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**Walt34** · 05-14-2009, 08:22 AM

Yesterday was great. Temps in the mid 60's, partly cloudy.

I was off of work and after we dropped off some excess stuff at Goodwill I took the bike out for a "follow-my-nose" ride and ended up in Mercersburg, PA via all the side roads - no interstates. There I saw a sign that said "McConnelsburg, 10 miles" so I went in that direction. It took me over a mountain that had a nice scenic overlook (sorry, no pictures, I forgot the camera) and I think that was the mountain where we got stuck in the snow on the way to Tyrone, PA one year. Or maybe it was the one where Dad ran the car out of gas at the top of the mountain and we coasted to a gas station at the bottom of the mountain - there was one there. Anyway, it sure looked familiar.

On the mountain road there were lots of signs that said "Trucks 20 mph" and on the way up the mountain I passed a couple of trucks going the other way and could smell brake linings burning when they went by.

Stopped at Mickey D's in McConnelsburg for some fries and set the GPS to find a way home (I have a handlebar mount for it) skipping the interstates and on the way home was tempted to go via Greencastle but there was still the lawn to mow which I had promised to do so I went on home and did that. I did cheat a little and went the last ten miles on I-81, the bike cruises nicely at 75 mph. (WV speed limit is 70.)

Just a really nice day.

kumquat · 05-14-2009, 09:42 AM

Snow again today!

Global warming my a$$.

freebird5825 · 05-16-2009, 05:37 PM

We got the leading NE edge of this mess today.
Worst intensity was north of me, TG.

NWS Enhanced Radar Mosaic: Northeast Sector Loop

http://radar.weather.gov/Conus/southeast_loop.php

and a lot more of us at points south and slightly west
http://radar.weather.gov/Conus/index_loop.php

ls99 · 05-18-2009, 08:12 AM

It is the middle of May
And it was 29 F earlier today
Right here in SW PA.

freebird5825 · 05-18-2009, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ls99

It is the middle of May
And it was 29 F earlier today
Right here in SW PA.

I hear ya.
Freeze warnings last week, last night, and tonight. My tomato and sweet pepper plants are safe inside, with all other outside plants gathered together and covered with a painter's clear plastic dropcloth.
Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr

W2R · 05-18-2009, 11:39 AM

After thunderboomers and a light show Saturday night, and torrential rain Saturday night and Sunday, it is cooler, clear and sunny. But Saturday night there was a twister about a mile up the road from me, towards the lake. They still aren't sure if it was a tornado or a water spout or nonexistent, although some witnesses said it was on land, a tornado. Here's a photo: http://www.wwltv.com/perl/common/sli...86&nextimage=9

bbbamI · 06-10-2009, 06:03 PM

Very dangerous storms headed our way. Hang on TX forum members...it could get ugly....

ziggy29 · 06-10-2009, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbbamI

Very dangerous storms headed our way. Hang on TX forum members...it could get ugly....

Maybe up north. Down here it's dry and highs up near 100 with absolutely no break in sight for the next 7-10 days or more...

freebird5825 · 06-10-2009, 07:13 PM

Hope you are all OK.

We had a tornado warning for the state yesterday. A very rare occurrence here, but if conditions are just right...

Most of the mess yesterday passed to the SE of me. No news of reported tornadoes.
The good thing about where I am is it is mostly open country, i.e. you have a city, open land, a town, a town, a city...pretty sparse population density. Most of the state's population lives in the NYC metro area.

Leonidas · 06-11-2009, 12:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bbbamI

Very dangerous storms headed our way. Hang on TX forum members...it could get ugly....

Read an article the other day that said this was going to be a cooler than normal summer for a lot of the U.S., and to expect a greater than usual amount of lightning.

aaronc879 · 06-11-2009, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leonidas

Read anarticle the other day that said this was going to be a cooler than normal summer for a lot of the U.S., and to expect a greater than usual amount of lightning.

We've had the coldest start to June in 64 years so I guess they were right. I wouldn't mind taking 10-20 degrees from those in Texas. I'm still turning the heat on at night in the second week of June.

**Walt34** · 06-11-2009, 06:32 AM

Rain, rain. Yuck. I did get a 60-mile bike ride in yesterday morning but it's going to be raining all day today.

Note to bbbami: BIL sent an E-mail in which he told of being asked by a woman from Texas what the machine was in the back of his pickup, since she had never seen one. It was a snow thrower he was taking to his brother's in PA.

This hits on what has become an old family joke, since I'd said for years that my original "retirement plan" was to put the snow thrower in the pickup and drive south until people started asking what it was.

So my question is this: Is it true that people in Texas have no use for snow throwers?

W2R · 06-11-2009, 06:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walt34

So my question is this: Is it true that people in Texas have no use for snow throwers?

I don't know about Texas (though it is a huge state with all sorts of weather, depending on where you are).

Frank just explained to me last week that snow throwers look sort of like lawnmowers and not like leaf blowers. Who knew?

Never saw one as they are useless here in Louisiana.

REWahoo · 06-11-2009, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Walt34

So my question is this: Is it true that people in Texas have no use for snow throwers?

Yep. The only exception may be in the northernmost regions of the Panhandle in the Amarillo area but the snowiest month of the year (Jan) averages less than 4 inches.

samclem · 06-11-2009, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Want2retire

Frank just explained to me last week that snow throwers look sort of like lawnmowers and not like leaf blowers. Who knew?

Never saw one as they are useless here in Louisiana.

I grew up in Southern California, and never saw it snow. But I knew what snowflakes looked like, since every year in my elementary school at ~~Christmas~~ holiday time we would cut out paper ones and put them up in the windows of the classroom. I was very disappointed to finally see the real ones that were not 6" in diameter.

aaronc879 · 06-11-2009, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Want2retire

Frank just explained to me last week that snow throwers look sort of like lawnmowers and not like leaf blowers. Who knew?

Never saw one as they are useless here in Louisiana.

You'll learn quick what they look like in a year and a half during your first winter in Missouri.

freebird5825 · 06-11-2009, 08:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Want2retire

I don't know about Texas (though it is a huge state with all sorts of weather, depending on where you are).

Frank just explained to me last week that snow throwers look sort of like lawnmowers and not like leaf blowers. Who knew?

Never saw one as they are useless here in Louisiana.

Too lazy to go take a pic of mine.

We own one of these type.
Ariens® >> Snow Products

W2R · 06-11-2009, 08:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aaronc879

You'll learn quick what they look like in a year and a half during your first winter in Missouri.

That's true! The reason that we were talking about them, is that I was telling him I wasn't even planning to buy one since I didn't think I was strong enough to operate one (so I would hire somebody to do it for me). He was saying that in a pinch, in an economic Armageddon scenario, I could probably do it myself. I told him I probably couldn't even LIFT one to waist height (thinking of leaf blowers) and it would just kill my back, and he laughed and told me that you don't have to lift it...

Quote:

Originally Posted by freebird5825

Too lazy to go take a pic of mine.

We own one of these type.
Ariens® >> Snow Products

Ah!!! Thanks. Yes, they do sort of look like lawnmowers. OK.

I just sold my lawnmower this week to the guy who mows my lawns. One less thing to move north, and if necessary I can buy another up there. Hopefully I will never have to mow lawns or throw snow up there if I can find someone reliable to hire that will do these tasks for me.