please keep warm and safe in this weather

[MCH]

Greetings all,

A few years ago we had a blizzard here in Georgia, USA. 55 mph winds and 20 inches of snow fell in one day. The most amazing thing was that two days later there was no sign of snow and it was sunny and relatively warm.

I feel for those that have all that snow and ice. I got a taste of bad weather a couple weeks ago and I like it not!
I didn't know about the hurricane in Australia. I hope it hasn't dumped more rain in Queensland. They've had a horrible time of it. I hope things settle down in Egypt as well.

Pattie, I liked your bird pix. How do you keep the squirrels from eating all the suit ?

Stay warm an safe peeps!

Mch

[jaybee]

Here in Ottawa, we've been getting Pattie Anne's storm since early this morning. Like Mcdonald County, where PA is, we're only expecting 9 inches. Unlike Mcdonald County, we're totally used to this sort of thing (we are, after all, the snowiest capitol city in the world); so it's not a big deal for us -- just an inconvenience. If we'd gotten the heart of the storm, like they did in Oklahoma and other parts of Missouri, Illinois, etc., it might have been a different story. We do get stopped on occasion, just not this time. Dodged the bullet again!

[pattie anne]

dear tracy -

went back and ID'd the birdies for you.

dear MCH -

heh-heh-heh-heh we EAT the squirrels! not. actually, they don't seem to be able to get to it. not that they don't TRY. had one on harold's ladder (that my husband has leaning against our house) this morning, and the squirrel was sure eyeing the suet hungrily.

dear jaybee -

i know we are babies when it comes to REAL snow. no church, no school, and haven't had a mail delivery in TWO WHOLE DAYS! but it does have alot to do with what you are used to as to how 'peples' generally cope.

love,
pattie anne


patio-trailer-truck shell-new well head-old well house-propane tank
"praise be to the company for propane heat!"

most of old glory and a dog bell - view from anders front porch

[jaybee]

Dear Pattie Anne,

I wasn't calling you a baby. Far from it. Guess I just didn't explain myself well enough. My point was that we northerners are well used to snow storms. And we have the equipment to deal with it. You guys are in dire straits when this sort of thing happens simply because it's quite out of the ordinary and not something you are equipped to handle. Nothing wimpy about that!

If we'd gotten what they got in Chicago, we'd have come to a stand-still as well. We're not totally blasé about the weather -- we close schools and shut down roads as well. It's all a matter of how much you're accustomed to tolerating.

It's 10 PM and still snowing, but not too hard any more. It's supposed to quit around midnight. I don't envy the easterners though. Both eastern Canadian provinces and U.S. eastern states are supposed to get hammered before it all simmers down.

We got lucky here, as you did in Mcdonald County.

JB

[tracy]

thanks pattie and jaybee you all take care with these storms

[MCH]

Greetings all,

I was watching the 'Weather Chanel' for a bit last night and they showed a video from Massachusets where an industrial building collapsed from the weight of all the snow and ice. Quite a spectacular and disturbing video. I was glad that no one was hurt. Evidently the building was cleared before the roof collapsed. Television crews were even called to witness the eminent structural failure.

As I watched the entire building slowly fall to ruin I couldn't help but wonder why the companies that occupied it didn't spend some money to have the snow removed before it got that dangerous.

Pattie, I have a bird feeder and suet feeder on the back porch. squirrels, raccoons and opossums eat the food as well. The one feeder is a metal squirrel proof one but sometimes an inventive little squirrel finds a way to circumvent the obstacles. The raccoons just manhandle the thing making it give up the seeds, lol. The birds however make such a mess by tossing out seed to get to say a peanut that there lands up being a lot of seed on the ground. There aren't as many raccoons and opossums around because of the coyotes that have moved in the area. I'd like to give a piece of my mind to the wankers that brought them in the state for rabbit control.

I just heard that we have ice on the way. Be safe and warm everyone!

Regards,
Mch

[pattie anne]

dear jaybee -

you didn't call me a baby. i called myself, and the other locals wimpy infants!

dear Members of TOM -

with that said, it got down to -4 degrees last night. and a roof of a middle school in Quapaw, OK, collapsed last night, due to the weight of the snow on it. and we just learned 'moore' snow is on the way, (oh, goodie) TOMorrow night.

the following is an additional report about the continuing aftermath of this storm:

QUAPAW, Okla. - A Chevrolet Avalanche ran off westbound lanes of the Will Rogers Turnpike and into the Spring River Thursday morning with eight people aboard, sparking a massive rescue operation.
It happened around 6:30 a.m. near the Missouri border at mile marker 322 just southeast of Quapaw in Ottawa County
Miami Fire Department attempted to lower a basket over the river bridge to rescue 6 people who made it to the roof of the vehicle. The OHP says two other people were inside the vehicle but they are above water level.
The OHP troop in Vinita reported at 8:45 a.m. that all but three people had been extricated.
Air temperatures in the area were at 9 degrees below zero.
All westbound lanes of I-44 are closed in the area. They are using the lanes to land 4 helicopters to assist in the rescue effort.
In addition to the OHP and Miami Fire Department, Rescue and Ambulance, the Newton County, Missouri dive team and the National Guard are assisting.
At 8:30 a.m., the Will Rogers Turnpike was closed at mile marker 309 so road crews could remove drifts up to 8-feet high against the guardrail and outside shoulder of the interstate.
About a half mile of the turnpike will be closed until the afternoon.

and even better news ... all eight have now been rescued.

love,
pattie anne

[tracy]

hy thats great news that all 8 of those people are ok and save its great to hear things like that .thanks for letting us know pattie

[pattie anne]

dear tracy -

ta.

just heard from our son in texas, and it iced and snowed and in san antonio last night. and just 1/2 inch shut EVERYTHING down there.

and guess what? you got it in one! IT'S SNOWING AGAIN!

AND

today is harold's and my 44th wedding anniversary.

yup, all true.

44th on the 4th. WHO would have believed it ???

love,
pattie anne

[tracy]

happy 44th wedding aniversary to you pattie and harold have a great day