Portland and Seattle don't usually get a lot of inclement weather, so it really ties things up when it happens.

Does anyone have any particular ideas or advice for dealing with really bad weather, ice, snow, etc? It was so cold here last year that some people with well-insulated homes had their pipes freeze. Cars left outside didn't want to cooperate and when it got really bad traffic accidents were so numerous that overwhelmed police had to prioritize and go to the really bad ones first.

Any tips or advice that anyone could put up would be much appreciated.

Of course my 1st thought was if you live in one of those areas, stock up on firewood, books, wine and chocolates and just hunker down till it is over!

Of course living in Florida we don't have to deal with those problems. We will get some cooler weather, but it only last a day or two..and so far that is all we have had. I love the cold here, so I'm hoping we aren't done with it here....today it will be 72, but by Sat it will be up to 80 again! Just not ready for it yet.

Erika

I always recommend a little common sense.

If it's colder than 30 degrees outside crack the faucet the furthest away from where the water enters your dwelling just enough to let it drip steadily.

If it's icy don't step on it, drive on it or lick it.

If it's snowing and you don't gotta go anywhere, stay at home and enjoy it there.

So far we have had an incredibly mild winter with very little snow. We are usually buried at our higher elevation, but this year we still have deer coming to the feeders, which is very unusual. Most years, all of them head for lower ground and better weather and we don't see them until they reappear in the spring, with many of the does trailing fawns.

It's hard getting around here most winters, especially with our long, very steep driveway, but I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. The scent of pine trees much of the year, the absolute quiet of the mountains, and the stunning views and sunsets mean home to us.

We moved where we are no because of the greenery, but they have just announced they are pulling down all the trees and the fields to build more social housing!

I am so angry. We moved from where we were because of this. We used to live in such a beautiful environment and they are wrecking it. There are homes everywhere empty that need tidying up and instead they ruin more countryside and wildlife.

It is very upsetting watching where you walked as a child to spot the local wildlife be ripped to shreds. We are destroying this world. My daughter even notices. She asked what will happen without all the trees.

Makes me angry.

I have thought about it in the past but i am noticing more and more something needs to be done. My daughter has vowed when she grows up she will do something about it and save all the wildlife. And save all the trees too. She has always found trees beautiful.

Anyway that is my rant lol.

Stay Safe Everyone traveling where there is Snow etc...

Lee

Lee

Well she called yesterday and one of my 'helpers' went to pick them up, took them home to sort out and to put our lables on them for easy filing on the shelves. The 3 of us decided to meet up there and start at 'A' and go through to 'Z', pulling out some of the older ones to fit these in.

My newest helper, Gail (wonderful gal who lost her hubby about 8 months ago) looks up at all of the Catherine books (about 15) and says, surely we can pull some of those out? Betty (my other long time helper) and I turn to her and say 'SHUT YOUR MOUTH, A STANDARD RULE IS YOU NEVER PULL OUT A C.A. BOOK UNLESS IT IS A DUPLICATE!' (and even those I keep at home to give to friends). Then I told her there would be another one joining the row next week. She just rolled her eyes.

Catherine, soon you will have a shelf all to yourself.

Ture I have many readers who never buy books (mostly because they are living on a fixed income) and depend on my library for books.

Many times when I am in there, someone will come in to return a book and ask if I have more of that author, if I don't I'll look to see what they are returning, and suggest other authors like that. Some people seem to pick a few authors that they like and are afraid to try new ones...I'll pull out a few and say 'take these and try them, if you don't like it, just bring it back next time you are here (and our library is in our club house and everyone has to come there to get their mail)and try some others. There are times someone will stop me while I'm out walking and say 'I just love the book to told me to read!' Makes me feel good.

Of course anyone reading romance will first get a CA book in their hand and 2nd is SEP.

So know that when someone gets hooked on an author and can't find more, then they go out and buy them, then they get recyled to me!

The best part is we got rain yesterday and over night! We have been about 45 days without a drop, so it was needed.

By Thurs/Fri of this coming week, it will be back up to the low 80's! And people wonder why everyone is sick???

I met some people from Canada the other day while walking..me in my winter coat and gloves and she is in short-shorts and tank top! Guess 42 was warm for her?

Now Carnival has started. I went to a riding lesson today dressed up as a cow. I own a piebald pullover that has a pocket like an udder and a hat with horns and ears went over my safety cap. The others were a football player, two pirates, pink flower lady with wings and some dancers. The pink flower lady realised a bit late that pink synthetik fur might seat you a bit unstable in the saddle.
Do you have carnival or is halloween sufficient for you to shoo away the ghosts of the dark part of the year???
Ours will go on until the start of lent next wednesday. We'll have parades on monday with everyone in costumes and sweets thrown by the passengers on the parade cars. I really hope the rain has ceased by then.

I really hope it works to put links in here...
It's the site from a carnival society, they have explanations in english how the "fifth season" is celebrated in my part of Germany. They celebrate a bit different farther south.
The essence is to have parades through the streets, dress up in silly costumes (my fiancee went as Emily Howard from the BBC comedy Little Britain, I went as a gentlemen to the parade. To the session he wore a french frie costume and I was a cat), catch lots of sweets thrown by the parade people and party afterwards. Some go to sessions where speeches are hold, they are in verses, about politicians and stars what they did wrong, but comical. it's kind of difficult to describe. They are able to talk about people like you'd never be able to face to face.
Typical is some kind of formation dancers, music, ...
And it's great fun!
The session we went to was a small one from the local shooting club. Their speeches weren't so much about politicians but our neighbours and whatever funny happened around the village.
For example, it was about holiday camp where some guy confused his toothpaste with his suntan lotion in the dark and only found out after he already put the brush into his mouth.
The cousin of my fiancee was mentioned as well, he went to see a football match without a description how to get there and missed the first goal because he was 40 minutes late. He missed the second while getting himself a beer, the third because after drinking he needed to go somewhere...

Well... maybe you better just look up Karnevalsumzug or Karnevalssitzung on Youtube to get a picture of the parades and stuff. I don't know if any of the bigger ones are on there, but watch out for Koeln or Duesseldorf

The roots of Karneval are somewhere in the mist of time when the old germans decided that all the spirits that crept closer during winter had to be shooed away. Right now it's more like a last minute party before lent
And I still don't know what I'm doing this year. Usually it's no alcohol and no fast food for me during lent, as it's too hard for me to stop eating meat.

1. For your car: go to a car store or walmart and buy a couple bottles of "Heet" (no joke). Put it in before you fill up your gas tank. It helps to keep your fuel-lines clean and prevent them from freezing in super cold weather. I usually do this if I know a cold snap is coming.

2. I have a small car and keep a large jug of cheap kitty litter in the trunk. If I get stuck in snow/mud I pour the litter around my front tires (front wheel drive) to create traction. The litter clumps from the moisture. Also the extra weight in my trunk helps in snowy weather. Containers of sand would probably work as well.

3. I keep a back-pack with extra polar fleece jackets, socks, flashlight, partially filled water bottles (if they freeze the water needs room to expand), granola bars, matches and a small candle. I also always have at least two blankets.

4. I keep a shovel in my car trunk as well. (they make them with extendable handles - walmart)

5. I've bought a black and decker rechargable battery jumper. Way better than jumper cables, and you can also plug a cell phone charger into it in case of emergency. Great to have year-round.

6. Keep a small first aid kit in your winter back-pack car stash (they are cheap and often come with glow sticks and those foil-looking mylar blankets that keep body warmth in - I actually kept one of these from a marathon i ran so that i have an extra. Plus they fold up really small.)

7. My number one tip as far as driving goes. If you go into a skid on snow try not to panic and slam on your breaks. Steer into the slide, use your breaks gently to prevent further loss of control. Best thing to do is lay off your gas/accelerator, steer carefully, and ride it out if you have room on the road to do so.