AT LAST!! I left messages for Cat, Alan and Bill on the thread two days back, and one or two messages on yesterday's thread as well. It took me some time to catch up as I had 3 year old Granddaughter with me from 10:30am to 5:00pm, not counting travel time! Soooo tired! Heading to bed so I can get up sort of early and shovel before the temperature drops way down.
I shoveled today for 2.5 hours. I did our household, out front and out back, and did our neighbour's as well. Her son has paid our plow guy to shovel her out, but today I discovered that's only for snows of 6" or more. Today's was 4". I can't stand to see this woman in her mid-80s shoveling her walkway and clearing off her car, with glare ice in places around the car. So I pushed extra hard and got it done. I went through two pair of gloves that eventually got wet, and finished with bare hands. It was above zero and the wind wasn't bad at that point. Later in the day, though, we had seriously impressive whiteout conditions! WOW!!!
That's good news, Listener. May his support continue to erode! I wonder, though, how much of that wanting him off the ticket is due to ultra nutso right fringe elements like Ann Colter who think he's a wimp? Strengthening of that element would be extremely frightening. God only knows that they want to replace him with!
So it's currently 14 below outside. The overnight low was 23 below, which missed the all-time record by 4 degrees but is still, I believe, among the 10 coldest nights ever recorded. It's currently about 45 degrees inside. When we upgraded our heating system we chose an efficient burner rather than one powerful enough to cope with even the most extreme temperatures.
One thing that shocked me is that Amtrak has canceled all trains into and out of Chicago. A major plus for trains is that, unlike airplanes, they are almost immune to bad weather.
It may be too dangerous to allow people to get on and off trains in such weather...and travel in various ways to and from. Any chance it disrupts the safety of the train tracks?
"The extreme freezing and thawing and frost wedging/upheaval is going to cause major problems with roads. Expect very numerous potholes, large ones at that, developing over the next two weeks. Expect cryoseisms [ice quakes] Tuesday through Friday, caused by the rapid freezing of water in ground cracks and crevices." Moreover, he adds, "in about seven to nine days, when all of this starts to melt rapidly, expect dense fog and the possibility for ice jam flooding on rivers." https://www.wunderground.com/cat6/Earths-Most-Notable-Cold-Blast-2019-Headed-Midwest-US
I think Amtrak's problem probably relates to freezing of the switches. As the national media is reporting, there are diesel heaters (referred to as "fire" because of the visible flames) at switches in the Chicago area. Where you don't have those heaters, the train crew has to get out and manually throw the switch. But I've been on trains where that happened.
Gee. I remember being in Montreal a few years back and seeing what the winter weather there did to steel reinforced concrete structures--like highway overpasses. They had wire screens mounted underneath to catch the pieces of concrete that spalled off the structures, and the rebar was exposed in many places. I should think wood ought to be more practical in such a climate. Now I will go back and check your responses, listener.
You must have a good wind kicking up. We're also at 0ºF right now (which is 22.8º colder than last night), and it's blowing 11mph from the west, so it feels like -9ºF.
The bricks appear to have rounded (or smooth) edges, rather than sharp edges like new bricks.
DT WAS careful when meeting with his handler—he didn’t have any Americans there except his wife.
I see that white beeswax is made by filtering or bleaching the natural yellow beeswax. Hmmm…. an economical person might melt the white stubs and dip the yellow candles in the white wax. But if folks are particular about white beeswax, they might not accept the white-coated ones.
I hadn’t heard of paschal candles before you mentioned them a year or two back, listener. As is usually the case, Wikipedia was informative.
I doubt anyone would think to melt down the white stubs and use them to dip the yellow candles into. Besides, they would need several dips for sufficient coverage, and then they'd likely be too large in diameter for the church's candleholders. I have the dilemma of how to dip a candle when its wick has already been cut. I could make hold it well enough by the wick stub, but by what do I hang it somewhere while it cools? Hmmm...
Our forecast low for tonight is -1F and the forecast high for tomorrow, Thursday, is 15 with abundant sunshine. I shudder to think what it would be without abundant sunshine!
I'm getting our fruit trees pruned and sprayed barely in time. A super early peach (still a very young tree) is already in bloom, and the plum tree buds are beginning to show a bit of green. We were predicted to get a bit of rain tonight, but I just stepped out to see, and there are stars visible through thin clouds. Today 67/52F. Never heard of, much less heard, frostquakes before.
Hey, guess what!?!! 🎉Today ALLY MAE turns 12 years old 🕯and she is still cancer free! 🎁
ReplyDeleteYa-HOO!
DeleteThat's wonderful!
DeleteAT LAST!! I left messages for Cat, Alan and Bill on the thread two days back, and one or two messages on yesterday's thread as well. It took me some time to catch up as I had 3 year old Granddaughter with me from 10:30am to 5:00pm, not counting travel time! Soooo tired! Heading to bed so I can get up sort of early and shovel before the temperature drops way down.
ReplyDeleteI shoveled today for 2.5 hours. I did our household, out front and out back, and did our neighbour's as well. Her son has paid our plow guy to shovel her out, but today I discovered that's only for snows of 6" or more. Today's was 4". I can't stand to see this woman in her mid-80s shoveling her walkway and clearing off her car, with glare ice in places around the car. So I pushed extra hard and got it done. I went through two pair of gloves that eventually got wet, and finished with bare hands. It was above zero and the wind wasn't bad at that point. Later in the day, though, we had seriously impressive whiteout conditions! WOW!!!
DeleteJohn Bolton's notes caught on camera
ReplyDeletehttps://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2019/01/28/5000-troops-to-colombia-bolton-notepad-sot-acosta-tsr-vpx.cnn
1/3 of Republicans want DT off the 2020 ticket
ReplyDeletehttps://www.cnn.com/2019/01/29/politics/donald-trump-republican-primary/index.html
So that gives him about 20% support among the electorate?
DeleteThat's good news, Listener. May his support continue to erode! I wonder, though, how much of that wanting him off the ticket is due to ultra nutso right fringe elements like Ann Colter who think he's a wimp? Strengthening of that element would be extremely frightening. God only knows that they want to replace him with!
DeleteSo it's currently 14 below outside. The overnight low was 23 below, which missed the all-time record by 4 degrees but is still, I believe, among the 10 coldest nights ever recorded. It's currently about 45 degrees inside. When we upgraded our heating system we chose an efficient burner rather than one powerful enough to cope with even the most extreme temperatures.
ReplyDeleteOne thing that shocked me is that Amtrak has canceled all trains into and out of Chicago. A major plus for trains is that, unlike airplanes, they are almost immune to bad weather.
It may be too dangerous to allow people to get on and off trains in such weather...and travel in various ways to and from. Any chance it disrupts the safety of the train tracks?
Delete"The extreme freezing and thawing and frost wedging/upheaval is going to cause major problems with roads. Expect very numerous potholes, large ones at that, developing over the next two weeks. Expect cryoseisms [ice quakes] Tuesday through Friday, caused by the rapid freezing of water in ground cracks and crevices." Moreover, he adds, "in about seven to nine days, when all of this starts to melt rapidly, expect dense fog and the possibility for ice jam flooding on rivers."
Deletehttps://www.wunderground.com/cat6/Earths-Most-Notable-Cold-Blast-2019-Headed-Midwest-US
I have heard frost quakes. They can be impressive.
DeleteI think Amtrak's problem probably relates to freezing of the switches. As the national media is reporting, there are diesel heaters (referred to as "fire" because of the visible flames) at switches in the Chicago area. Where you don't have those heaters, the train crew has to get out and manually throw the switch. But I've been on trains where that happened.
DeleteGee. I remember being in Montreal a few years back and seeing what the winter weather there did to steel reinforced concrete structures--like highway overpasses. They had wire screens mounted underneath to catch the pieces of concrete that spalled off the structures, and the rebar was exposed in many places. I should think wood ought to be more practical in such a climate. Now I will go back and check your responses, listener.
ReplyDeleteWe're at a balmy zero right now. Weather channel says it feels like 17 below. I have to go out tomorrow and I'm not looking forward to it.
ReplyDeleteYou must have a good wind kicking up. We're also at 0ºF right now (which is 22.8º colder than last night), and it's blowing 11mph from the west, so it feels like -9ºF.
DeleteListener—
ReplyDeleteThe bricks appear to have rounded (or smooth) edges, rather than sharp edges like new bricks.
DT WAS careful when meeting with his handler—he didn’t have any Americans there except his wife.
I see that white beeswax is made by filtering or bleaching the natural yellow beeswax. Hmmm…. an economical person might melt the white stubs and dip the yellow candles in the white wax. But if folks are particular about white beeswax, they might not accept the white-coated ones.
I hadn’t heard of paschal candles before you mentioned them a year or two back, listener. As is usually the case, Wikipedia was informative.
Well, that's Wilson Hall, Alan. It was built in 1884.
Deletehttps://www.centerbrook.com/project/dartmouth_college_wilson_hall
I doubt anyone would think to melt down the white stubs and use them to dip the yellow candles into. Besides, they would need several dips for sufficient coverage, and then they'd likely be too large in diameter for the church's candleholders. I have the dilemma of how to dip a candle when its wick has already been cut. I could make hold it well enough by the wick stub, but by what do I hang it somewhere while it cools? Hmmm...
DeleteCurrent temperature in Yakutsk is -36F.
ReplyDeleteOur forecast low for tonight is -1F and the forecast high for tomorrow, Thursday, is 15 with abundant sunshine. I shudder to think what it would be without abundant sunshine!
ReplyDeleteActually, some clouds would help raise the temperature, as they hold the heat near the Earth. On clear nights, the heat just rises up and away.
DeleteI'm getting our fruit trees pruned and sprayed barely in time. A super early peach (still a very young tree) is already in bloom, and the plum tree buds are beginning to show a bit of green. We were predicted to get a bit of rain tonight, but I just stepped out to see, and there are stars visible through thin clouds. Today 67/52F. Never heard of, much less heard, frostquakes before.
ReplyDeleteImagine the sound of someone firing a gun over a small body of water.
Delete