Good morning!!!!

[Eric Salop]

Have you ever thought that the thrill of cutting down trees could be an inherited trait

You could be on to something Don ...
My grandparents house was opposite a disused quarry and lots of empty ground. Although not far from the centre of Sheffield, it was a really desolate place, with not a single tree in sight for what must have been 100 or more acres, even though the area was called "Park Wood Springs".My dad told me the wood disappeared after the end of the war(WW2), when timber was in incredibly short supply. I never thought to ask who had cut them down !

 

[Eric Salop]

Good morning all. Can't grumble about temperatures here, we are enjoying daytime temperatures of around 10C/50F right through to Christmas day.

No admiring the curvy lines of a "naked" loaderless machine today, the FEL and it's bale spike are needed to lift down a few big bales of hay to keep the sheep happy over the holiday. Normally I would bring back to the house a load of firewood at the same time, but I may "forget" today - using wheelbarrows instead for a few hundred yards will be some good exercise for my son and son-in-law.

Only 3 sleeps to go now...

 

[Looking4new]

15° and the high might be 21°F. Wind NW 25 mph. 60% chance of flurries.

So, the deeply rutted driveway has refrozen. Now the fun begins, NOT! Mine is the worst of the 4 I do on a regular day. I passed by two of them on my way back from NB, yesterday.
My day is cut out for me.....Scrape snow.

Have a good day all

 

[ronjhall]

Poured first cup of coffee. 29° with cloudy skies this morning. Heading to 34° with cloudy skies. Got a dusting of snow overnight. Going to work on foot rail for Kitchen Island. No other plans.

Eric, Only 2 sleeps here. We do Christmas Eve here. Then sit back and relax on Christmas Day. Lots of phone calls to make and receive. One of the features I like on our iPhones. Facetime, Skype and Messenger video.

Good Morning All.

 

[Bird]

44 degrees going for a sunny 62 today. Looks like nice weather the rest of the year, but with a chance of rain Christmas Day and the day before and the day after.

 

[wngsprd]

62 degrees. 1 1/2 inches of rain and a 2.0 earthquake that shook my whole house. Thought a tree fell on the place.

I saw that earthquake on the map. Ever since we had the big one, I check the map every morning. Hope no damage for you.

 

[wngsprd]

Normally I would bring back to the house a load of firewood at the same time, but I may "forget" today - using wheelbarrows instead for a few hundred yards will be some good exercise for my son and son-in-law.

Only 3 sleeps to go now...

That what I've been doing this year...using wheelbarrow...ground too soft to bring the tractor out.

 

[wngsprd]

41 going to 56. Got another rain yesterday afternoon and last night. Looks dry for a few days. It warmed up to 68 yesterday and the humidity, coupled with the previous cold temps made everything metal in the barn and shed soaking wet with condensation.

BEF, glad you got your power back. Bad time of year to lose it. Those power guys are heroes.

Ran a few errands for my wife yesterday after hitting the gym. Bought one item wrong...she wanted plain pound cake to make her trifle, I bought lemon...gives me an excuse to go back to the gym this morning. Then kids start coming in...we'll do our family Christmas today...it's the only time all can be here.

The saga on buying my mom a new smart phone...was going to give a detailed story but decided just a summary is all you (and I) can take.

Ordered it on Monday via a chat session...transferred her phone number to my account and added a line. Easy peasy and fast. The problem was MY mistake...I gave them her land line home phone number to transfer instead of her old flip phone number. I received the iPhone on Wednesday and also realized my mistake. To resolve the problem, I talked with 11 different people, across 2 days, total elapsed time of 5 hours and 50 minutes. I feel guilty using up so much of the phone company resources due to my error. Sorry if everyone's bills go up now because of me . I learned a lot about back office procedures and regulatory hurdles. Every phone company employee was very nice, clear spoken, and obviously focused on getting a good survey score, or good review when the supervisor listens to the recorded call. My mother will never know how much trouble that phone caused.

 

[lostcreekranch]

46° this morning and forecast for 76° and sunny this afternoon. The winds we had last few days finally falling off.

With all the tree trimming and parked tractors, I spent yesterday afternoon restacking all the piles of limbs that got blown around on Wednesday and Thursday. I'll take advantage of the good weather to get more trees trimmed this weekend.



Have an excellent day today!

Prayers to all.

 

[Thomas]

36F low 40's for high.
Lot snow melted many bare spots,stream/brooks flowing full driveway soft,never got high gusty wind...yet.
Hard to believe first day of winter last night had bedroom window open for sleep.... oooh kittens enjoy that.
Plans for today...pick up limbs/branches,TSC block of bird feed,just poke around.
Time to feed critters have E muffin.

Enjoy the day all.

 

[Thomas]

rlgustafson
With all the tree trimming and parked tractors, I spent yesterday afternoon restacking all the piles of limbs that got blown around on Wednesday and Thursday. I'll take advantage of the good weather to get more trees trimmed this weekend.
...........................
That's good t shirt working weather. :cool2:

 

[lostcreekranch]

rlgustafson
With all the tree trimming and parked tractors, I spent yesterday afternoon restacking all the piles of limbs that got blown around on Wednesday and Thursday. I'll take advantage of the good weather to get more trees trimmed this weekend.
...........................
That's good t shirt working weather. :cool2:

Yep, last year the high was 81° on this date, a record.

 

[Looking4new]

The saga on buying my mom a new smart phone...was going to give a detailed story but decided just a summary is all you (and I) can take.

Ordered it on Monday via a chat session...transferred her phone number to my account and added a line. Easy peasy and fast. The problem was MY mistake...I gave them her land line home phone number to transfer instead of her old flip phone number. I received the iPhone on Wednesday and also realized my mistake. To resolve the problem, I talked with 11 different people, across 2 days, total elapsed time of 5 hours and 50 minutes. I feel guilty using up so much of the phone company resources due to my error. Sorry if everyone's bills go up now because of me . I learned a lot about back office procedures and regulatory hurdles. Every phone company employee was very nice, clear spoken, and obviously focused on getting a good survey score, or good review when the supervisor listens to the recorded call. My mother will never know how much trouble that phone caused.

The phone didn't cause any problems, you admitted that it was your mistake.:laughing:

 

[toppop52]

Got to 66 yesterday, 41 now. Breezy and wintery looking skies.
Wrapped gifts yesterday.

Ellen and I have had a great time, but we both still miss our spouses, especially right now. It’s very comforting to have each other though.

God bless.

 

[txdon]

Good morning! 51 ˚ sunny slight south wind heading to 75 ˚? Mom will get a new bedroom TV for Christmas, she does not want a new TV but her old tube TV finally bit the dust. She did not want a new vacuum either but uses her "Rick recommended" new Dyson battery animal 8 vac every few days because it's so light. She gets a lot of satisfaction when she can still do things herself.

Wngsprd, I don't think the problem is entirely your fault. Corrections should be easy to make. So, you are back in the clear and the phone company needs to review their correction procedure. Make sure you tell them that in the survey. I'm sure your not the first one to give the wrong number and will not be the last.

Randy, glad you both can comfort each other. Don't forget to comfort your children, but like they say on the plane - first put the oxygen mask on yourself then your children.

 

[RedNeckGeek]

Good Morning!!!! 49F @ 5:30AM. A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High 53F. NE winds shifting to SSW at 10 to 15 mph.

It's not like you're the first person to make that mistake, WNG, but not surprising it was so difficult for the error to be corrected. There's money to be made when a land line user switches over to cellular, so steps have been taken to make it easy to do. Take away the money incentive, and you spend five hours on the phone trying to get them all to do the rest of their job.

Fixed a couple of electrical issues on the new big dirt bike yesterday, then drained the gasoline from the carbs and tanks on it and the zebra bike and used it to fill up the touring bike. Got a new battery installed in the touring bike and gave it a bath, and put it on the lift for a valve adjustment and oil change today. Should have waited to fill up the fuel tank, though; it has to come off to install an ignition control unit I loaned to a friend that was trying to diagnose a problem on one of his bikes.

Spent some time researching standby generators yesterday, and am now having second thoughts about using propane to power one. At two gallons/hour consumption rate, my tank wouldn't have gotten me through the three and a half week evacuation, during which propane deliveries were suspended. So that means either running the generator just enough to keep food frozen, or switching to Diesel power and installing a good size storage tank. But that brings regulatory and insurance issues that could have big impacts in the event of a spill. Maybe what I really need is a bigger propane tank, and keep make sure it gets topped off at the start of fire season? Or I could take a big step back and install solar panels with a battery bank backup, but then I'd be replacing batteries every ten or so years. And as Don points out, how much longer will I be able to stay out in the sticks before I get too old to keep up the place?:confused2: It's a good time to be thinking about these things with New Years coming and all...

Hope everyone enjoys the weekend, especially if it's a long one!

 

[B7510HSD]

Good Morning!!!! 49F @ 5:30AM. A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High 53F. NE winds shifting to SSW at 10 to 15 mph.

It's not like you're the first person to make that mistake, WNG, but not surprising it was so difficult for the error to be corrected. There's money to be made when a land line user switches over to cellular, so steps have been taken to make it easy to do. Take away the money incentive, and you spend five hours on the phone trying to get them all to do the rest of their job.

Fixed a couple of electrical issues on the new big dirt bike yesterday, then drained the gasoline from the carbs and tanks on it and the zebra bike and used it to fill up the touring bike. Got a new battery installed in the touring bike and gave it a bath, and put it on the lift for a valve adjustment and oil change today. Should have waited to fill up the fuel tank, though; it has to come off to install an ignition control unit I loaned to a friend that was trying to diagnose a problem on one of his bikes.

Spent some time researching standby generators yesterday, and am now having second thoughts about using propane to power one. At two gallons/hour consumption rate, my tank wouldn't have gotten me through the three and a half week evacuation, during which propane deliveries were suspended. So that means either running the generator just enough to keep food frozen, or switching to Diesel power and installing a good size storage tank. But that brings regulatory and insurance issues that could have big impacts in the event of a spill. Maybe what I really need is a bigger propane tank, and keep make sure it gets topped off at the start of fire season? Or I could take a big step back and install solar panels with a battery bank backup, but then I'd be replacing batteries every ten or so years. And as Don points out, how much longer will I be able to stay out in the sticks before I get too old to keep up the place?:confused2: It's a good time to be thinking about these things with New Years coming and all...

Hope everyone enjoys the weekend, especially if it's a long one!

I've read about installing Propane tanks in the ground would this help against Fire in your case???

 

[daugen]

RNG, your situation is pretty unique, so you have to plan accordingly. That means a big tank.
I had to go there because I learned not to depend upon my supplier in emergencies.
Great feeling of satisfaction and security knowing I have 800 gallons in a tank out there.
Costs me 25 bucks a year plus fuel, currently at 2 dollars a gallon. Your prices may vary...
Get a big tank and put a sight fence around it, maybe with a sprinkler system installed
on the back of the fire resistive or non combustible fence...

If fire overruns your place, would a diesel tank be safer than a propane one? Probably.
I have both. Little diesel, big propane. And no fire risk, not when you average 70-80 inches of rain a year.
Tornado yes.
How long do the hottest temps impinge on the tank before all the local burnable material is used up?
If one is close to a really big forest and the whole thing catches on fire, the radiant heat will burn up a lot of local stuff.
If one is not close to a big forest and has landscaped their property to reduce fire fuel load,
then you are like RNG who still has a home to come home to. I'm sure RNG is now determined to do even more than he did before.
Because it clearly works.

Now to go take that ugly tarp off my greenhouse. I slept through the wind last night but the boys at the local grill half a mile from my house
were talking about it this morning. Not much tree junk down this morning, better safe than sorry.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

Good morning to all! Low of 28 °F, going up to 54 °F today. A bit breezy this morning. No precip until Tuesday night, maybe snow, maybe rain, maybe both.

RNG, not sure how big the generator is that you were talking about, but 2 gals/hr seems high. I have a small 5k generator that runs propane only. Last big outage we had lasted for almost 4 days. I was supplying power to a 27cf refrigerator, 21cf, freezer, range, 2 high velocity fans, and multiple LED lights. Also intermittent items such as cell chargers and a coffee maker. At the time, I was using the small 20 lb tanks (approximately 4.5 gal). Over that period, I used 3 1/2 tanks, so, 88 hours \ 15.75 gal = 0.17 gal / hr. Granted, this was not running a whole house or heating /cooling. I was really surprised at how little it used.

BEF, speaking of power, glad they got yours back on in a relatively short time. Sounds like a good crew / service provider.

Randy, nice to hear that you and Ellen have been able to support each other through difficult times. Have a great time together.

All those that had a bunch of weather, take care, no need for any accidents.

Everyone have a great weekend! Prayers and thoughts sent.

 

[sodamo]

64 °F and ,58 inches rain. Beautiful day yesterday and rain didn’t start until pressure washing was done. Hoping for enough sun and breeze this morning to dry enough to start acid staining.
Of course if dry enough I still have my mud hole calling me.

Prayers for all
Be safe
Have a great day