It is STILL RAINING!!!!!

[Wilma]

In case any one outside Elk County is interested, it is RAINING here and has been since about 5:00 this morning.  My private river that runs in front of my house has been out of it's banks part of the morning. and is still merrily running down the ditch.  I don't know how much has hit the ground so far, as I remembered to bring my glass rain gauge inside for the winter.  I don't think I need to say that I am enjoying the rain very much.

But I do need to say that I take credit for it.  Yesterday was so nice that I hooked up a hose and cleaned the bird bath.  That is something like washing the car or hanging the laundry out on the line or washing windows.  Never fails.  You might ask, "Why does your bird bath need a bath in the middle of the winter?"  Well, the answer is simple.  We keep it filled all winter.  The poor little birds need their water on cold winter days, too.  A bird bath heater keeps it from freezing, but nothing keeps the hose from freezing, so it is drained.  Our winter setup is a rubber tub like ones that are used for feeding horses.  It is placed in or on the bird bath.  The heater is placed inside the tub, along with two bricks for weight and to provide a place for the little birds to perch if the water is low.  It is filled by carrying the water from the house.  Needless to say, this rainless weather we have had has allowed the bird doo to accumulate and the weather has been too cold to carry the necessary amount of water to give everything the washing down that it needed.  Yesterday I hooked up the hose and using the jet selection on the nozzle, I gave everything a good strong shower.  Really cleaned it up.  The poor little birds didn't know what to think.  It didn't look right to them. 

But, today, we don't have to worry about the water.  And when it starts freezing again, the heater will do it's job, someone will carry water for refills and we will all be happy.

[readyaimduck]

We got 2" here around Fall River.

[Diane Amberg]

That's wonderful. I know you've been very dry. You sent us your milder weather.It's supposed to be 64 here tomorrow.

[Warph]

Wilma, it's cold (61 degrees ) and wet (rain sprinkles for five days) here in AZ as I write this.  I know that you are going to be hit with a huge blizzard starting tomorrow.  But, thank goodness the federal government provides us with "helpful" winter tips and video's.  ( ready.gov/winter-weather ).

                             

                             

Did you know, warns our government, that "winter storms can range from a moderate snow over a few hours to a blizzard with blinding, wind-driven snow that lasts for several days?"

Hmmm.... news to me.

Or that "many winter storms are accompanied by dangerously low temperatures and sometimes by strong winds, icing, sleet and freezing rain"?

There's no reason to panic, tho', so long as you follow government tips before, during and after a storm.

To prepare for ice, for instance, be sure to assemble an emergency kit that has "rock salt or more environmentally safe products" that the government recommends at the Environmental Protection Agency website.

I'm happy to protect the environment, but I'm not terribly interested in whether or not the environment is offended by rock salt when the environment is trying to hurt me.

Anyway, your emergency kit should include sand, too, as it provides traction on slippery surfaces.  It should include shovels or other snow-removal devices.  My next-door-neighbor has one of those in her kit: her husband.

Sometimes, things can get so bad in the winter, we are warned, that we may lose power and heat.  Wow.  If you have a fireplace, be sure to stock up on seasoned wood!  (For the moment, the EPA still allows us to burn wood in our fireplaces.)

Once you have followed these groundbreaking government tips to plan for a storm, you need to learn what to do during the storm, Wilma.

The first thing the government recommends is to stay inside!  That makes sense to me.  It's warmer and drier inside.  We must fight the urge to lie in the yard in pajamas and get covered with snow and make snow angels.

If you must go outside, however, be careful walking "on snowy, icy walkways."  The government says snow and ice, apparently, are slippery.

The government warns us to not overexert ourselves while shoveling.  That is sound advice, huh?  Overexertion while shoveling can, and does, lead to heart attacks, particularly in middle-aged fellows like me who are not in great physical shape.

Yet, every year, we men, fully aware of the risk, overexert ourselves while shoveling.... and one or two of us have heart attacks and end up on the local news along with reports from medical experts who tell us we ought not overexert ourselves while shoveling.

Frostbite is a big worry.  Symptoms "include loss of feeling and white or pale appearance in extremities such as fingers, toes, ear lobes, and the tip of the nose."

I am no expert, but another symptom is that YOU ARE REALLY COLD, so stop shoveling and go inside the house.

The government warns about hypothermia, too.  Symptoms include "uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness, and apparent exhaustion"... and a propensity to vote for politicians who are eager to bankrupt the country.

Again, I am no expert, but another symptom is that YOU ARE REALLY COLD, so stop shoveling and go inside the house.

If you somehow manage to survive the coming storm... and it's coming, five feet I heard... you are not out of the woods yet.    After the storm passes, the governments warns you to stay indoors, if possible.  If you must go outside, be sure to dress for the weather to protect against frostbite and hypothermia.

To the government's credit, it does offer a few useful tips to prevent your pipes from freezing, and on what to do if you are stranded in your car.

For the most part, Wilma, if you need to rely on the government for obvious steps to take to deal with snowstorms, your worries are much greater than winter weather.

Now get in the house, find the candles, turn on the fireplace and snuggle up with a good book.  The storm of the year is on its way.

...Warph[/font][/size]

[Wilma]

Warph, I have been watching the so-called blizzard move across Kansas, being careful to not get too close to the southeastern part of the state.  I will be surprised if we get any snow at all.  Thanks for all the good advice, but I have lived in Kansas all my life.  There isn't much that I don't already know from experience, not government recommendations.  I suffered the frost bite thing from walking across a wheat field to get home after high centering the car on the way home from early dismissal of school.  On the other hand, I enjoy the snowfall when it is the big fluffy flakes with no wind and mild temperatures.  I especially enjoy watching it from inside my warm house.  This "blizzard" doesn't have me concerned at all.

[jarhead]

Quote from Wilma:
I suffered the frost bite thing from walking across a wheat field to get home after high centering the car on the way home from early dismissal of school.

Wow, Wilma, the ruts would have to be pretty deep to high center a Model-T
PS: Don't be sending Janet down to kick my arse---I'm just teasing you.

[Wilma]

Model T, indeed!  It was a 1936 Chevy sedan with the suicide doors.  And my little brother was doing the driving.  I wouldn't dream of sending Janet to kick your behind.  With your bulked up muscles, she would break her foot.

[jarhead]

You hearing this Larry

[ELK@KC]

Model T, indeed!  It was a 1936 Chevy sedan with the suicide doors.  And my little brother was doing the driving.  I wouldn't dream of sending Janet to kick your behind.  With your bulked up muscles, she would break her foot.

I thought I knew who jarhead was, but with your description, obviously I don't.

[Wilma]

I was just quoting what he says about himself.