Blizzarding.

Oh dear, what a saga! Glad you are on the mend now. I cannot imagine living with blizzards, but doubll so when it is 100F outside before lunchtime lol. You send me some snow (to melt, as we need the water) and I will send you some sun - OK?

Wow, so sorry you have been having troubles, KK! Sending good healthy thoughts and a virtual cushion. If I send you some Tucson sunshine, would you send me some BC moisture?

I'll put some sun with Cheryl's lot and gratefully accept the snow.

Hope you are on the mend.

So sorry to hear about your health problems--sending healing thoughts your way!! Would love to have the chance to just stay home and sew or rootle etc and not be able to get out but don't want the snow LOL. Stay warm and get well soon!!

Alright, why is the west hogging all the snow? We are in serious need of a snow storm. I cannot believe the weather. We have been going from spring time conditions to winter conditions in a drop of a hat. I'm starting to think it's global warming and not El nino.

You could sure have my share. I hate snow in Seattle. No one knows how to drive in it, plus it's hilly here, so that makes it worse. Even the snowplows were falling in the ditch this morning!!

update on the blizzard:

Two people lost their lives here in our bad weather. They were not prepared for the severe weather, the extreme cold and thought they could "make it" by walking. They got stuck in thier vehicle about and were ill equipped for the weather. It was down to -44C (-47F) wind chill, blowing snow and visibility down to near zero. They decided instead of waiting for emergency crews to come dig them out, that they would walk back to their home. Apparently they were about 2000 yards from home and they were found only 200 yards from their front door.

It amazes me that in this day and age and living where we live up north that these people didnt use a bit more brain function in the situation. ALWAYS be prepared for winter! A blanket, some water, mittens and toques and a cell phone and I even have a candle and a can of beans and a few other things like flashlight and stuff. When you live where we do, its just a habit to carry extra clothing and warm stuff in your vehicle!

Also we had a small twin engine prop plane crash land with 10 people on board. No one was hurt, the plane was severly damaged but no injuries.

If you want our snow you are MORE than welcome to come have it!!!!!!!!

It is still very cold here. This morning taking the kids to school it was -41C (-42F) and it warmed all the way up to around -32C (-26F) today! Saw sun dogs today...... hoping for nice weather to happen to us again soon.

~KK in BC~ thankful to have been in the house during that massive storm.

I can sympathize with you -- but just a bit because that's all the experience I have dealing with these temperatures. I was born and raised in LaLa Land (Los Angeles), moved to Lizard Land (aka Phoenix) when I was 18 and lived there for thirty-five years. We have now lived in Magnoliaville (aka No Georgia) for seven years. About 14 years ago, we went to northern Minnesota to spend Christmas with my VDMIL -- the first and only time. The day we arrived, the HIGH in Minneapolis (which is considerably warmer than up north where the family lives) was -8 F (that's as warm as it ever got the whole week we were there)! It was so cold that the smaller local flight airplanes -- one of which we were scheduled on -- were grounded and then all flights canceled. We "flew" AirGreyhound from The Twin Cities up to Duluth. I had been so excited to go to MN for Christmas as this would be my first ever "white" Christmas. Well, it was so cold that it never snowed! The average daytime HIGH was in the - mid 20s F -- that's a minimum of 20 BELOW zero F! Fortunately, I had packed layers and layers of clothes and DH (having been born & raised up there) knew enough to go out and start up the car to warm everything up before we set foot outside. One day the HIGH was MINUS 54 F but then that was with the wind chill -- but there wasn't much wind to speak of -- LOLOL! My VDMIL had all of her emergency stuff handy and stored in a closet in the center of the house. She was afraid that if she stored it near any of the outer walls, the stuff might freeze up solid before she could get any of it operating (she was elderly and lived alone) if she should lose power &/or heat. The day we left to come home, it had warmed up to about -10F by the time we left for the 90 minute drive into Duluth. It started snowing just a bit as we neared the airport for our flight from Duluth to MSP to Lizard Land. We got a call from DH's DSis 2 days later telling us that once it started snowing, it never stopped and they got 48" of snow in 48 hours!! The little town where she lived -- Finland, MN on Hwy. 1 -- was featured on all the national news channels talking about the heavy snowfall. There was no blizzard -- not much wind at all to speak of, just snow, lots & LOTS of snow that never stopped falling! Even for up that way, 48" of non-stop snow *without* a blizzard was unusual. I told her it was my bad snow karma -- Mother Nature just waited for me to leave so that she could start the regularly scheduled Christmas snowfall! So -- while I only experienced those extremely low temperatures for a few days in my whole life, I well remember what it was like. Now, to have to endure them with no electricity, etc. -- I'm eternally grateful that I didn't have to find out what that was like! CiaoMeow >^;;^<

DH just walked in and I told him about what KK posted about the unfortunate people who lost their lives in the blizzard and his first response was "They must have gotten lost. Had they just moved up there?" He went on to tell me that, as a child growing up in the northern reaches of "snow country", they had no indoor plumbing -- and this was in the early 1950's! Anyway, they had a "clothes line" strung from the back door of the house out to the outhouse so that, if a sudden snow storm should come up while you were using the facility, you would be able to find your way back to the house! This is the same house with the second story "door to nowhere". Honest -- the door went nowhere -- there was no stairway out that second story door. It was the door the family used to get into and out of the house during the winter because the snow was usually so deep you couldn't even *find* the roof, let alone the front of the house! I don't think I would have made it if he had wanted to move back home after we were married!!! CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

I'm with you TerriLee - I'm mighty tired of the wind, the rain, the snow, the ice and the cold temps. I've still only been able to get ONE estimate for the damage I incurred during the LAST storm. Enough already! It took me over 2.5 hours to get home during the commute last night, and I only had to go from downtown to West Seattle (apprx 10 miles). I was never so happy to "slide" home in my life!! I didn't even THINK about going to work today - I took a vacation day and stayed put! I have an Aunt that lives in Ohio, and she said her daffodils are starting to come up! What's wrong with this picture???

KK - I had no idea things were that cold for our friends in the North.... WOW! I think we should all chant for an early spring!

Patti in Seattle

From: snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.net (TerriLee=A0in=A0WA=A0(state) wrote: You could sure have my share. I hate snow in Seattle. No one knows how to drive in it, plus it's hilly here, so that makes it worse. Even the snowplows were falling in the ditch this morning!!

: DH just walked in and I told him about what KK posted about the : unfortunate people who lost their lives in the blizzard and his first : response was "They must have gotten lost. Had they just moved up : there?" He went on to tell me that, as a child growing up in the : northern reaches of "snow country", they had no indoor plumbing -- and : this was in the early 1950's! Anyway, they had a "clothes line" strung : from the back door of the house out to the outhouse so that, if a sudden : snow storm should come up while you were using the facility, you would : be able to find your way back to the house! This is the same house : with the second story "door to nowhere". Honest -- the door went : nowhere -- there was no stairway out that second story door. It was the : door the family used to get into and out of the house during the winter : because the snow was usually so deep you couldn't even *find* the roof, : let alone the front of the house! I don't think I would have made it : if he had wanted to move back home after we were married!!! CiaoMeow >^;;^<

Not all that unusual when I was a kid to have that much snow here too LOL and the out house story brought back memories too. Untill I was about 7 we had no indoor plumbing to speak of. (and this was in the early '70s!!) We had a tap that was hooked to a sump pump out in the dug out a ways from the house so we had cold water in the house in warmer weather. Our "indoor" toilet was a box built around a 5 gallon bucket with a toilet seat lid on top of it. Usually as long as the weather was good as it could be up here in the north, we used the outhouse! We also had one of those doors that opened out one HUGE step LOL so I know what he speaks of.

Growing up rather poor on a farm was tough, but the memories I have now I cherish and the experience of it all made you tough and accepting. My kids cringe at the thought LOL. I suppose this is where my crafting instinct came from and my sewing experiences. My mom sewed and crafted and made do with whatever we had on hand and we loved every bit of what we had. I still am a make do type of person to this day.

~KK in BC~

As a native of the part of Minnesota you referred to--I can only say, Thank God for Arizona!

Used to camp and fish near Finland. I notice you didn't mention how very small the town is, LOL!

LOLOL -- Well, you must remember that I met DH in Lizard Land (aka Phoenix) and he felt exactly as you do about Arizona :-). After 28 years of unceasing sunshine and ever increasing heat, we were both ready to get out of the Valley! Finland is *huge* compared to Isabella which is where DH lived and where the house was and still is! Since you used to frequent the area, you might be familiar with Isabella -- Ma (that's what I called my DMIL) owned and operated the tavern up there, right smack on Hwy. 1. Besides the small homes that are located back, off the road, there are only two buildings in Isabella -- the Tavern and a small restaurant (I think) located right next door but which was closed last time we were up there. I absolutely LOVE to go visit as it's beautiful up there. None of the family live in either little town (and neither is really big enough for that designation) but there is still family in Silver Bay and in Ely. I doubt we will ever go back in the winter (unless for a funeral or some such) but we do go back every now and again for a visit. CiaoMeow >^;;^<

PAX, Tia Mary >^;;^< (RCTQ Queen of Kitties) Angels can't show their wings on earth but nothing was ever said about their whiskers! Visit my Photo albums at

Most directions for emergency kits also say to include a few chocolate bars. I wonder how often people declare a personal emergency and eat the chocolate even in good weather.

Susan

Howdy!

Pat & I would consider it a personal emergency to learn that the emergency chocolate supply was going unattended & uneaten. We'd take care of that right away!

Meanwhile, we're waiting for the ice storm to blow in here late tomorrow. There's plenty of fabric, thread, thimbles, needles and candles at hand, and a growing supply of chocolate. Nothing more I can do for now except wait (just wish it wasn't ice!).

Ragmop/Sandy --'midst flash flood warnings ... pass the M&Ms, please!

On Fri, 12 Jan 2007 08:20:40 -0600, Susan Laity Price wrote (in article ):

LOL!!! I fear if I had chocolate bars in the car, I would!

Maureen

coming home from school there was such a snow storm that I was afraid I would not be able to find the house, so I headed into the wind (which was always from the NW) and found the fence to the pasture. Followed the fence home!

liz young in sunny and cold (ok, 30) california