Notes From the Farm #3:

It's one of those things.

If you've been there, you know.

If not, you can't. *In fact, if not, you can't imagine.....though many
think they can.



I won't miss the rare chance to agree with you ;-)

I spent the first dozen years of my life in 'upper' mid-west so I have
some distant memories of blizzards and tornadoes and such. And as an
adult I was once trapped for 2 days in a tent by blizzard and whiteout
conditions at about 12,000 feet on Mt Shasta in April when the wind
blew hard enough to bend the poles on a high quality Sierra Design
mountain tent. Despite those two, remote in the past experiences, I
simply can NOT imagine what living through the stuff you get in your
winters is like.

On Dec 13, 8:49*am, Larry L wrote:
It's one of those things.

If you've been there, you know.

If not, you can't. *In fact, if not, you can't imagine.....though many
think they can.

I won't miss the rare chance to agree with you ;-)

I spent the first dozen years of my life in 'upper' mid-west so I have
some distant memories of blizzards and tornadoes and such. * And as an
adult I was once trapped for 2 days in a tent by blizzard and whiteout
conditions at about 12,000 feet on Mt Shasta in April when the wind
blew hard enough to bend the poles on a high quality Sierra Design
mountain tent. * Despite those two, remote in the past experiences, I
simply can NOT imagine what living through the stuff you get in your
winters is like.

Whiteouts in daylight when you are driving are the worst. Coming down
from Park City, in a moment all goes quiet, you aren't moving and you
just might have died and are already in heaven, its almost restful.

Then, out of nowhere is the advancing side of a Semi. And a few
seconds later you are in the ditch swale. The swirling snow clears,
the sun is shining. Your only worry now is how to get out, A Snowshoe
rabbit is staring at the VW.and where is the camera?

Dave

On Dec 13, 10:49*am, Larry L wrote:
It's one of those things.

If you've been there, you know.

If not, you can't. *In fact, if not, you can't imagine.....though many
think they can.

I won't miss the rare chance to agree with you ;-)

It isn't the opportunities that are rare.....merely individuals who
capitalize on them.

I spent the first dozen years of my life in 'upper' mid-west so I have
some distant memories of blizzards and tornadoes and such. * And as an
adult I was once trapped for 2 days in a tent by blizzard and whiteout
conditions at about 12,000 feet on Mt Shasta in April when the wind
blew hard enough to bend the poles on a high quality Sierra Design
mountain tent.

Never experienced that sort of thing at high elevation, but otherwise,
similar experiences are not hard to come around here. Anyone who
lives in this part of the world and spends a good deal of time outside
(whether by necessity or choice) has stories to tell. Even so, after
a lifetime of personal and vicarious experiences, I still come across
things that amaze me.....things I SHOULD have known a long time ago.
This happened very recently in reading John Madson's "Where the Sky
Began: Land of the Tall Grass Prairie." In Chapter 7, "The Great
Weathers," he relates to story of the Armistice Day Blizzard of 1940.
I won't go into a lot of detail here (anyone who's interest can look
it up easily enough) but it killed 150 or so people. 1940.....that
ain't exactly pre-industrial settlers out on the lone prairie stuff.
Amazing ****. Extraordinarily thoughtful and well-written book, by
the way. Modson is even handed and a very adept wordsmith.

Despite those two, remote in the past experiences, I
simply can NOT imagine what living through the stuff you get in your
winters is like.

Which brings us quite naturally to averages, medians and means in a
"temperate" climate. Most of most winters isn't like what we've had
here for the past few days ("had".....the blizzard has ended.....as
they usually do after a day or three.....now it's clear and relatively
calm.....and -15 F. as I write). The "average" daytime high
tempreature around here in January (the coldest month by far) is about
22 or 23. The average nightly low is 5 or 6. Needless to say,
temperatures rarely hover around the averages......and it only SEEMS
like it never gets warm enough for long enough to get that average far
from what we're seeing now. But, obviously, it must.

When I was a child I used to hear about "The January Thaw", spoken of,
but never explained. I used to think it was some of inexplicable
supernatural phenomenon. Something that happened every year.....or,
GASP!....sometimes failed, for reasons no one understood. I should
have realized much sooner than I did that it was something that DID
happen every year (well, almost) for perfectly sensible and well
understood reasons. We simply live in a part of the world where
January temperatures often get well above freezing for a few days in
most years. No, duh.

But every year, by mid February or so, it FEELS like the world has
died stone ****in' cold DEAD.....and will reamin that way till the end
of eternity.....and there will never again be a really good reason to
relish an ice-cold beer and shade. And then, one day, all of a
sudden, eternity ends and it's early April.....and there's skunk
cabbage and pussy willows. And everybody looks dazed and
confused.....and squints a lot.

You get used to it.

Well, most of us do. Every year, a poor sad few eat a bullet.

Wolfgang

On Dec 13, 2:35*pm, DaveS wrote:


Whiteouts in daylight when you are driving are the worst. Coming down
from Park City, in a moment all goes quiet, you aren't moving and you
just might have died and are already in heaven, its almost restful.

Then, out of nowhere is the advancing side of a Semi. And a few
seconds later you are in the ditch swale. The swirling snow clears,
the sun is shining. Your only worry now is how to get out, *A Snowshoe
rabbit is staring at the VW.and where is the camera?

Dave

I think I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one. Been
there. Done it. Also did it at 1:30 a.m., on a deserted road in the
Nicolet National Forest, a hundred and forty miles from the asshole of
nowhere, on Christmas Eve.....and the nearest cell tower.....well,
there weren't any in those days.....not there, anyway.....still
aren't. Very very dark out there. That's worse. And if rabbits had
been visible, I'd have stuck my hands up their asses to keep my
fingers from freezing off while pondering what to do next.
Fortunately, I (well, we, actually.....Becky was there too, and her
two dogs) didn't have to ponder long. There was nothing to be done
but wait it out till daylight. Fortunately there was enough gas in
the van to keep the engine running, off and on, for about a third of
the remainder of the night, and dogs generate a good deal of heat.
Started hiking out at daylight. Got VERY lucky. Two CRAZY loggers
were on their way out to do some harvesting and gave us a ride, 20
miles to the nearest town.

Daylight is definitely better. The human brain is wired to reason.
If you can see, you can be seen.....right?

Wolfgang