Hi from North Dakota

[Nodak]

I was a software engineer for the Dept of Defense working at a satellite tracking station. I retired at the age of 60 in 2007. Just found this forum today, it looks like fun.

 

[CuppaJoe]

Welcome to the forum, Nodak.

Looking forward to seeing your posts and hearing how your retirement is going. "The Weather is Awful" thread is going strong at 2,500 or so posts; you might have some fun over there.

 

[bbbamI]

Ahhh yes, this place can be a hoot and a half....sometimes....

Welcome to the forum.

 

[CuppaJoe]

Heard a tall tale of snow in your 'hood, something about higher than bbbam1's boot tops.

 

[bbbamI]

eh heh...let the fun begin.............

 

[Nodak]

Thanks for the welcome. Retirement is going great; at the moment winter in ND can be brutal so don't get out as much as I would like. I would post a pic of winter in ND but can't seem to get the insert image to work properly.

 

[Alan]

Welcome Nodak.

Excuse my curiosity but your profile says you are from N Carolina but you seem to be retired in N Dakota. Usually when people retire they head towards family and/or warmth.

 

[Nodak]

Thanks for catching that error in state; clicked on wrong one when filling out info. I have corrected it.

 

[Nodak]

I figured out how to post a link to a picture of my home. The snow has been piling up since mid-December. If we're lucky it might be gone by mid-April. I have often wondered why I stay in ND. I guess it's because the Spring Summer and Fall are great, there's no crime to speak of and it is where I have lived all my life.

http://curtspics1.shutterfly.com/54

 

[Alan]

I figured out how to post a link to a picture of my home. The snow has been piling up since mid-December. If we're lucky it might be gone by mid-April. I have often wondered why I stay in ND. I guess it's because the Spring Summer and Fall are great, there's no crime to speak of and it is where I have lived all my life.

http://curtspics1.shutterfly.com/54

That explains it

Nice pics - tons of snow, should keep you fit just keeping your driveway clear.

 

[freebird5825]

I was a software engineer for the Dept of Defense working at a satellite tracking station. I retired at the age of 60 in 2007. Just found this forum today, it looks like fun.

Oh you have no idea how much fun we can have...

Welcome to the forum.
We share the same former employer. I was an 0855 EE. I also quit drawing a paycheck in 2007, April 1st to be exact. There are a fair number of retired feds here.
By all means, I second the suggestion to check out the "this weather is awful" thread. I know you will have lots of ND snow and cold stories to contribute.

 

[haha]

I figured out how to post a link to a picture of my home. The snow has been piling up since mid-December. If we're lucky it might be gone by mid-April. I have often wondered why I stay in ND. I guess it's because the Spring Summer and Fall are great, there's no crime to speak of and it is where I have lived all my life.

http://curtspics1.shutterfly.com/54

Did the street plow pile that on your lawn? Also, is that a grain elevator behind your place?

I looked at your cars- is the old big car a Caddy with your Dad or Grand-Dad?

Looks cold!

Ha

 

[Nodak]

The plow piled up some of the snow. We have had about 30 inches so far this winter; it doesn't melt here until mid-April or there about. Whatever falls after Thanksgiving will be here until spring. Yes, that is a grain elevator behind my house. the car in the photo is a 1948 Cadillac model 75 limousine. I purchased it for $350 when I graduated from high school in 1965. I sold it in 1971 for $1000; really wish I still had it.

As far as being cold ; the high today was 22 degrees F. That is actually quite warm for 13 Feb. A cold night in January can easily be -25. The record low in ND is -60 and the record high is +119.

 

[haha]

Thanks Nodak.

Ha

 

[CCdaCE]

Wow, a fellow ND resident. Maybe it'll be a slow melt this year and not float us north.

Were you ever in the PAR site or Nekoma?

-CC

 

[Nodak]

I worked at the PAR for 33 years. I hope the flooding doesn't get too bad this year; fortunately Cavalier is far enough away from the Red to avoid most of the problems.

 

[Raygun99]

3 1/2 years in Minot. Great people up there. Best part of ND was my wife and I took her to TEXAS. Love the people hate the winters.. welcome to the forum. Need to get up there this summer (all one week of it)) to see the new windmills planted on my B/Laws farm..

 

[Nodak]

Raygun99: I just drove through the wind farm south of Langdon last fall. It's great for the State but they do kind of mess up the horizon. Were you at Minot AFB? I worked for the USAF for 24 years at CAFS.

 

[Raygun99]

Minot AFB 1971-1974 Crypto Maint / Missle sites. My better half from a small farm south of the base. One of the beauties of ND is the pristine landscape. I suspect those wind farms have altered my old view. But it sure keeps the farm above water. B/Law has four on his farm. I will be heading up this July to see the new landscape..

 

[Nodak]

I can't argue with anyone making income off the wind farms. That's one of ND's strong points right now. The state has a surplus, unemployment is at about 4%, and taxes are reasonably low, so I'm not leaving anytime soon. I am going to try to get south for a few weeks next winter.

 

[JPatrick]

Another NoDaker here. Grew up in Bakken country, but the closest I ever got to your place was on a couple of trips from UND to Winnipeg. I forget what is was we were studing on those field trips.
Due to extreme blood thinning from southern exposure, I rarely get back except for reunions and to see how close the drilling is getting to the family holdings.
My personal ND temp records are 44 below and 112 above.

 

[Nodak]

Another NoDaker here. Grew up in Bakken country, but the closest I ever got to your place was on a couple of trips from UND to Winnipeg. I forget what is was we were studing on those field trips.
Due to extreme blood thinning from southern exposure, I rarely get back except for reunions and to see how close the drilling is getting to the family holdings.
My personal ND temp records are 44 below and 112 above.

trips to Winnipeg are always fun. A really great cosmopolitan city. Especially fun are the Fringe Festival and Folklorama. It's great, I can live in a small rural town and have a nice city 90 minutes away.