OT What a Winter!

[Panomaniac]

And I moved back from Maui for this? Phooey!

[gortnipper]

Man - I miss the snow! I grew up in Minnesota, and used to "winter" in Montana before moving to Seattle and now in Auckland. Nothing like a -44 cold snap to wake you up!

Down here it has been a long, hot and very dry summer. We have had a couple years of very dry almost drought conditions which has led to serious feed shortages - bad for a country that depends on dairy and lamb as key exports. Hay has gone from $2-3/bale a few years ago to averaging about $6-10/bale now. At one point last year, I saw it for sale at $20/bale!

Almost all of the population outside of the core urban areas depend on roof collected rainwater for their household water. Since the island is volcanic, and there are not that many folks (10x more sheep than people!) wells are expensive and hard to dig. We have two 5000 gallon tanks that collect from our roof and garage roof, and another 500 gallon tank on the shed to collect for the four horses. Right now in the dog days of summer, we probably have about three or four days water left in the big tanks and the small one is empty - siphoning off the big ones.

We need a good thunderstorm to dump for a few hours - or overnight. Or else we will have to get a tanker out to drop us their 14,000L. But, not having worked since August - I would rather eat that money than pour it down the drain.

El Climate-chango.

[bfish]

I'm really surprised how many here actually like the cold and snow. I grew up on a farm, and there was nothing, and I do mean nothing good about it. Things haven't changed since for me, and everytime I hear some cutesy news anchor comment they sure would like to see some white stuff, I think, "yeah, you never had to lay under your truck and change a transmission* in that crap didja!".

*Or feed the cattle twice a day
or chop the ice on the pond so they could drink,
or walk to town for essentials 'cause you couldn't drive there,
or...

OK, so I moved a few hundred miles south, no longer farm, and seldom have the problems of the old days... I still say... Bah Humbug!

[tomt]

I'm really surprised how many here actually like the cold and snow.

i like a little 'cold and snow'.

just don't want to get stuck, in that sort of thing.



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reporting from 'Pumpkins California'

(has webcam)

Current Weather - Calabasas, CA


theres nothing like this here -




out behind the library -

[LICORNE]

Next time you want to complain about shoveling snow have a look at this picture from Greenland.

[theophile]

Reading this stuff(year after year) makes me glad I live in a sub-tropical climate.

The daytime winter maximums average around 77 degree F,with the minimums generally around 41F.Sometimes the minimum will drop to 37F.Once every 4 or 5 years we'll get one night dropping to freezing point.

The last time it snowed here would have been the last Ice Age.

Sure it can get quite warm in Summer averaging around 90F with hottest days of 104F and sweat your arse off humidity.We have however had quite mild Summers for the last 4 years or so.

I have never seen snow in the 52 years I have been alive.After reading of the inconveniences of the climatic regions depicted in threads like this,you can keep your snow.

[bfish]

Are you sure? I'll gladly box some up to send you (next winter that is, I swear it's over this year for me [knock wood]).

Excellent post mate! I can dig it.

[Mike Gibson]

Reading this stuff(year after year) makes me glad I live in a sub-tropical climate.

The daytime winter maximums average around 77 degree F,with the minimums generally around 41F.Sometimes the minimum will drop to 37F.Once every 4 or 5 years we'll get one night dropping to freezing point.

The last time it snowed here would have been the last Ice Age.

Sure it can get quite warm in Summer averaging around 90F with hottest days of 104F and sweat your arse off humidity.We have however had quite mild Summers for the last 4 years or so.

I have never seen snow in the 52 years I have been alive.After reading of the inconveniences of the climatic regions depicted in threads like this,you can keep your snow.

Steve, maybe we could take up a collection and send you some of our famous El Nino effect. Which seems to cause the extra snow in places.