Global Warming ... Part 2

[LoTech]

As the debate over global warming is heating up in Copenhagen, It is snowing at my house. And what a snow... 3 inch diameter snowflakes. I'm not kidding! Some of you guys up north may be used to this, but for Southeast Kentucky in December this is unheard of. They're forecasting 16 inches by nightfall tomorrow.

 

[B.J.]

As the debate over global warming is heating up in Copenhagen, It is snowing at my house. And what a snow... 3 inch diameter snowflakes. I'm not kidding! Some of you guys up north may be used to this, but for Southeast Kentucky in December this is unheard of. They're forecasting 16 inches by nightfall tomorrow.

Sorry to switch the subject slightly, but it does involve snow. We had about a foot of snow last weekend, and after spending much of the day blowing snow from around the house, some snow came down off the metal roof on my garage, so I went out and pushed a bit off by hand. Next day, more came off the roof, and I got the snow-blower out, and started blowing the snow from the deck between my house and garage. I noticed something had flown out of the snowblower, went to look, and it was one of 3 thumb drives I had in my pocket the night before. Looked in my pocket, and all 3 were gone. One of those thumbdrives had a lot of files that I was using for the town here, sort of important, but the important one wasn't the one I found. The area where I was blowing the snow to was now about 3 to 4' deep with snow. I was just hoping that the thumb drive would be near the top, so I started shoveling from this area back onto the neatly cleaned off deck, and going through it with a fine tooth comb (actually a hoe), trying to find the missing thumb drives. No luck. I DID find the cord that the 3 drives were attached to, and the cap from the missing drive, but not the drive itself. I even got out my metal detector trying to locate where the thing was.
I finally gave up after sifting through the snow for the best part of an hour. My wife then came out, and I said that I couldn't find it, that it should be right over here somewhere. She walked over to the railing of the deck, and said "isn't that it over there?" . Sure enough, about 5' from where I was looking, it was right on top of the snow. Never found the 3rd one, but the two I found still worked fine, even after being blasted out of the snowblower.
One of them was one that I used to save satellite TV shows I recorded.

Sorry for changing subject. Re the 16" for tomorrow, luckily that storm is supposed to stay south of us. I've done enough snow blowing. We made our driveway bigger this year, and it takes me longer to blow off all the snow. We've had so much snow the past 2 years that we could walk right up onto our roof, and had to dig snow away to see out the windows. I DO believe in global warming, but it sure is strange that since it's become pretty much accepted as fact, that the winters seem worse. Our town has spent about 50% more than normal on snow removal the past 2 years.

 

[AcWxRadar]

As the debate over global warming is heating up in Copenhagen, It is snowing at my house. And what a snow... 3 inch diameter snowflakes. I'm not kidding! Some of you guys up north may be used to this, but for Southeast Kentucky in December this is unheard of. They're forecasting 16 inches by nightfall tomorrow.

LoTech,

Huge flakes like that are indeed rare (not to mention really neat), and that much snow for your location is also rare.

I honestly do not believe in "global warming" as it is generally and so loosely portrayed in the media. No offense to Al Gore, but he didn't create the internet when he was in high school and he also doesn't have a clue regarding global warming. What a nutball!

Yes, there is such a thing as global and regional climate change, but it is not the result of man. Using aerosol arm-pit deodorants, coal fired power plants and cattle farting in Australia have a very miniscule effect on the global climate. And by the way, what ever happened to that huge hole in the ozone layer? Yes, that was just a natural phenomenon as well.

Politicians should not be allowed to instruct or force geologists, scientists and meteorologists to make up and falsify data in order to spur and drive those politician's monetary goals.

Did it ever occur to these geniuses that the natural evolution of the planet earth; tectonic plate movements, earthquakes, volcanoes, solar and lunar and other natural cycles, have more of an effect on global climate than a can of arm-pit spray?

Sure, sure.... Your automobile is a polluting device, so is a coal (fossil fuel) power plant. But, research the facts first and you will understand that small, continuous emissions like this have no effect on global climate change. The CO2 is naturally reabsorbed and recycled by nature.

Now, take a volcano such as Krakatoa and Mount Tambora in 1815. Here we have a problem, the entire world went into a mini-ice age because of that, which preceded a major drought and global warming thereafter. These eruptions lasted a few days total, off and on over a period of a few weeks until they finally blew their tops. Then sent the entire world into a global, volcanic winter.

Yes, I am totally convinced that "money" and " political power" are the only sources of global warming. The politicians keep blowing hot gas! That is your source of global warming! Outside of nature herself.

The sun, moon and the earth (and some comets and asteroids) have much more to say about our global climate then some jackass politician in Washington who thinks he created the internet and who thinks he was the inspiration for a play that was before his time. He and all others like him are simply out to make a dollar off of the general public, who tend to believe that they (the politicians) have some brains. Ooops!

Well, they talk a good line, and they can Bullsh!t all they want, but I know that they are making this stuff up for an alterior purpose, and that purpose is to make money for themselves.

If anyone thinks that I am mistaken, you are welcome to research it. and come up with your own conclusions. Unfortunately, most people won't and I am really stubborn on this subject as well.

Now, whether I am correct or not, does not matter. None of us can really can know if all this is right or wrong, so everything we are saying is pure speculation anyhow. Our life span is too short to get this right.

All I can say is that it is fun to debate the topic.

RADAR

 

[Mr Tony]

no snow here...actually "warm"...26 today

 

[14karat]

Well said radar.
Those glaciers were melting a LOOONG time before the first gasoline engine ever fired.

And we currently show a 40% chance of snow on Christmas Eve night.
Would really be neat for my kids to finally have a real White Christmas at home and not have to wait for a trip to Michigan...!

 

[turbosat]

bj,
you lucked out there! Be sure you have zippered pockets next time, lol.

 

[madmadworld]

The Great Global Warming Swindle

well said RADAR
everyone should at least see this film
BBC The Great Global Warming Swindle

these Global Warming scientists are just out to keep their jobs. they know nothing else after doing this for so many years.

having taken Physics
removing the core liquids & solids from the planet and turning them into a gas will have affect on the earth wobble is more of a concern.

and future generations will hate us for using up all the oil that took thousands of years to make,in a few hundred years.

 

[LocutusOfBorg]

As the debate over global warming is heating up in Copenhagen, It is snowing at my house. And what a snow... 3 inch diameter snowflakes. I'm not kidding! Some of you guys up north may be used to this, but for Southeast Kentucky in December this is unheard of. They're forecasting 16 inches by nightfall tomorrow.

Don't you know that Global Warming (aka Climate Change) is the cause of all this? It's just another way of getting into our pockets for more money. It's funny how a lot of people believe that the Iraq war is over oil but they can't see that global warming is a hoax in an attempt to "fleece" us of our money. However, I'm not opposed to doing things to improve our standard of living as long as I'm not "hammered" with more taxes or being forced to buy something because some jerk thinks I should. Anyway, just like this so-called healthcare reform, this will be shoved down our throats. Well, enough of this soapbox. BTW, it is cold in Nebraska and there was a lot of snow on the ground just before I got on a plane to Costa Rica - yep, that's where I am right now - I think I'll retire here.

 

[LocutusOfBorg]

no snow here...actually "warm"...26 today

I guess I should be vacationing there instead of Costa Rica.

 

[AcWxRadar]

It's just another way of getting into our pockets for more money.

You can bet on this! It is always going to boil down to the money and somebody is getting it from us somehow! Global warming or an ice age, going to war or getting out of one, Ma Bell is too big, there is too much money in your pension fund, health care reform is needed, no insurance means you are in poor health, you need digital TV, we don't like the way you live or the way you drive your car or the looks of your house or your yard, you don't spend enough money, you spend too much, you don't invest in the things we want you to, you made too much money on your investments, you need to wear a helmet and a seatbelt, you need a sidewalk, you need a street, you need to clean your sidewalk, you can't park on your street, your driving too fast, your driving too slow....

Geeze! They never give up and they get us coming and going all the time. LOL

I'm not this negative, I am usually an optimist, but sometimes it just feels good to complain. And the best thing you can do is smile and light up a nice Cuban contraband cigar and take a nip of some good ol' fashion homemade moonshine!

RADAR

 

[AcWxRadar]

BTW, it is cold in Nebraska and there was a lot of snow on the ground just before I got on a plane to Costa Rica - yep, that's where I am right now - I think I'll retire here.

Johnny,

It is still cold here in Nebraska and the snow is still here - not subzero but Costa Rica is probably nicer right now, enjoy it while you are there!

RADAR

 

[Mr Tony]

I guess I should be vacationing there instead of Costa Rica.

 

[AcWxRadar]

Just watching the Early Today show on NBC/Mux 2 @ 72.0W.

They are predicting some more "wonderful" weather for the midwest and especially for Nebraska in the next few days. Oh goody!

What airline did you take to Costa Rica, Johnny? Can you locate me a nice hotel there? Ha Ha

RADAR

 

[LocutusOfBorg]

Just watching the Early Today show on NBC/Mux 2 @ 72.0W.

They are predicting some more "wonderful" weather for the midwest and especially for Nebraska in the next few days. Oh goody!

What airline did you take to Costa Rica, Johnny? Can you locate me a nice hotel there? Ha Ha

RADAR

Delta. There's a few good hotels here but they're not cheap and it's difficult to get a good hotel unless you book one several months in advance. Other than for the language and climate, I feel like I'm at home here. A lot of American businesses, mostly fast food, are here.

 

[Mikhel]

LoTech,

I honestly do not believe in "global warming" as it is generally and so loosely portrayed in the media. No offense to Al Gore, but he didn't create the internet when he was in high school and he also doesn't have a clue regarding global warming. What a nutball!

Yes, there is such a thing as global and regional climate change, but it is not the result of man. Using aerosol arm-pit deodorants, coal fired power plants and cattle farting in Australia have a very miniscule effect on the global climate. And by the way, what ever happened to that huge hole in the ozone layer? Yes, that was just a natural phenomenon as well.

Did it ever occur to these geniuses that the natural evolution of the planet earth; tectonic plate movements, earthquakes, volcanoes, solar and lunar and other natural cycles, have more of an effect on global climate than a can of arm-pit spray?

Sure, sure.... Your automobile is a polluting device, so is a coal (fossil fuel) power plant. But, research the facts first and you will understand that small, continuous emissions like this have no effect on global climate change. The CO2 is naturally reabsorbed and recycled by nature.

Now, take a volcano such as Krakatoa and Mount Tambora in 1815. Here we have a problem, the entire world went into a mini-ice age because of that, which preceded a major drought and global warming thereafter. These eruptions lasted a few days total, off and on over a period of a few weeks until they finally blew their tops. Then sent the entire world into a global, volcanic winter.

Global warming DOES exist, but it has been magnified by a lot of people that would like to be scientists but in fact... aren't.

You see... man is in big part at fault because their actions have increased the CO2 in the atmosphere, and yep, cows and a lot of farm animals produce huge quantities of this gas, which due to the always increasing population we need more and more of those animals to feed ourselves.

Not only that, but... did you know that most of the CO2 capture is done in the oceans? trees only do a tiny part of the job, but a lot of people think that trees are the solution, when in fact they help the environment in other ways, they serve an anchorage purpose because their roots embed in the floor and help to retain the soil when there's inundations, take a simple example: in California the coastal line is full of houses in some parts, where the owners have decided to replace the indigenous flora with flora that goes accord to their status like roses or that help to increase the beauty of the million dollar house, and by doing that they remove the flora that helped to keep in place the terrain because of their long and deep roots, so when rain strikes, this purely decorative flora doesn't help and those houses finish the winter in the bottom of a cliff.

Global warming is something that has been ongoing for thousands and even millions of years, and it has a sinoidal behavior, but since the industrial revolution and the increase of the human population, the time betweeen cycles of extreme coldness and hotness are being shortened.

When i was studying my career, oceanology (akin to oceanography but with a more broad spectrum of knowledge since we get involved in a lot more of other sciences), there was a great teacher in the best science center in México, it's called CICESE (Center of Scientific Investigation and Superior Studies from Ensenada ), located in Ensenada, in Baja California, and they work in part in conjuction with people from Scripps and UCSD, his name is Sergio Reyes Coca, and has a great book about metereology and the efects of El Niño, and you can see how the data changes and those cicles are getting shorter and shorter. If you are a scientist or have access to a library dedicated to oceanographic studies you might find a copy of that book, altough it might be a bit dificult to find it other than at places were they study that data.

It's true that there's a lot of people who are only in this because it's en-vogue, there are also those who see that can make money so they'll do everything in their hands to achieve that... even if it means lying and not telling the whole truth, even if it's an inconvenient truth.

I worked a bit with data gathered from buoys in the pacific ocean, buoys that have been there for a long time and receive constant renovation and maintenance, and well, at least i saw the data and it was pretty clear to me that there are cycles, in waves sizes there's something called H (height of the wave) followed by a number, H5, H10, H20, each number tells you the average height from the past 5, 10 or 20 years.

Well, in California we need to take H25 when planning coastal constructions, because every 25 years we see extreme conditions in the climate, but since 1977 when there was a BIG storm, there have been at least three more, when we should have had only one in 1992 (we had a big storm in 1992 and 1994 which we can account as only one), before that it was pretty consistent with one big storm every 20-25 years, sometimes it would pass only 18 years, sometimes it'd be 25 years, nowadays we've seen an increase in the occurrences... altough to save money usually only an H5 is sometimes taken into account, in Ensenada we have a clear example of it, when the Federal Institution in charge of designing coast protection structures was located in the capital of México, where most of their inhabitants have never seen the sea, so they decided to take an H5 because they tought there was no difference between a 1.5 meter wave and a 3 meter wave, they gave the money, the construction was made (much to the scientific community dismay, in Ensenada like 60-70% of professionists studied something related to sciences) and in the first storm, waves ranging from 2-3 meters struck and flooded the bay, those waves even broke part of the structure. Nowadays that Institution it's in a coastal city (Mazatlán).

A lot of people hear "global warming" and only think about it being warmer, but the fact is that it also means harsher winters since the earth could be analoged to a convection cell, as you apply more heat, the convection "waves" would go faster and lower temperatures would be required to compensate the 'excess' of heat.

There's no such thing as an ozone layer hole, it can't be, it's scientifically impossible since you can't poke a hole in a gas due to the behavior of gases that hole would be quickly 'filled', what you'll find it's regions with a thiner layer of ozone... but i guess for the guys who want to make a living out of the massive panic over global warming, it's better to say there's a HOLE.

By the way... Al Gore has said he is been contributing with carbon credits, you know, enterprises are allowed only a certain amount of carbon emissions (actually emissions of different types), so if they want to expell more than they're allowed, they must buy carbon certificates, the money used to buy carbon certificates is used to finance the creation of green regions in other countries.

What they do is use that money to go and buy a vast terrain in Costa Rica or other countries, and spend money putting trees there, and paying people to conservate their terrain exactly as it was before man interacted, and with a compromise to not alter it.

But... there's an enterprise, or entity that sells carbon certificates, that is owned by Al Gore in other countries, and since it's a tax paradise, it doesn't qualify to pay taxes in the USA nor in that country, so Al Gore takes HIS money, buys carbon certificates from HIS enterprise (actually if i remember correctly it's a joint venture), and avoids paying taxes because he is contributing, he is making a donation (pretty clever, eh? ), that money then it's used in terrains in Costa Rica and other... a terrain owned by Al Gore, so after all he ends up receiving his same money to take care of his terrains so they can capture CO2 emissions.

That's why he is so interested in the popularization of carbon certificates and a lot more stuff... ;-).

Even when i am a scientist, i take everything with a grain of salt, specially since i know how there's people, scientist, bought or even worse, involved in the terrorist acts of Greenpeace, so they tend to overlook things that'll put a question mark on their beliefs on global warming, and also tend to exagerate, saying the end is near, and blah blah blah... but yes IT DOES exist, but not in the magnitude we are being talked in the news, and let's face it, the people in the news and in the TV in general are not experts, and most of the time are in the brink between dumb and stup¡ds, and they only know what they're told... i mean there's even people who think that America is the USA, and don't know the Continent comprises from Alaska to the chilean Patagonia.

M.

 

[AcWxRadar]

Global warming DOES exist, but it has been magnified by a lot of people that would like to be scientists but in fact... aren't.

Not only that, but... did you know that most of the CO2 capture is done in the oceans?
M.

Mikhel,

Absolutely right! As, all the oil that we are pumping and using was created by microbial life, bacterium or algae in oceans such as the Tethys Ocean.

There was much CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere at the time. CO2 was "life giving" to these organisms where it would be deadly suffocating to other animals and man. These organisms thrived on it and when they lived out their life cycle, they had stored the CO2 and energy from the sun in their decomposing corpes at the bottom of these oceans. With the right combination of pressure, temperature and time, their decomposing masses could become a specific quality grade of oil, gas or oil shale.

Same notion with plant matter on land - as in a swamp - which die and build up over thousands of years and eventually become coal.

We use this stored energy for fuel and re-release the CO2 back to the environment. Therefore man does have an effect, but it is quite exaggerated by some in the media or with their hand out.

What scares me is the thermohaline conveyor in the earth's oceans. If I comprehend this properly, this is a very sensitively balanced system. If the salinity or the temperature of the oceans ever became even a slight bit out of whack, this conveyor would cease to operate and a runaway system would take over which would change the global climate in a very short period.

With melting polar ice caps and glaciers, the salinity of the oceans could be altered as well, a rising ocean temperature would feed this and lead to that runaway system. I hear very little coverage of this in the general media. I have an opinion that it is very important to monitor.

RADAR

 

[Mikhel]

Mikhel,

Absolutely right! As, all the oil that we are pumping and using was created by microbial life, bacterium or algae in oceans such as the Tethys Ocean.

There was much CO2 in the Earth's atmosphere at the time. CO2 was "life giving" to these organisms where it would be deadly suffocating to other animals and man. These organisms thrived on it and when they lived out their life cycle, they had stored the CO2 and energy from the sun in their decomposing corpes at the bottom of these oceans. With the right combination of pressure, temperature and time, their decomposing masses could become a specific quality grade of oil, gas or oil shale.

Same notion with plant matter on land - as in a swamp - which die and build up over thousands of years and eventually become coal.

We use this stored energy for fuel and re-release the CO2 back to the environment. Therefore man does have an effect, but it is quite exaggerated by some in the media or with their hand out.

What scares me is the thermohaline conveyor in the earth's oceans. If I comprehend this properly, this is a very sensitively balanced system. If the salinity or the temperature of the oceans ever became even a slight bit out of whack, this conveyor would cease to operate and a runaway system would take over which would change the global climate in a very short period.

With melting polar ice caps and glaciers, the salinity of the oceans could be altered as well, a rising ocean temperature would feed this and lead to that runaway system. I hear very little coverage of this in the general media. I have an opinion that it is very important to monitor.

RADAR

You are actually touching a pretty serious point that has not been covered by the media, the effect on the oceans, where as you correctly stated it, even with a slight change in either temperature and/or salinity can devastate huge amounts of microscopic organisms that thrive under specific circumstances and outside of those, they can hardly survive.

It's pretty sad when we go to a beach and see it's littered, tons of garbage are removed every week from a lot of places, and in some degree that "helps" the deterioration of the environment.

From what i gather, it's better to start teaching the kids and people in general, but specially kids, about the possible effects of not taking good care of our surroundings, to try to keep the damage we do, at a minimum.

I for one, like i said before, take with a grain of salt what massive media is bombarding everyday, "IF we don't do this and IF we do that... the big bad wolf will eat us", it's a reality we are causing a damage but it's also certain that most people involved in this know only what they are being told, with exagerated data, with not the whole truth.

I've heard a lot about "white lies", but still, it's a lie, i mean, I remember colder winters from 20-25 years ago, there are registers of snow falling in some places where it has not snowed in 50-60 years, but we tend to forget and think everything is new, and if it's a change, then it has to be because something bad is happening. But... maybe there are more skin cancer cases nowadays than 50 years ago, but also there's better detection techniques than 50 years ago, and a lot more cases who could go unnoticed then, now are diagnosed correctly, the same applies to a lot more things, with more technology we have more access to information.

Maybe right now we watch the news or the internet and read "wow in here in Saint Louis is snowing, i don't remember so much snow in one day", and we end up thinking "Oh my god! something bad is happening, 30 years ago this was unheard", but not because it didn't happen, it was unheard because he had less information available.

Sometimes too much info is perjudicial if it's feed to us in a wrong way.

P.S.
Once again... one of my long posts LOL.

Cheers

M.

 

[LoTech]

Friday right after posting my power went out. I spent 4 days without power, and my cable internet just came back. I had been wondering what others were saying about the topic, and it seems to have sparked a lively debate.

My background is in Physics rather than Geology or Climatology, but from what I remember interglacial periods correspond to [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milankovitch_cycles"]Milankovitch cycles - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia@@AMEPARAM@@/wiki/File:MilankovitchCyclesOrbitandCores.png" class="image"><img alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/53/MilankovitchCyclesOrbitandCores.png/200px-MilankovitchCyclesOrbitandCores.png"@@AMEPARAM@@commons/thumb/5/53/MilankovitchCyclesOrbitandCores.png/200px-MilankovitchCyclesOrbitandCores.png[/ame]. It seems that every hundred thousand years or so we have an interglacial high, and we should be at or very near that point right now. If so, then there would be little support for global warming caused by man since the last four interglacials had higher temperatures than our current temperature. Perhaps someone out there knows more about the subject and can enlighten us further.

 

[AcWxRadar]

Thunder Snow

The snow has finally begun here, with thunder. That doesn't happen often. Sounds like this cell will be here for a few days. A white Christmas indeed!

RADAR

 

[AcWxRadar]

Christmas 2009

Well, I just felt like sharing my wonderful Christmas with you all.

I had a very wonderful time, the snow came directly to provide a perfectly white Christmas for me.

Well, we all knew that the weather was going to turn bad, so we had a Christmas dinner and celebration earlier in the week. I was supposed to work Christmas day anyway, so I opted to stay at home on Christmas Eve.

Trying to avoid any troubles with the drive to work, I thought I should go to town ahead of the storm (about 10 miles to the south) and grab groceries just in case.

I made it to the gas station in the village nearby, about 3.8 miles away. I decided that this was far enough. The weather was too bad at that time to pursue the trip any further. It was light out when I left, but it grew very dark quickly.

So, I opted not to go all the way into town. I had to stop at the local pub, as the gas station lost their liquor license for selling to a minor during a sting operation and I needed to stock up on beer as well. The only place to get some was the pub.

Oh yes, they had cold beer there and could sell it, so I bought a 12-pack to go. Some friends were there, so I left my car running to keep the windows clear and ordered a shot. Pretty fun people, so I stayed a little longer and ordered another shot. That was enough, so I had to say Merry Christmas and head home.

I had no idea that the weather was going to get so bad later or that it would continue on for days. I had a 3.8 mile drive to home. I made it 1/2 that far and I was heading up the gravel road to my house. I could not keep traction on the road at all. I was down to 5-10 mph at tops and just couldn't keep going. I knew I had to go back up a very steep hill, and on a curve to boot, with a 30 foot or better ravine waiting to greet me if I slipped up.

I couldn't muster the guts to try it, as I have before and it wasn't good. This time it was worse as there was an inch or so of ice covering everything by now. I slowed down and contemplated what to to or where to go, I finally decided to take a chance and go as far as I could. I made it 30 or 40 yards and got sucked off onto the shoulder of the road. No traction whatsover! Ah crap!

The north wind was howling, it was almost whiteout conditions by then and just barely after dark. I had a shovel, but no sand and no cat litter. I wasn't stuck in any snow, not really, but my tires were just spinning due to the ice. I knew it was futile, so I called a neighbor to tell him that I was going to walk home and needed to stop at his house to warm up along the way.

It wasn't too bad, I was down in the valley and the wind was ferocious, but a little broken by some trees up ahead. I took what groceries I had bought from the convenience store and a 12-pack of beer and my hot coffee mug and headed up the road.

Not too bad traveling, until I past the first curve. Oh boy! I wasn't quite expecting this. The east west part of the road was totally unprotected from the wind and it came howling down on me from the north and blowing ice-snow (not snow flakes, but ice crystals) hard against me with 25-35 mph force. Now is when I realized that I wished I had a better hat or a stocking cap at least.

This was a short jaunt and I made it to the neighboors to warm up. Then I started out again. The rest of the trip should be fine, I would be sheltered by the trees and bluff. Basically, walking uphill on the road that had been cut out of a wide ravine, so to speak. Well protected from the wind, but just the right terrain for the snow to drop and lay heavy.

I slugged through this snow, uphill for about 1/2 mile. After then, the road leveled out and was a little more flat and easier to walk on with all the ice. I only slipped once on that first trek, but caught myself and continued on.

I finally made it to my nearest neighbors home and asked for a ride the rest of the way. He couldn't make it through the snow on the road with his four-wheel drive jeep, so I planned to walk the rest of the way. He gave my a warmer pair of gloves, but I didn't think about a hat for some reason.

It isn't a long trek from his house to mine, maybe 1/4 mile at most. Oh! I didn't think it was going to be this rough. I had traverseved this entire route before, without stopping to get warm on several occasions. I thought this last little leg would be a breeze. Yes, it was a breeze alright, right out of the NW!

The wind was stiffer than I expected up here in the open and the road was so glazed with ice that it blew my feet right out from underneath me at least three times. Once, I landed on my groceries and (did I mention it is totally dark here now) crushed my packages. My beer and my frozen pizzas and what not were sliding and blowing down the road in the wind. I had to chase them all down and bag them all up as best I could. I had only 1/8 of a mile left to get to my driveway.

I fell again and again as I couldn't keep my footing on the slick ice in this wind, but I got up and kept going. There were drifts coming across the road every five yards that were 2-3 feet deep already (they weren't there when I left). I trudged through them only to find five yards of slickery ice in between.

I finally made it to my mailbox on the road in front. Now, I only need to make it up my driveway to my house. This happens to be another 1/8 mile or slightly less. Fortunately, there were no snow drifts, just the ice. I walked backwards against the wind, carefully as to not slip and fall again and finally made it to the shelter (somewhat) of the trees around the house.

Now, I run into the fun. Because of the trees and the hous, the driveway and front yard is covered with a drift of snow up above my knees. I have to traverse 300 feet to the door of the house through this white crud.

I made it!

I unlock the door, drag myself inside and stock my freezer and refrigerator with the groceries that I managed to salvage from the trek. I had to throw two beers out as the cans burst when I fell. No problem.

I took off my coat and called my neighbors to let them know I made it home alright. Then, I sat down on the couch and gathered my senses.

That's when it hit me. My ears were frostbitten! Oh my lord did they hurt. I didn't dare touch them, I just left them alone, but man did they hurt.

I slept on the couch, shivering and watching TV. I woke the next morning to silence. It was dead quiet, at first. Seemed unusual, so I got up to take a look outside. The wind was whipping all around, but I could not really hear it. I turned to look at the time and the clock was off. The TV was off, the furnace was off, everything was off. The power was out.

I tried calling the power company, but the lines were eternally busy, for 6-8 hours! I could now hear the tree out back, with all the ice on its branches, rubbing over the roof.

There wasn't much I could do, so I ate some cold food and drank some beer, and then I sat there, looking at a blank TV screen with no where to go, no way to get there and no one to tell it to! LOL

The temperature kept dropping in the house, hour after hour. And I was still cold from my trek up the road. I assumed that the water heater held some hot water, but my instincts told me that a hot or even a warm water bath would not be a good idea at this time. Npt a good thing to do if you have frostbite. So, I just pulled some blankets over me and went back to sleep on the couch, listening to the wind howl and the trees grate the roof.

It was almost dark when the power came back on. Boy was I thankful for that!
I went to have a beer and the first few I pulled out of the fridge were busted! After falling on them, I must have punctured them. Some were almost empty. I salvaged about five or so. Bummer!

Well, morning came and it was still snowing hard and blowing very strong. There was no way I was getting to work. I wasn't about to walk again, and it wouldn't do me any good anyway, the highway was closed and my car was stuck and I was screwed.

I spent the day watching TV and trying to shake out the chills. My ears hurt so bad! I went in to the bathroom and looked in the mirror, they were dark purple in color and hurt like heck! I could not sleep normally, as the pillow would rub my ears and cause great pain.

I soon ran out of beer and cigars and had no way of replenishing the stock!

That was ok, I had heat and food and power now. and I was a lot better off than I could imagine others being, like those out on the wagon trail way back then. Of course, that didn't make me any happier.

So, I sat there and wondered how I might get out. My neighbor called me and informed me not to try to get down the hill as he got his tractor stuck and I would not make it with my car. So, I waited.

Saturday evening, the weather cleared up fairly well, so I called a tow to take my car into the gas station at the nearest town, so that if the snow plow came by, I wouldn't be locked in. By that time, they had at least cleared the highway down below.

After that, I waited until Sunday morning and around 9:20 am, I donned my warmest gear and set off to walk to town. 3 and 7/8 miles. It was near 11:10 when I got to my car.

Relief at last, hot coffee! A cigar, and I have to get ready to go to work afterwards. Happy ending? Oh no! It isn't over yet! Remember that the shop in the village can't sell beer? So I am not going to run out of beer and cigars or food and stuff again, so I stop at a store in the next town over, but, they don't sell beer on Sundays, until noon. No problem, I will return to the store after doing some shopping. I get back there right at noon, they check their clocks and... Awh crap, their clocks on the registers are off by 25 minutes and they cannot sell beer until the clock on the register says 12:00, so this time I don't bother to wait for their clock.

I head out of town to another store and... They don't stock my brand! I give UP! Well, not really, I eventually get a stock of beer and cigars and food, just in case and I head to work, work 12 hours, and head back for home.

I didn't know what to expect exactly, but I knew my road well and I knew that it wasn't passable when I left and it probably isn't now, so I took a back road. My gosh it was really clear and free of snow better than I expected. All the way up until about 1/2 mile from my house, and there it was.... a 12 foot drift (no kidding) all the way across the road. Well, I can take another alternate route home, so I get turned around and head in the opposite direction and I get 2-3 miles way out of my way before I find another clear road back over to my main road and it looks good, so I take it.

Unfortunately, this road gets worse and worse and worse as I go, It ends in a four wheeler track at another 10-16 foot snowdrift across the entire road and the nearest drive or side road is behind me about 200 yards. I was getting upset at this time. It was 5:20 in the morning and I was not very happy!

Somehow I managed to get my car backed up through all the snow and turned around and headed back to my normal road.

I took the road that I probably should have taken in the first place and driving up a 7 degree grade in deep snow, with my accelerator floored, I made it up the hill and the road opened up and was all clear again! Whew!

Then I rounded the corner and there it was! Another 1/8 mile long set of drifts, just like rapids on the Colorado! Ah crud! I just said screw it, backed up a few yards and floored it and didn't look back! The snow was flying up over my hood and over the windshield and I had no idea where I was going and I didn't care! I just kept it as straight as I could and with the pedal to the floor, I made it all the way to the beginning of my driveway. WHEW!

My drive is a little shy of 1/8 of a mile and most, but not all of it, has been cleared by the wind. So I make it half way to the house, and I think that this is good enough for me! I put my snow boots on and trudge back to the house and...

I popped the top on a beer, turned on the computer and went directly to...

SatelliteGuys!

RADAR