OT digging out

Gosh KJ, I think there are several of us that are ready for spring - enough already! Hasn't this been the strangest winter? Glad you're safe though. When things are cracking and shaking and blowing around, it's mighty scary. When we had our big wind storm in December, my poor dogs just whined and cried something fierce. They were terrified. I finally got up and and got Kaz, and we ALL piled onto my bed, and I covered them with a quilt, and then they were fine. Safety in numbers, I guess. Of course, I had about one square foot to sleep on after those two were "comfy". A human being, a black lab, and an 80 pound doberman do not fit very well on a queen size bed!

So...... um...... what did the firemen look like? :->

Patti in Seattle

Glad to hear that you're OK. Having the CO2 detector go off would scare me to death!!

Glad to hear everything is well in your area. We were heading back from Louisiana (left Friday morning) and when we heard about the weather, we stopped in Hannibal, MO, to stay last night. We drove the rest of the way this morning and ran in to no trouble at all, but we did see several trucks and cars in the median. Our power was off for a while, but I don't know how long - it looks like either 15 minutes or 12 hours and 15 minutes!

This is one of those days when I'm really glad we live in a condo and don't have to worry about doing snow removal -- that's someone else's job! We've had well over a foot this weekend and it is still snowing. That's on top of some sleet and ice stuff that started on Friday evening. At least it's warm enough that the salt and chemicals are helping on the roads and bridges. A lot of churches and other stuff canceled today -- and that's unusual here in Minnesota. A lot of areas have had power outages because of the ice, especially south of here where there was more ice than we got. We had plenty of warning about the storm coming so I did my grocery shopping early Friday morning and have had no need to go out since Friday afternoon. I'm staying put for a while.

Julia > Well, yesterday was a mix of rain, sleet, freezing rain and snow. Our power

Gosh, Kathyl, I don't know if I could be as calm as you sound after a day like that! I sure hope things improve for you soon in the weather department. We have high winds here, but it's not raining or snowing, and the sun is shining -- though it's chilly by our standards.

They were all pretty cute! I had made a pot of coffee since the electricity had just come back on....but none of them wanted any. Or I should say...they didn't offer to take any. They'd had a busy night...one fellow said they had been busy since 2am and this was about 9:45am. Poor guys. It's snowing here now. Like I said...here we go again! I just put a turkey breast in the oven, so I'm having faith that we won't have any more outages. I don't think it will be as wild and wooly as yesterday was. I know the tree trimmers are going to be busy when the weather lets up a bit.

Phew! what a 'work out'. Hope the next 24 hours won't be as bad as that. . In message , KJ writes

Howdy!

We've done a little digging out today. Here's what it looked like in Texas, yesterday (this pic is about 8 miles north of my house):

To the east: We were 75 south of here, where it was much the same view out over the plains behind in-laws' house. Ferocious winds, sand and dirt blowing, visibility was 0 for a couple of hours. Got home to find the front porch swept clean-- sand blasted-- and the recycle bins headed east down the street. Car wash places are doing a brisk business today. Reports say the wind/sands storm was 400 miles long,

70 miles wide and 3 miles high; that's a lot of blowing ick. The brush fires missed us, this time.

Y'all stay safe.

Ragmop/Sandy -- wrapped in a quilt ;-)

We are experiencing very high winds here on the central coast of Calif. Had a wicked cold and rain front blow through mid-morning. Dog is hunkered down in the living room. It is sunny but verrry cold.

Had to almost tether DMIL to me to walk her home from church [it is one block away]

G> Howdy!

Here's digging out, Minnesota-style :) and

Julia > Howdy!

Howdy!

It's winter; down here we expect y'all to have that snow. After the 3rd winter in a row of "20 below zero" blizzards in northern Illinois, my dad packed us up and moved to his old hometown in south Tx. when I was a kid. We *know* y'all will keep (most of) the snow up there. ;-) No contest: your winter sticks around much longer than our Big Wind. But this dust storm came up on us, closed the airports, blew everything around; we watched it rip shingles off of roofs, sand blasting paint, and just choking us. Little runnels of sand piled up along the door sills. Inside one restaurant a thin wedge of sand built up along the un-insulated window. That dark gray sky was eerie, esp. when it turned a yellow, sand following dust. S-i-l & I started singing, "The wind began to switch - the house: to pitch...".

Y'all stay warm and be safe.

R/Sandy-- sorting out the new * free * fabric from the "dig" at the curtain/drapery shop

Yuck. I know what that's like Sandy... I'll take snow. It takes forever to clean up after that kind of storm...the windowsills are a mess and it's a long while before you get the smell out of your memory. I"m sorry. Our winters are becoming a lot less potent than when your dad packed up and left.

Howdy!

These dust/sand storms are rare for us, altho' west Tx. gets plenty.

5 yrs. ago Mom moved back to Ill. After a couple of rather mild winters she began to fuss. Then to complain. This winter she's having a fit over how cold, how much snow... wait a minute: it's Illinois-- you KNEW this, Mom! "Yeah, but after 38 yrs. in south Texas, I forgot!" She could have been a Winter Texan; thank god she's not! ;-D

Y'all cuddle up in the quilts and be warm. Or something.

R/Sandy

Seems to me since your mama has you in such a fine climate she should come keep you company. Maybe after this bad winter she will decide that is what she should do next year. My dad is the last of our parents and he lives in Orange County (God's country) and hates the dry desert air. I am safe ; )

Hope things ease up for all you folks in really cold climates. I can't wait to start griping about the heat instead of the cold. Taria

Sandy Ellis> Howdy!

My parents are in Amarillo....it can really blow there! My mother keeps a dustbuster in almost every room. Just to do the windowsills.

Howdy!

Watch it, T: I have your address!!!

...come to think of it, Mom liked Calif. when she was out there, S.F. area, wishing she could go to "southern Calif."... Mom! I know someone ... ;-D

E'd rather send her a new shovel to dig herself out of that snow

*snort*

Ragm> Seems to me since your mama has you in such a fine climate she

You know I moved, right?

DD is still here and boy was she cranky this morning. They can room together.

Actually there is better weather where Debi and Teri live. Taria, they are threaten> Howdy!