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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 25 of 33. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by paxvox on January 4, 2002, at 12:53:05
Sorry, I know to most of you, snow is not that uncommon, but here in South Carolina, it is rare. Anyway, we had a nice 6" snowfall Wed/Thur. You REALLY can tell when people have "issues" when you see them down here in the snow. I grew up in DC, so snow was no big deal, but boy howdy, do folk act weird in the South when it snows! Makes me feel more normal to see others in panic for a change (just kidding).
PAX
Posted by susan C on January 4, 2002, at 13:05:49
In reply to Snow, posted by paxvox on January 4, 2002, at 12:53:05
> Sorry, I know to most of you, snow is not that uncommon, but here in South Carolina, it is rare. Anyway, we had a nice 6" snowfall Wed/Thur. You REALLY can tell when people have "issues" when you see them down here in the snow. I grew up in DC, so snow was no big deal, but boy howdy, do folk act weird in the South when it snows! Makes me feel more normal to see others in panic for a change (just kidding).
>
> PAXYou would think people in the Northwest, who have lots of big SUV fourwheel drives and go up skiing in the Cascades, would know how to drive in the snow and ice (read s-l-o-w or not-a-tall) But every time it snows in the lowlands (sealevel) the news is packed with pictures of ditches full of vehicles...
Go figure...
mouse sitting by the warm fire with PAX watching out the window
Posted by Mitch on January 4, 2002, at 13:38:58
In reply to Re: Snow, Rain, and Ice, posted by susan C on January 4, 2002, at 13:05:49
> > Sorry, I know to most of you, snow is not that uncommon, but here in South Carolina, it is rare. Anyway, we had a nice 6" snowfall Wed/Thur. You REALLY can tell when people have "issues" when you see them down here in the snow. I grew up in DC, so snow was no big deal, but boy howdy, do folk act weird in the South when it snows! Makes me feel more normal to see others in panic for a change (just kidding).
> >
> > PAX
>
> You would think people in the Northwest, who have lots of big SUV fourwheel drives and go up skiing in the Cascades, would know how to drive in the snow and ice (read s-l-o-w or not-a-tall) But every time it snows in the lowlands (sealevel) the news is packed with pictures of ditches full of vehicles...
>
> Go figure...
>
> mouse sitting by the warm fire with PAX watching out the window
Nobody seems to "get it" everytime the snow starts in the winter. Short memories, distracted?? I notice their driving improves somewhat after the 1st big snow...
Posted by IsoM on January 4, 2002, at 14:21:01
In reply to Re: Snow, Rain, and Ice » susan C, posted by Mitch on January 4, 2002, at 13:38:58
Snow? What's that? I live north of Seattle in Canada not far from Vancouver & we've had one brief snowfall that melted the next day. It feels like spring right now. The other day, the temperature reached 12C (54F). The coldest low this winter has been -4C (25F) & the next day warms right up again. Remarkable, huh?
Mind you, when it does snow, it exerts this strange pyschic force to draw everyone from their houses into their cars. Then, all lemming-like, they attempt to drive up & down the hills we have in town. But powerful magnets, cleverly hidden in the snow-covered ditches, yank their cars into these ditches. Some magnets are even powerful enough to flip the cars onto their roofs. Other psychic forces convince ordinary drivers to think they can drive twice as fast as they normally would, sliding through stop signs & red lights to careene into other cars heading for ditches. It's a great comic epic everytime it does snow here!
More seriously, I'm pretty warm-blooded but I haven't worn a coat or winter jacket once yet & most days I go out in sandals still unless it's pouring rain. But even that's not been bad this year. I've still got flowers blooming, albeit rather pitifully, in my garden & planters. It's helped to make my winter doldrums much better. Blame it on global warming, I guess. I've been watching the news in fascination at all the snow Buffalo got in 5 days, the snow the South got, & other weird weather around the world.
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> > > Sorry, I know to most of you, snow is not that uncommon, but here in South Carolina, it is rare. Anyway, we had a nice 6" snowfall Wed/Thur. You REALLY can tell when people have "issues" when you see them down here in the snow. I grew up in DC, so snow was no big deal, but boy howdy, do folk act weird in the South when it snows! Makes me feel more normal to see others in panic for a change (just kidding).
> > >
> > > PAX
> >
> > You would think people in the Northwest, who have lots of big SUV fourwheel drives and go up skiing in the Cascades, would know how to drive in the snow and ice (read s-l-o-w or not-a-tall) But every time it snows in the lowlands (sealevel) the news is packed with pictures of ditches full of vehicles...
> >
> > Go figure...
> >
> > mouse sitting by the warm fire with PAX watching out the window
>
>
> Nobody seems to "get it" everytime the snow starts in the winter. Short memories, distracted?? I notice their driving improves somewhat after the 1st big snow...
Posted by Mitch on January 5, 2002, at 0:03:11
In reply to Snow, Rain, and more rain, posted by IsoM on January 4, 2002, at 14:21:01
> Mind you, when it does snow, it exerts this strange pyschic force to draw everyone from their houses into their cars. Then, all lemming-like, they attempt to drive up & down the hills we have in town. But powerful magnets, cleverly hidden in the snow-covered ditches, yank their cars into these ditches. Some magnets are even powerful enough to flip the cars onto their roofs. Other psychic forces convince ordinary drivers to think they can drive twice as fast as they normally would, sliding through stop signs & red lights to careene into other cars heading for ditches. It's a great comic epic everytime it does snow here!
>Do you get any "blizzards" along the coast up there? Big blizzards are trippy. I remember the big blizzard of '77 that hit the eastern 2/3 of the U.S. and parts of Canada. It took almost a week before a bulldozer came down our rural road to clear it-good thing we had a wood stove. I dug my car out right away and remember running out of gas on the way back in from town one night in the middle of nowhere (record cold of -25 F). It was a beautiful, moonlit, perfectly quiet nite during the the two mile walk to the house. Good thing there was no wind at all-I might not be here now.
Posted by Krazy Kat on January 5, 2002, at 10:54:17
In reply to Re: Snow, Rain, and Ice, posted by susan C on January 4, 2002, at 13:05:49
We need snow!!! And we just bought a used Yukon - one of the biggest SUV's around. This came about due to the good deal we got on it, but I feel like a hypocritical liberal, as my husband says, driving this huge tank around! ;) And I park it Terribly.
Posted by IsoM on January 5, 2002, at 14:06:34
In reply to Re: Snow, Rain, and more rain, posted by Mitch on January 5, 2002, at 0:03:11
Seeing I live in Canada's small "banana belt" now, the idea of a blizzard is hilarious. I think the last winter we had any real snow & had it last more than a day or two was 1995. We got talking at work about that & we think that's the year.
But I did spend some years on the Canadian prairies - hoo boy! That's a winter! Five months of winter & the other seven months divided among spring (the mud season), summer (very hot & lots of mosquitoes, black flies, & grasshoppers), & fall (the bare trees, brown grass, & never-know what's-next weather).
Highs could sometime reach 40C (104F) in summer & lows -40C (-40F too) in winter. Honestly! I found it so weird. One spring in mid-May with the flowering lilacs beautifully scenting the air, a hot, windy weekend came & all the lilac flowers were burnt brown.
Another time after a nice spring, we had a blizzard on the long weekend in May & still had snowdrifts melting in mid-June. Another year, we had killer frosts in mid-June too & another that year in mid-August, two months apart. I did't get that much from my garden that time. Guess why I moved back to the West Coast?
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> > Mind you, when it does snow, it exerts this strange pyschic force to draw everyone from their houses into their cars. Then, all lemming-like, they attempt to drive up & down the hills we have in town. But powerful magnets, cleverly hidden in the snow-covered ditches, yank their cars into these ditches. Some magnets are even powerful enough to flip the cars onto their roofs. Other psychic forces convince ordinary drivers to think they can drive twice as fast as they normally would, sliding through stop signs & red lights to careene into other cars heading for ditches. It's a great comic epic everytime it does snow here!
> >
>
> Do you get any "blizzards" along the coast up there? Big blizzards are trippy. I remember the big blizzard of '77 that hit the eastern 2/3 of the U.S. and parts of Canada. It took almost a week before a bulldozer came down our rural road to clear it-good thing we had a wood stove. I dug my car out right away and remember running out of gas on the way back in from town one night in the middle of nowhere (record cold of -25 F). It was a beautiful, moonlit, perfectly quiet nite during the the two mile walk to the house. Good thing there was no wind at all-I might not be here now.
Posted by Mitch on January 5, 2002, at 14:31:24
In reply to Canadian weather » Mitch, posted by IsoM on January 5, 2002, at 14:06:34
> Seeing I live in Canada's small "banana belt" now, the idea of a blizzard is hilarious. I think the last winter we had any real snow & had it last more than a day or two was 1995. We got talking at work about that & we think that's the year.
>
> But I did spend some years on the Canadian prairies - hoo boy! That's a winter! Five months of winter & the other seven months divided among spring (the mud season), summer (very hot & lots of mosquitoes, black flies, & grasshoppers), & fall (the bare trees, brown grass, & never-know what's-next weather).
>
> Highs could sometime reach 40C (104F) in summer & lows -40C (-40F too) in winter. Honestly! I found it so weird. One spring in mid-May with the flowering lilacs beautifully scenting the air, a hot, windy weekend came & all the lilac flowers were burnt brown.
>
> Another time after a nice spring, we had a blizzard on the long weekend in May & still had snowdrifts melting in mid-June. Another year, we had killer frosts in mid-June too & another that year in mid-August, two months apart. I did't get that much from my garden that time. Guess why I moved back to the West Coast?
Wow, I am from Kansas and it was a lot like that living there. Also, wind that just never..stops. I remember reading a book when I was in elementary school-"The Endless Steppe"-about the Ukrainian or central Asian steppes/grasslands. I was joking with someone about the heat out there in Kansas this summer when I visited family-"I might as well have been in Kazakhstan!". I haven't been on the Pacific side of the continent yet. I may have to fly to Long Beach in March. Eeek, not looking forward to being in a plane.
Posted by Cam W. on January 5, 2002, at 17:16:12
In reply to Canadian weather » Mitch, posted by IsoM on January 5, 2002, at 14:06:34
;^)
IsoM - I kinda like the weather we get. It can take your mind off of your troubles, at times (ie. thoughts are literally sucked out my those huge "mother lows" - low pressure systems - from the Arctic).
We spend time in San Francisco every few years and I find it remarkable that no matter what time of year you go, no matter what day, the daily temperatures are exactly the same (low 54F; high 74F). The only planning you have to make is if it is going to rain lightly or heavily. I mentioned this to the afterwork crowd in Tappe's Sutter Street Bar (I like the owner Mike; the old crusty curmugeon) and they didn't even realize that they didn't notice the daily temperature (of course, it could have been the daily beer quota that they had).
I think the worst job anyone could have on the prairies is that of weather-person. The best meterologist, with the best equipment is always wrong. On local T.V. we have a sweet young meteorologist, who did not realize that she was still on air, used the "f"-word after a telecast. She was forgiven, probably because of our changeable conditions. Her stock went up in my book anyway (gotta like those nasty girls with the prim and proper exteriors).
Anyway, living on the prairies, you make sure you are prepared for all 12 months. All you need is one box in the trunk of the car. It contains: a tool kit, a map (local & provincial), a first aid kit, jumper cables, fold-up shovel, sandbag, old ski pants, old sweater, Gortex™ mitts, toque, rain slicker, rubber boots, sunblock, and an AMA card (AAA equiv.). See, there you are, ready for any day in June.
One problem with really cold weather (< 30C), one can find many reasons not to scoop dog poop. When warmer weather does come, you have to make sure that you get outside before it is too warm so they don't go soft, but warm enough that the snow on top has melted some, so they are easier to locate.
Why I Like The Prairies - By Cam
>
> But I did spend some years on the Canadian prairies - hoo boy! That's a winter! Five months of winter & the other seven months divided among spring (the mud season), summer (very hot & lots of mosquitoes, black flies, & grasshoppers), & fall (the bare trees, brown grass, & never-know what's-next weather).
>
> Highs could sometime reach 40C (104F) in summer & lows -40C (-40F too) in winter. Honestly! I found it so weird. One spring in mid-May with the flowering lilacs beautifully scenting the air, a hot, windy weekend came & all the lilac flowers were burnt brown.
Posted by susan C on January 5, 2002, at 18:13:41
In reply to Re: Canadian weather - Wimp! » IsoM, posted by Cam W. on January 5, 2002, at 17:16:12
Posted by Mitch on January 5, 2002, at 18:46:29
In reply to Re: Canadian weather - Wimp! » IsoM, posted by Cam W. on January 5, 2002, at 17:16:12
> ;^)
>
> IsoM - I kinda like the weather we get. It can take your mind off of your troubles, at times (ie. thoughts are literally sucked out my those huge "mother lows" - low pressure systems - from the Arctic).
Cam, IsoM,I got a question about Saskatchewan. When I was about seven or eight my Dad told our family that he had the option to transfer and we would have to move to Canada. He told us that it would be in Saskatchewan. I think he said the town was Prince Albert. Is that right? Anyhow, he had a habit of drinking a little too much and telling us kids wild stories. I was just wondering-is there quite a bit of logging activity in that area? He was working for a big lumber company at the time. I just wonder if he was "kidding" us or not.
Mitch
Posted by paula on January 5, 2002, at 20:13:51
In reply to Re: Canadian weather - Wimp! » IsoM, posted by Cam W. on January 5, 2002, at 17:16:12
Every time it snows or sleets in Memphis, folks flock to the stores to stock up on milk and bread. I mean any amount of frozen precipitation at all. And I do mean stock up--the TV news usually has footage of empty shelves and frantic shoppers.
And about the tough job of predicting the weather: Did y'all hear about a Brazilian meteorologist is being SUED by the president(? prime minister?) for incorrectly predicting terrible storms on New Years. Talk about on-the-job pressure! --p (writing from Chicago where only today we finally got a little snow that's sticking....)
>
> I think the worst job anyone could have on the prairies is that of weather-person. The best meterologist, with the best equipment is always wrong. On local T.V. we have a sweet young meteorologist, who did not realize that she was still on air, used the "f"-word after a telecast. She was forgiven, probably because of our changeable conditions. Her stock went up in my book anyway (gotta like those nasty girls with the prim and proper exteriors).
>
Posted by Cam W. on January 5, 2002, at 21:24:27
In reply to Re: Canadian weather - Saskatchewan question, posted by Mitch on January 5, 2002, at 18:46:29
Mitch - Saskatchewan is pure prairie for the most part. There was an old joke that when you moved from another province you had to take pictures of trees to remember what they looked like.
The dust storms of the "Dirty Thiries" was especially bad in Sask. because there were no windbreaks to trap the topsoil. Most farms do have windbreaks (rows of trees) planted around them, now.
I'm not sure; there might be some logging near Prince Albert, in the north part of the province, but it is rather swampy up there. The fishing's great; but you have to fly in on pontoon-equipped planes. Northern Alberta and Northern British Columbia are the main logging areas, I believe, especially near the Rocky Mountains.
From the air Saskatchewan and Alberta look completely different. Saskatchewan is all prairie grass and Alberta is all bush.
BTW, Prince Albert use to be known for its good junior hockey program. Some fairly tough teams came out of that little backwater.
- Cam
Posted by Mitch on January 5, 2002, at 21:53:55
In reply to Re: Canadian weather - Saskatchewan question » Mitch, posted by Cam W. on January 5, 2002, at 21:24:27
> Mitch - Saskatchewan is pure prairie for the most part. There was an old joke that when you moved from another province you had to take pictures of trees to remember what they looked like.
>
> The dust storms of the "Dirty Thiries" was especially bad in Sask. because there were no windbreaks to trap the topsoil. Most farms do have windbreaks (rows of trees) planted around them, now.
I remember driving out to Kansas (last trip), and when I got into the most BFE part of the trip it was rolling grassy hills and there were no trees(my favorite part). I remember one spot where there was one lone dead tree like a dark hand at the top of a hillside. There were locals who had put up "sillhouette sculptures" of Native Americans on horseback and it made my day.
>
> I'm not sure; there might be some logging near Prince Albert, in the north part of the province, but it is rather swampy up there. The fishing's great; but you have to fly in on pontoon-equipped planes. Northern Alberta and Northern British Columbia are the main logging areas, I believe, especially near the Rocky Mountains.
>
> From the air Saskatchewan and Alberta look completely different. Saskatchewan is all prairie grass and Alberta is all bush.>
> BTW, Prince Albert use to be known for its good junior hockey program. Some fairly tough teams came out of that little backwater.
>
> - CamThe first hockey game I ever saw was the Wichita Thunder playing the Tulsa, OK team. They won! I was really excited.
Mitch
Posted by susan C on January 5, 2002, at 22:06:34
In reply to Re: Canadian weather - Saskatchewan question » Cam W., posted by Mitch on January 5, 2002, at 21:53:55
Posted by Mitch on January 5, 2002, at 22:27:45
In reply to Northwesterners are called Tree Huggers (nm) » Mitch, posted by susan C on January 5, 2002, at 22:06:34
So,...Now we need a new TV series called "Northwestern Exposure"???
Are there lemmings up there- mouselike ?
Posted by sid on January 6, 2002, at 15:45:20
In reply to Snow, posted by paxvox on January 4, 2002, at 12:53:05
I'm from the north and I thought people in DC acted weird in the snow - must be REALLY weord in the South then!
"Chances of snow tomorrow in DC" = no more bread or milk in grocery stores. I never thought snow could be so scary before.> Sorry, I know to most of you, snow is not that uncommon, but here in South Carolina, it is rare. Anyway, we had a nice 6" snowfall Wed/Thur. You REALLY can tell when people have "issues" when you see them down here in the snow. I grew up in DC, so snow was no big deal, but boy howdy, do folk act weird in the South when it snows! Makes me feel more normal to see others in panic for a change (just kidding).
>
> PAX
Posted by susan C on January 6, 2002, at 21:40:49
In reply to Re: Northwesterners, Tree Huggers, NWExposure.. » susan C, posted by Mitch on January 5, 2002, at 22:27:45
Posted by Mitch on January 6, 2002, at 23:04:59
In reply to The snipe hunt is held annually at low tide (nm) » Mitch, posted by susan C on January 6, 2002, at 21:40:49
Posted by Cam W. on January 7, 2002, at 0:08:33
In reply to Broiled snipe is best-bumperstickers being issued (nm) » susan C, posted by Mitch on January 6, 2002, at 23:04:59
Posted by IsoM on January 7, 2002, at 1:43:56
In reply to Re: Canadian weather » IsoM, posted by Mitch on January 5, 2002, at 14:31:24
Ah, Mitch - don't listen to Cam. He's been frost-bitten too many times. A good pharmacist he is but he'd make a crappy meteorologist. Besides, he said I was a wimp. (How do I make a little smilie with a lower lip hanging down??)
Sure Kansas' weather sounds like the Can. Prairies, they're both prairie regions, but I think Kansas does get hotter in summer & while lots of tornado warnings are given out in hot, humid weather, the place I lived in was just at the very edge of Tornado Alley & I never experienced one.As for logging in Prince Albert, yes! The first sawmill was opened in 1877 & at one time "logging crews of over 2000 men were employed during the winter in the Prince Albert area to cut & pile logs in one location. As many as 400,000 logs would be piled waiting for the spring thaw."
Your Dad wasn't pulling your leg. The Northern forest has much smaller trees though than you find on the West coast.
**********************************************************************************************
>
> Wow, I am from Kansas and it was a lot like that living there. Also, wind that just never..stops. I remember reading a book when I was in elementary school-"The Endless Steppe"-about the Ukrainian or central Asian steppes/grasslands. I was joking with someone about the heat out there in Kansas this summer when I visited family-"I might as well have been in Kazakhstan!". I haven't been on the Pacific side of the continent yet. I may have to fly to Long Beach in March. Eeek, not looking forward to being in a plane.
Posted by Mitch on January 7, 2002, at 11:32:07
In reply to Re: more Canadian weather » Mitch, posted by IsoM on January 7, 2002, at 1:43:56
> Ah, Mitch - don't listen to Cam. He's been frost-bitten too many times. A good pharmacist he is but he'd make a crappy meteorologist. Besides, he said I was a wimp. (How do I make a little smilie with a lower lip hanging down??)
> Sure Kansas' weather sounds like the Can. Prairies, they're both prairie regions, but I think Kansas does get hotter in summer & while lots of tornado warnings are given out in hot, humid weather, the place I lived in was just at the very edge of Tornado Alley & I never experienced one.
>
> As for logging in Prince Albert, yes! The first sawmill was opened in 1877 & at one time "logging crews of over 2000 men were employed during the winter in the Prince Albert area to cut & pile logs in one location. As many as 400,000 logs would be piled waiting for the spring thaw."
>
> Your Dad wasn't pulling your leg. The Northern forest has much smaller trees though than you find on the West coast.
Thanks for that info! He was a carpenter and mainly worked framing windows and doors. He then got a job with this lumber distributing company (which had steadier work and benefits) and started assembling prefab/prehung windows and doors. They evidently had openings for a lumber mill in Saskatchewan. The company was called Simpson Lumber-no telling what they are now.Oh, about tornadoes. I have just seen two and they were hanging out of clouds not on the ground. However, when I lived in Wichita there were about two tornado warnings every week during the middle of tornado season (March-July). When the big Oklahoma City tornado hit, the suburb of Wichita that I lived in (Haysville) got hit too. It wiped out about half of the town. Our house was near the railroad tracks in the middle of town. It got wiped off the foundation-nothing left. There was three story church dating from around 1920 that got wiped clean a block away-all that was left was a little pile of bricks where the chimney was.
Mitch
Posted by Willow on January 7, 2002, at 12:59:19
In reply to Re: I like my snipe hot off the manifold! (nm), posted by Cam W. on January 7, 2002, at 0:08:33
Cams so hot the whole prairies are warming up into the double digits and we're well into January. Blow some of your heat my way, we hit -20c last night!
Cracking Willow
Posted by IsoM on January 7, 2002, at 14:09:33
In reply to Re: more Canadian weather » IsoM, posted by Mitch on January 7, 2002, at 11:32:07
When I lived on the Prairies, I freaked so badly during tonado weather. I think the electricity in the air affected me easily. You could put me in a dark, windowless room & I could predict when an electric storm was moving in by the way my skin crawled & my 'antsiness'.
Now I only have to worry about the "Big One" (earthquake) coming here. We're a hundred years overdue for one on the magnitude of 8 or 9 on the Richter scale!
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> Oh, about tornadoes. I have just seen two and they were hanging out of clouds not on the ground. However, when I lived in Wichita there were about two tornado warnings every week during the middle of tornado season (March-July). When the big Oklahoma City tornado hit, the suburb of Wichita that I lived in (Haysville) got hit too. It wiped out about half of the town. Our house was near the railroad tracks in the middle of town. It got wiped off the foundation-nothing left. There was three story church dating from around 1920 that got wiped clean a block away-all that was left was a little pile of bricks where the chimney was.
>
> Mitch
Posted by IsoM on January 7, 2002, at 14:11:00
In reply to Re: I like my snipe hot off the manifold!, posted by Willow on January 7, 2002, at 12:59:19
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