i had cheerios this morning, lol
Clue me in?
Forgot to mention pipes. NE Patriots q-back Tom Brady found out about pipes after he moved here and decided to take a winter vacation. Turned off his heat and went away. When he got back, the water in the plumbing had frozen and split ('burst') all his pipes. Big plumbing bill. Big mess. If your heat goes off in freezing weather, drain the pipes. It will give you something to discuss with the neighbors ;-)
You guys are so DOWN on winter!! Guess what? We already have snow!! 4" still on the ground just to the south of us, rain here at present has washed most of our snow away.
Not enough to sleigh on.
We've had our pipes freeze ONCE in a severe wind/ 40 below power outage. It was covered by insurance. Just basement damage.
Have NEVER had a car not start, no engine block heaters or garage. We have 4WD no snow tires or chains. Defroster is fine most of the time for everything - we don't get ice storms as bad as TX. There's usually enough snow to keep the ice from sticking!!
We don't get daylily rust, delphiniums don't get black spot, zinnias don't mildew...you'd be surprised what you can grow!! And things don't bake and fry and in the summer.
We have a woodstove - no generator. I actually like the quiet when the power's out,which isn't often. When the kids were little they like playing power outage, where we'd pop corn the old fashioned way, and sit by kerosene lantern light and tell stories, and sleep by the fire.
See? It's just not so bad at all!!
Jen, pay attention to the pipes info. When I moved to Boone (NC) I was building but not finished (so not fully insulated) ... woke up one morning to 4º in my bedroom and 17 splits in the copper pipes in the bathroom plumbing. Moved into town for 6 weeks and slept in our office and showered next door in the gym.
Hey Jen,
Get several bags of kitty litter. Any brand will do. It is excellent to sprinkle on your sidewalks and front steps so you don't slip & fall on the ice. Also, keep several bags of kitty litter in your car too. If you happen to get stuck, just throw some kitty litter under your wheels and it will give your car traction. Also, kitty litter won't burn your grass like salt will.
Also, if you have any camping or outdoor stores nearby, check them out for boots and polypropalene liners for your wool socks. You'll need to get a bunch of these. They help to wick away the perspiration from your feet. If your feet get cold, so will the rest of your body. They are wonderful! Always used them for winter camping trips!!
The hand/feet warmers that I sent to you are excellent for slipping in your socks and gloves. They will keep you warm up to 10 hrs. I figured that they would come in real handy when you have to go from the house to the barn to feed the horses and also when shoveling snow. They can be found at camping stores.
Hugs,
Shirley
MsJen - you will probably be colder this winter than you have ever been in your life. You will probably also be a darn sight healthier. When the bitter cold arrives it kills all the germs on the front door knob - your steering wheel, and everything else outside. It is just not that bad in your area.
I could never spend the winter in say Michigan or Minnesota or even Iowa. But the weather in your area just ain't that bad.
Keep food on hand, and a source of heat and you will do fine. Each time you go out to feed the animals, you will doubly enjoy the heat in the house.
Oh boy, lol
URGENT - WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
405 PM EDT MON OCT 24 2005
...HEAVY WET SNOW MAY CAUSE PROBLEMS LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY
NIGHT...
.A STRONG AND COLD SYSTEM OVER OHIO WILL MERGE WITH THE REMNANTS
OF HURRICANE WILMA OVERNIGHT. THE COLD AIRMASS COMBINED WITH
ABUNDANT TROPICAL AND ATLANTIC MOISTURE WILL PRODUCE WET SNOW OVER
THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF SOUTHWESTERN NY...GENERALLY ABOVE 1500
FEET.
NYZ012>014-020-021-250415-
/X.CON.KBUF.WS.A.0001.051025T0400Z-051026T1000Z/
WYOMING-LIVINGSTON-ONTARIO-CATTARAUGUS-ALLEGANY-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WARSAW...GENESEO...CANANDAIGUA...
OLEAN...WELLSVILLE
405 PM EDT MON OCT 24 2005
...WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT EDT TONIGHT
THROUGH LATE TUESDAY NIGHT...
A WINTER STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT EDT TONIGHT
THROUGH LATE TUESDAY NIGHT.
RAIN IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE TO OR MIX WITH SNOW LATE TONIGHT AND
CONTINUE INTO TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT. THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR
ACCUMULATIONS OF MORE THAN 6 INCHES THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT AT
ELEVATIONS ABOVE 1500 FEET IN THE SOUTHERN TIER...THE ALLEGHENY
PLATEAU...AND ALONG THE UPPER GENESEE RIVER VALLEY. AREAS BETWEEN
1000 AND 1500 FEET MAY SEE VARYING AMOUNTS OF SNOW...GENERALLY
UNDER 6 INCHES THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL OCCUR
DURING THE MIDDAY TIME PERIOD ON TUESDAY.
SINCE IT IS ONLY LATE OCTOBER AND THERE ARE STILL A LOT OF LEAVES
ON THE TREES...THIS TYPE OF HEAVY WET SNOW COULD EASILY DOWN TREE
LIMBS AND POWER LINES. NORTHEAST WINDS OF 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS
TO 35 MPH WOULD ONLY ADD TO THE PROBLEMS.
A WINTER STORM WATCH MEANS THAT HEAVY SNOW IS POSSIBLE. IF YOU
ARE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...REMAIN ALERT TO RAPIDLY CHANGING
WEATHER CONDITIONS. STAY TUNED TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OR
THE LOCAL NEWS MEDIA FOR THE LATEST UPDATES AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.
$$
ZAFF
Time to make your first snowman MsJen! :)
Uh huh, lol. And snow angels!!!
Just be prepared for loss of power... always happens with heavy, wet snow.
Then, have FUN in it!
Hey Jen....this could be your future.........
Hey, don't scare her to death in her first month's up there!
moi? heh hehe storm is already on the way...she is trapped there now.....mwaaahaaahaaa
(I seem to be doing that evil laugh thing way too much lately, I'll stop now!)
y'all are too funny, lol.
please tell me that is a special effects photo?
they said anything over 1500 elevation can expect 6-9 inches....we're at 1700 : )
Jen this storm will just be an intro to NY snows. You will learn it can be as bad as the photo above but not every year and not really often. But it IS possible, which is why we have been trying to prepare you at least with warm clothing.
Maria (screen name Aria) posted photos last year of snowbanks at the Mass. shoreline, not quite as tall, but very unusual.
I'm finding myself feeling like i did as a child at Christmas!!! I can't wait to wake up tomorrow morning!
Sorry Jen, actual photo taken in Kansas.
http:// da.state.ks.us/ps/subject/winterfit/2004/snowstorm1.jpg
Take out the space before the da.state for the link, I put it in so you could see the addy. We have had snow deep enough to have to tunnel out here, but not since I was a kid. My cousin walked up a drift onto his roof once, the house was a 2 story!
Here is a pic of my daughter Jenna from last winter, not quite so scary, ok?
Wet snow and leaves what a pain!
That's when the trees get in trouble.
The good news is it never lasts long.
What's your elevation there?
It's a good test run for you (and the power company).
Enjoy it!
The Horses should really be surprised.
GET YOUR CAMERA!
The look on your dog's face should be priceless! lol
Ric
MS now NY JEN I am envious and this thread has kept me laughing my wetsuited surfing bottom off!!!!!!!!!
Honest, brave and envious move. I am a veteran New NM transpanted to North Wales and to California in the end so I do adore seeing the suprise and peace you will have.
Best are the days when you just get to read.
Jen, you should contact "Crestedchik" a.k.a. Karyn Riggs. She lives outside of Syracuse, NY. She could tell you first hand what the winters are like in upstate New York!!! She'll probably have a lot of tips for you too!
I love it when she posts that she had to shovel off the roof of her greenhouse....so it wouldn't collapse!!! Last winter, she posted some incredible snow pictures in her area. She could e-mail them to you.
Definitely keep your camera handy! It will be fun to see what your dog thinks, and to see how the horses react. My horses play like babies in the snow!!
We're still waiting for it. Its been rainy all day but no signs of snow. The weatherman says its coming tho....guess i've been kinda excited and looking forward to it.
Wonder if the Horses will play football like in the commercials...........
THAT would be neat!
Definitely get it on video if your horses start tossing a football!!
Hmmmm....wonder if Jen is still out looking at the snow?
Ric, you got snow?
LOL! Heaven Forbid!
No but we may get a frost tonight.
Jen was waiting for the snow at her place.
When you due back up this way dyson?
Will beback there on the 8th of next month - now(would really like to meet a dg'er in perso)n) - have not had that oppertunity as of yet and am sorry to have missed you and badseed last trip - am I rambleing?
Still no snow : (
We just got back from Syracuse, one of our good friends had a baby girl tonight!!
YAY for your friend Jen.
I was hoping you had gotten a little of that snow they forecasted for your area. Just a taste though. Don't want you buried under drifts yet.
Lani
Didnt see as much as 1 flurry, bummer eh? lol
We had a heavy frost last night, and its 29 now.....so if i pretended hard enough it could be snow : )
Just wait, come about dec or jan i'll be asking when does it end
Jen i lived in Seneca county NY for 3 years ... and yes if you do not ask that question this year - you will next. When the snow comes it seems like it will never stop.
Hope you have someting w/ 4-weel drive or at least front weel drive.
Yup real bummer that you haven't gotten your first experience with snow. I just hope you enjoy it as much as we do. I love a good snowball fight. YAY snow.
BTW never eat yellow snow. That is your tip for the day.
Lani
snowball fight, YEAH!
Whut, you mean yellow snow aint banana flavored snowcones?? J/K!!!
We got the fence finished today and are off early tomorrow morning to get the girls !!!!! We were supposed to get them tonight, but didnt get finished until about 1 hr ago and i didnt want to move them to a strange place at night.
hurrah!
Congratulations!!
Oh, that will be so good. Now you will feel like you've really moved in.
Ah the Homecoming!
Congratulations!
Ric
Hi.
First off, I live in Montreal, which is a zone 5a.
Second: I hate winter with a purple passion. That's why we bought a condo in Fort Lauderdale, home of hurricane Wilma 2 weeks ago. We're moving there as soon as we sell the house. At least there, when there's no power, you don't freeze to death in the dark. Jen, I don't mean to scare you but here's my take on winter, which is undeniably the longest 7 to 8 months of the year.
We survived through the ice storm of 98. Here are a few tips for you.
To get yourself a pair or two of genuine Sorel -40 degrees boots, drive to the canadian side of Lake Ontario, find a Wall-Mart or a K-mart. The exchange on your dollar compared to ours will make it worth your while and you'll be certain to find genuine Sorels; avoid imitations. While you're there, buy yourself a couple pairs of felt liners so you can dry one pair while wearing another.
While in Canada, look into buying yourself a Kanuk coat. They worth the money, I swear. Also, they last and last. They're also very fashionable, allying style and function.
Headwear: if you sew, I can send you a pattern to make a wonderful knit stocking cap out of polar fleece. The way it is made, you have 2 layers of polar fleeve over the top of your head and 4 layers of it over your forehead and ears. Wonderful stuff. Anyone who wants that sewing pattern and sewing instructions for it is welcome ask for it by d-mail.
Gloves: You should be able to get a pair of great gloves where you buy your Kanuk coat. Keep in mind that mittens are warmer than gloves because they have less surface exposed to the elements.
Another option is to sew yourself a jacket from an old electric blanket. You'll also need a long extension cord but the end justifies the means.
- Get a remote-controlled car started that starts on its own accord when the temperature gets below a certain level.
- Get winter-grade oil in your engine and keep your gas tank above the half level at all times.
- Get yourself the best snow tires you can't afford. Find a way to afford them.
- Get yourself a reliable snow removal contractor.
- Seal up your windows and doors to keep drafts out.
- Make sure your heating system is in top notch condition.
- Have a safe back-up heating solution at the ready.
- Buy yourself a gallon or two of fondue fuel. The fondue set comes in handy to cook a simple mean in a power failure situation. Don't have a fondue set? Get one!
- Get yourself 6 small cylinders of propane, the ones you use to weld copper pipes together.
- Head to Costco and get at least 100 lbs of ice salt, which you should keep in a dry place to avoid clumping. Replace any used quantity immediately to keep your stock at 100 lbs all the time. Keep at least 40 pounds of that in the car's trunk for slippery situations.
- We recently bought a set of 2 flashlights at Circuit City that can be cranked for one minute and produce 45 minutes of intense light. They use light-emiting diodes so you can't break the bulbs; great stuff.
- Avoid speaking outside when it gets below -42 degrees because your words will freeze and fall to the ground. You'll hear yourself speaking outside when they that next spring, which will spook the dog and the horses. ROTFL.
But take heart, Jen. After winter will come summer and in no time flat you'll be back into winter again.
Sylvain.