Monthly Archives: February 2021

02.12.21
by

Well That Was A Big Disappointment!

After all the hoopla, the ice storm is coming! It was a frail attempt at a good ice storm here. I am somewhat disappointed, but at the same time, quite relieved. We did get a small icing, I’ve seen more ice accumulation that went completely unannounced before. However this incident did not go without issue, though admittedly minor.

I am unaware at this time how bad it hit further north. I’m sure someone got hit hard. It is a devastating event when a good ice storm gets ya. Trees down everywhere you look. Trees stripped bare of branches, they were weighed down so mightily the branches all broke and hit the ground. Some places looking like a huge bomb went off. Power lines down all in a row. Roads darn near impassible, unless someone with a chain saw had already been through. Ice draping everything you can see, it is one hell of a time. I feel for whoever suffered that fate. I’ve been through it.

My wife, she full well knew the steps were slick yesterday morning, but heading out the door to get to work she slipped. Went on her backside and hit all three steps on the way down, with a final thump on the ground. Her bottom is bruised and sore, but she is going back to work this morn.

I was walking the labradane yesterday, he likes to pull a bit and is strong as a horse, I went to set my feet and hold him back, my feet went out from under me in a blink, I hit hard. Jammed my middle finger on my left hand, pulled a muscle in my back, and my nose bounced off the gravel in the driveway. Are we having fun yet? 😉

Hey, at least I managed to get a new chainsaw out of the deal. My old saw refused to run properly after I put the new primer bulb in it, had that saw going on 25 years, I guess it’s time. I was not going to be caught with my pants down, having no running chain saw in an ice storm. Last time I had some of my trees down blocking the main road, and a few down on a dead end lane that runs in front of the house, with a couple of neighbors back there. I made sure the trees I was responsible for were clear of the roads. Cleared a few trees out between here and the highway too for good measure. Yeah, a good running chain saw is a necessity in an ice storm… I do not regret getting a new one, not one bit.

Taking the wife to work this morning we encountered an iced bridge, some guy in a pickup truck had done the skid left, skid right, skid left again thing, and ate the guardrail. I took a country road bypass on the way back. That scenario was begging for a bad multi vehicle wreck, I didn’t want to be anywhere near it. Got home safe.

I hope ya’ll are doing alright out there 🙂

‘Supposed to snow in a few days 🙂 (pun alert!) February is not going to let our mild winter slide. Maybe I can wax up the sled! 🙂

02.10.21
by

It’s Been A Mild Winter…

But right now we are under a winter storm warning. They are calling for an ice storm, with perhaps .25″ ice accumulation here, and maybe 3/4″ further north.

We had an ice storm here back in ’93 or ’94. Caught us by surprise. I woke up that morning to continuous but staggered nosies. I’d hear a crack! Then a mild crash. Try to go back to sleep, and it happens again. So I lie there and I realize it is happening a fair bit. I finally got up and looked outside, we were covered in ice. I made coffee, put on my coveralls and went outside with a cup of coffee in my hand to investigate. I could still hear tree limbs weighed to the point of snapping and falling in the woods.

We had an old White Oak in the back yard, it was a leaner, and as I was walking close by, I heard a rustling, then a creaking and a groaning, I looked and watched that big ole tree crash to the ground. I was a bit freaked out with that. I got back in the house and the power went down. We were out of power for 2 weeks and the ice storm was followed by a terrific cold snap.

It was survival mode. It was tough, it was cold, it was difficult, but we got through it.

This one, if it materializes as predicted, could be as bad or worse. This time I have every container we have, holding fresh water on the kitchen counters. We have a well, which needs electricity to run, when the power goes down, we have no water… I also have a lot of 5 gallon buckets, side effect of being a shelldigger, they are great for short term shell storage as you can keep em in water. Now I have many of those buckets in 2 of our 3 bathrooms, all full of water. Because we can flush toilets by golly!

Im about to go to the shop and put a primer bulb in my chain saw, so I can cut some wood. If this goes as I have seen it before, we will be out of power. I have a fireplace to keep warm by if I can get the wood cut. I stopped at the grocery this morning and stocked up on milk, eggs, and bread. My boy is digging out the camp stoves in the shop. We are in all out disaster mode. I’m writing this as my pain meds get to work, so I can better get stuff done.

If you don’t see me for a while, it’s because SHTF. I am hoping the forecast is mistaken for my neck of the woods. Often I prepare for these situations and it does not get as bad as they expected. I hope that trend continues. But prepare for the worst, hope for the best is my motto. I got to get to work 🙂

Y’all stay safe out there.

02.05.21
by

Covid, It May Be As I Feared

https://www.upmc.com/media/news/020321-mccarthy-duprex-deletions

Evolution is a MF’er!

Covid appears to be evolving, to become resistant to antibodies. My guess has been, and still is, this will turn out much like the flu. We will have to make adjustments to vaccines on a yearly basis, and get vaccinations at least once, if not twice a year to have some sort of protection from our new friend.

The key takeaway from the article:

“Although this paper shows how SARS-CoV-2 is likely to escape the existing vaccines and therapeutics, it’s impossible to know at this point exactly when that might happen. Will the COVID-19 vaccines on the market today continue to offer a high level of protection for another six months? A year? Five years? “How far these deletions erode protection is yet to be determined,” McCarthy said. “At some point, we’re going to have to start reformulating vaccines, or at least entertain that idea.”

As is usually the case in things I fear may come to be, I hope I am wrong.

Y’all stay safe out there.