186 replies to this topic

[MarkBC]

It's sunny and beautiful this morning -- but chilly.  The low was about 10°F at sunrise.

Of course, "sunny" and "chilly" are related -- lack of cloud cover.

[craig333]

The dogs love to chase squirrels. When I visit my parents they'll get a lot of exercise chasing the squirrels. I am convinced the squirrels also play a game of tease the dogs. Let em get close then scamper up the trees. Well one of em musta said to his compadres, hold my beer, and we know what happens after that. Not sure which dog it was. 

[Smokecreek1]

Woke up to the sound of snow plows this morning.  Had to get out the snow shovel and clear off the sidewalk and drive way and dig out my truck; we got 4-5 inches here on the valley floor. Oh ya, filled up the bird feeders yesterday so the birds and squirrels will be happy today.  Lot's of deer, squirrels and dove in the yard waiting for me to throw out some bird seed on the sidewalk-I know don't feed  the deer, but if I don't put it  out there,  they stand on their rear legs and empty the hanging bird feeders! I have pictures somewhere showing them doing that, will try to post!  I guess it must be winter! Ho-Ho-Ho!!

 

Smoke

[Foy]

The storm which hammered Sou Cal is headed for the Blue Ridge and the Smokies in NC Sat-Mon. Maybe 20" of snow by Monday.  Shirtsleeve weather up there 2 weeks ago.  

 

Foy

[smlobx]

Yep Foy it's suppose to hit us here in the Blue Ridge as well.
I just received the new plow for my skid steer and have moved it to my house in anticipation of the event.
I'll post a couple of pics if we get something worthwhile...

[Foy]

Our eldest son decided to keep his reservations for the Tweetsie Railroad's "Santa Claus Train Ride" in Blowing Rock tonight so he's at the family vacation home at 4,000' awaiting the storm's arrival.  And it's bound to be a zinger:  Jim Cantore was seen in Crossnore, NC yesterday and was at the Christmas Parade in Boone, NC today!  Son says his 5 and 3 year-olds need "some snow experience" so they're up there until at least Monday afternoon.  The last mile and 300' of elevation to our ridge top is private with just 1 year-rounder in the last half-mile, but our plowing contractor's home, shop and equipment yard is at the beginning of the private two-track drive.  His normal MO is to hit us first before heading down the mountain to other accounts.  Son's about to find out how well that works!

 

Good luck up at Smith Mtn.  My associate's parents live on the lake and I suspect they've evacuated to her sister's place in Richmond if not here to the Raleigh area.

 

Foy

[MarkBC]

My new "favorite" satellite views (because they've changed the old one, and I don't like it as much) are these:

 

GOES-17 (aka "West"), full disk, visible band 0.64 µm   GOES-16 (aka "East"), full disk, visible band 0.64 µm

 

       

 

Using the links (not the static images I've uploaded) you can zoom in further, 3 different choices of "Zoom Factor" as well as choices for image size and quality.

Of course, being a visible light band you can't see anything where it's 'night', but I prefer these images over infrared images because it's more like what you'd really see, rather than the cloud temperatures of IR.

[ski3pin]

Ah, the tools for winter! Great use of old parts.

 

 

 

 

 

[pvstoy]

Thanks Ski,  I was first looking at this and you could not see the whole truck,  When they final got to the engine on the back... wow impressive what he put together!

 

Then at the end there was a video that showed how much gap there is on a second stage thrower and how to fix it and allows more throw distance and helps wet snow from clogging up the shoot.  I have two throwers and will be looking at this modification.

[ski3pin]

I did that modification to our previous snowblower - 38" snapper 13 hp - and was impressed with the results. Did the same on Barking Spider's smaller 2 stage. He is happy.