shitters and all.
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Last winter a rancher had a late dropped calf which froze up solid. While standing. Probably didn't topple over till spring.
Just go out with a sawzall and cut steaks as needed.
when we lived on the coast we had a particularly strong ice storm hit, temps in the teens, trees down everywhere from high winds, power outage all of the first day.
On the third day my wife, who to this day swims laps or walks daily, insisted she needed to get out of the house and was going to drive to the pool. My wife is Danish, and when she is set on something...
Said I would drive her, loaded her into my Tahoe, and carefully pulled out of the driveway onto the street below our house.
"Ok, honey, I'm only going 15 mph, now watch what happens when I put on the brakes."
Brakes, and the Tahoe promptly starts sliding...and sliding
"Sigh..Ok, I get it, take me home"
On the third day my wife, who to this day swims laps or walks daily, insisted she needed to get out of the house and was going to drive to the pool. My wife is Danish, and when she is set on something...
Said I would drive her, loaded her into my Tahoe, and carefully pulled out of the driveway onto the street below our house.
"Ok, honey, I'm only going 15 mph, now watch what happens when I put on the brakes."
Brakes, and the Tahoe promptly starts sliding...and sliding
"Sigh..Ok, I get it, take me home"
(BigDave)
Smolt
Here in the Northwet, If you don't do stuff in the rain, you don't do stuff...
It was 62* this morning. Haven't seen that in a long time. Inside; 18* outside. It's nice to have a well insulated house. I'm really going though the firewood now. I have this little rack on the front porch; a filling of wood usually lasts 2 days in ordinary cold weather. Lasts less than 1 day currently, so I gotta' bundle up and head out to the woodshed again and bring armloads of wood to fill it up. If this were Montana and minus 40 temps, I'd probably have to set up a conveyor belt from the woodshed to the porch and stand out there constantly loading it. I sure love the penetrating heat of a wood fire.
I agree with the general sentiment, but I lived in AZ for 15 years and have a slight quibble. A lot of houses, especially older house, use swamp coolers instead of refrigeration for cooling. Swamp coolers only get the interior about 20 degrees cooler, and are worthless when the humidity goes up during the monsoon season in July and august. If you let the pads dry out, it smells like someone spilled an aquarium. And don’t get me started on the maintenance.
Huh, didn’t know I had that rant in me. Sorry you’re out here catching strays Josh.
Went home with a buddy from Rochester for spring break one year. We drove through a blizzard to find four feet of snow on the ground. Shock to the system for this California kid.
I came for the cultural learning of America make glorious benefit to my old country
I stay for the inside shitter
Very nice!
excellent set-up.
Our mountain house has a 17' ceiling in the main room, which is where I mounted the single head from a Mitsubishi mini-split, installed to cool our home during summer heat waves and does an excellent job doing so.
What I hadn't planned on was how efficient the heating side was, and so it has become our winter night time go to.
Last night while 0 degrees outside it kept our home at 60', with no need to for our central heating gas furnace to kick in.
