7 January 2014 The winter was so hard and cold froze ten feet ‘neath the ground

Cassi Creek:  We recorded a low of -3°F last night.  I think that is the lowest temperature I’ve logged here.  It is certainly as low as I care to see.  The wind chill bounced up and down with the wind velocity.  Minus 20°F at one measurement.  That is sufficiently cold to get my attention. 

          The “Mad Bomber” hats we bought a couple years ago and have seldom used have been worn on every outside trip since yesterday (Monday) morning.  I find myself wishing I had bought them in leather rather than in nylon.  By Saturday, the chilly winds should be moving back into northern latitudes and we’ll be watching for thunderstorms. 

          We’re not in danger of developing a perma-frost layer in the near future.  The depth and dimension of this polar vortex event is going to fuel the fires for the climate change deniers.  The inability to separate weather from climate will send them out like missionaries to spew pseudo-science, misinformation, and full-fledged lies across talk radio and internet sites where the climate change deniers congregate in order reinforce their lack of understanding.  Going to be a busy winter for the climatologists and meteorologists.  Going to be a hard winter listening to Mike tell me each morning when we walk, how global warming is not happening.

          After a week’s worth of his misinformation and my preference to avoid trying to refute his Fox News and other right-winger sources, I may wish for the Dire Wolf to join him for a card game or two.

6 January 2014    !0 degrees and getting colder

Cassi Creek:  “Ten degrees and getting colder” refers to Boulder Dam and the difficulties of being a road musician, trying to survive both the professional and physical demands of life on the road. 

          Today, 10°F would seem like a heat wave to millions of us who reside, at least temporarily, under a large dome of Polar air that has temperatures registering in the sub-zero ranges.

          It was snowing lightly when I woke up at 0630.  It had been raining periodically, driven by gusty winds of about 25 mph when I turned off my light.  It has been snowing constantly since then.  Currently,1152, it is mixed fine, dry small flakes and larger flakes that make it easier to see that snow still fills the air. 

          Gloria’s bird feeders are mobbed.  There are no squirrels present this morning.  The turkey flock has just arrived.  I scraped the snow off steps and decks, hoping reduce the amount of snow tracked in during necessary excursion for wood, mail, etc.  I probably removed an inch of powdery snow, but the first snow had apparently produced the common frozen under layer that is hard to remove.  That effort was fruitless.  All that depth has been replaced.  Loki is demanding to be let out to chase the turkeys.  On another day, less dangerous for the wildlife, I’d let her out.  Today, the turkeys need to feed without expending energy in flight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmlL86FKdxk

5 January 2014 Three dog nights insights

Cassi Creel:  Currently (1217) overcast and 47°F.  This will give way to rain followed by freezing precipitation in some form (s).  The polar air moving in our direction will be here by midnight and this small region will join the majority of the CONUS in a meteorological deep freeze. 

          There has been and will continue to be many school closings due to the cold.  It is easy to see that most children lack the clothing for such extreme cold.  If one watches the kids getting onto and off school buses, there will be far too many who are wearing only light shirts, long shorts, and sandals or flip-flops.  They are following some fashion dictate that demands such clothing.  Parents seem to lack either the concern for the well-being of their offspring, or the authority to cause them to dress warmly.  Cost is not the major marker; these inappropriate clothes are fully as expensive as warmer clothing, if one excludes footwear. 

          The old rumors and tales about touching metal surfaces with one’s tongue will doubtlessly be tested by someone who simply has to find out for him/her self whether or not it is true.  There will likely be some who are pressured into become a temporary flagpole ornament by older, larger, and others willing to use the bodies of their classmates for personal and group amusement. 

          If three dogs are required for comfort and warmth tonight, the most comfortable disposition is probably (from one side of the bed) dog-human-dog-human – dog.  Solo sleepers may use any other combination that works for them.  As a matter of esthetics, the dogs’ heads should be at the same orientation as that of the humans. 

          If possible, get local counts on tongue and pole incidents for our future use.

4 January 2014 We’re having a heat wave

Cassi Creek: at 1026, the temperature has increased from 13 °F to 23 °F.  We see forecast temps at 43 °F as the high for the day.  That could melt most of the ice currently on the decks and stairs.  However, the drips from the roof will leave some black ice patches, which will require caution to avoid. 

          The predictions for the coming week are grim and will likely become record lows for much of the CONUS.  We are in the queue for extreme low temperatures and wind chill.  If we log the predicted lows, it will be too cold to do the morning hike with Mike for a couple of days.  We’ve scrubbed most of last week for various reason including snow and wind chill. 

          Hauled more wood from the rack to the rear deck.  The oak is incredibly dense and heavy, hard to ignite.  We’ve found that starting it with some larger softwood pieces helps. 

          The looming storm system is going to be brutal here.  We worry about wind and the trees on our property.  In spite of that concern, we are much better off than the people in the more northern states.  Good luck to all in what is beginning to look like a Fimbul Winter. 

          Of course, this winter will feed the misinformation pool for those who choose not to believe that climate change is occurring on a global scale.  The concept of global heat balancing is somehow beyond them.  

3 January 2014 Scrape, scatter, and roll

Cassi Creek:  The winter storm brushed us rather than dumping inches of snow onto us.  We received only a thin coat of ice and a thin layer of granular snow atop the ice. 

          I scraped off the top layer this morning, and then broadcast de-icer pellets over the steps and the back deck.  The sun is playing tag with clouds so the decks fall under shadows as the clouds move overhead.  The temperature is not going to reach above freezing today.  We’ll see how much melting takes place. 

          The gutter/roofing company owner we hired to complete and repair the last company’s sloppy and larcenous work called to say that he was going to delay our work until warmer and safer conditions moved into the region.  I certainly understand that.  Working on a metal roof with icy patches is not my idea of something I would care to do.  It is a non-emergency repair.  I’m pleased he called.  Not a common practice with too many of the local workers.

          Little else of any import today.  

2 January 2014 Slip Sliding Again

Winter Storm Warning!  Freezing Rain Warning!

          We’re apparently in an area of the nation that is forecast to receive lesser amounts of snowfall than the major cities of the upper Midwest and the northeast.  That doesn’t remove the weather risk here, just thins it out a bit and throws in another component.  Freezing rain has been falling off and on since about 0630.  The accumulation on the decks and stairs is sufficient to require caution to avoid falling.   There is more build up on the front steps than on the back.  I’m at loss for the explanation that provides a valid reason for that phenomenon. 

          We’re having a kitchen cabinet repaired today.  It is pulling away from the wall at the ceiling.  The potential for catastrophic separation demands repair.  Like too many things in this house, we discover installation errors when they become suddenly evident.  These are things that should have shown up during the home inspection we had performed before closing.  

          The freezing rain shifted to rain that has been mostly steady since about 1000.  As the temperature drops it is forecast to change to snow -1-8 inches total.  Winds are expected to increase to 15-25 mph gusting to 40 MPH.  Wind chill will be in the -10 -+ 5 range.  

          We bought Loki a coat to keep her somewhat more dry and warm on days like this.  She seemed to like it, realized it meant going outside.  Time to get the stove cleaned and start warming up the office. 

1 January 2014 Another year another chance

Cassi Creek:  Cold, partly cloudy, and not supposed to rain today.  The forecast for tomorrow is rain>snow.  Not at all surprising this winter. 

          The GOP’s continued thrust will be to destroy the social safety nets in an attempt to roll the workplace conditions back to the Dickensian days.  Homeless people, freezing to death, is not a rumor or an ad campaign.  It happens all too frequently.  What is most upsetting is the GOP/teavangelists’ refusal to consider caring for the homeless, unemployed, poorly fed, poorly educated members of a rapidly increasing populace; while simultaneously demanding that unwanted pregnancies be treated as punishment inflicted upon  American women who are denied ready and reasonable access to birth control education and medications. 

          It is as if they are insistent upon breeding a population of slaves who will be used and discarded. 

          Also undercutting the nation is the our auto-espionage taking place in government and corporate data mining programs.  What information isn’t stolen from us by these entities will most likely be posted of our own volition. 

Happy 2014 to us all.