Sudokuaholics Anonymous 11

The most important trip
you may take in life
is meeting people halfway.
~Henry Boyle~

Looks like I've lost a few days of reading/commenting. I apologize for my absence.

Heidi, I hope you had a wonderful birthday, regardless of any crazy weather. I need to read and find out what transpired. But, no matter what, I hope you were able to celebrate your birthday in some way!

DOrA, I liked the dream and the glass of water! You had me for a moment on the 8Km run. I couldn't remember you ever talking about running. Good one!

Heidi, I thought our weather was bad - until I read what was predicted for you. Luckily, the freezing rain here didn't amount to much, but we made up for it with snow one day. Then another day we only got a couple of inches of fairly dry snow, but the snow blower just seemed to spread it around. If we get enough snow, we have someone who can plow the driveway and clear the sidewalk, but they don't come for an inch or 2 of snow, though I wish we could arrange for someone on those days when we don't get 'enough' snow for their services.

Hubby has fallen a few times because of the slipperiness. I'm not much help, as I now walk with a cane, which slips even worse than my shoes in the snow or slush. (I don't have boots.) Seems like I should look into a cane like yours, Heidi, if it provides stability in ice, slush, or snow. Temperatures much of this week and next are in the single digits, and 'feels like' temperatures are below zero. We even had a car battery go dead. (It will need to wait for some better weather.) The latest snow has started & is predicted to last from late night until about 3 p.m. tomorrow. Then more snow is predicted on next Thursday, and temperatures won't get above freezing until the following Sunday.

Great TOPP, DOrA!

I'm falling asleep, so will say Good Night to Everyone!

Got a dusting of snow on top of all the impassible ice last night. This may look pretty outside, but it's a nightmare to deal with. Even the dogs are slipping and falling!

Mike was able to make it in here today, broke the ice off his tractor, and fed hay to everybody. I told him to park it in the barn to keep it dryer, since we're due to get a half foot of snow tomorrow. He told me he tried to get to the other end of the county earlier today, to look at a horse (a patient) but gave up since the roads were impassible there.

Julie, if you use the cane for balance, only, you might try 'treking poles', available at a lot of outdoor stores. (Think adjustable ski poles.) They are available with ice spike tips or rubber, for dry weather. They are adjustable for height, as well. Most will support some weight, but probably not as much as a cane...

Mine is like a spiked treking pole, but it has a Cheviot horn at the end instead of a longer treking pole. It's a one-of-a-kind cane that I found on eBay years ago. It even has some Cheviot fur decorations on it. A ski pile would work for safety as well.

Thank you for the suggestion of trekking poles, DOrA. We actually have some we got for hubby a year or so ago. I'll check to see if they have an ice spike for the tips. I tend to use the cane for support, but may be able to get used to relying on the trekking poles more for balance.

Heidi, thank you for your suggestion, as well. A cheviot horn might make me think of using it for support, as a cane, rather than a pole for balance. (In my too-quick reading at first, it seemed as if you were saying it had a 'Chevrolet horn.' I'm apparently more tired than I thought. I began to form a mental image of a pole with a horn on it to warn people nearby of an unstable walker, sort of like a bicycle bell.)

I probably should look into 'chains' or 'ice trekkers' (https://www.thewarmingstore.com/icetrekkers-chains.html?mainc=060-chain-M&utm_source=bing&utm_mediu m=cpc&utm_campaign=PLA&scid=scbplp060-chain-M&sc_intid=060-chain-M&msclkid=c594c1b161f319906c5aa1990 9b6a6a3) or 'yaktrax' (https://www.gmesupply.com/yaktrax-chains?item_id=IM-08521) for slip-resistance.

I just ordered a set of ice trekers. They're due to be delivered on the 17th, and the ice isn't supposed to start melting until the 21st. I hope I NEVER need to use them. I wish I had thought to get some before the storm hit.

Heidi, I also hope you never need to use the ice trekker poles, but I'm glad you'll have them available, just in case!

Thinking of Everyone and sending healing energy, , positive thoughts, prayers, and {{{{{HUGS}}}}}! Good Night, Everyone! Sleep well!

What I ordered were the gizmos you strap on to your boots, with many little spikes on the bottoms.

I used to look forward to snow. This year, not so much. While it's pretty, and I don't mind being out in the cold, if properly dressed, the loss of electric power, this year, was no fun. The event only lasted for about 18 hours, but....

I have to leave my water run a trickle to keep the hose from freezing. No power, the pump doesn't run. The pump doesn't run, the water stops trickling. The water stops trickling, the hose freezes. The hose freezes, no water, even when the power comes back. Today, I need to try to thaw the hose. I have water, I just have to carry it from another hydrant. Sort of inconvenient, when one is used to ''running water''.........

My little genset isn't big enough to supply all needs at one time, and is way to small to run the well pump. It worked well to keep the batteries charged to run the propane furnace, but I couldn't run the electric 'space heater' at the same time.

Oh and I forgot to mention that when I woke up, cold, and started planning my course of action, I remembered that I didn’t have any fuel for the genset. I needed to go to town. It is 5 miles to town and I wasn’t sure that they would have power. Being that the snow was a foot deep and the last thing I needed was to get stuck, somewhere, along the way, I put tire chains on my ute. For the first time in quite a number of years. Though it’s 4 wheel drive, I felt more confident with them on…

On the return trip, nearing my place, I saw a tree down across the road. It had also taken down a powerline. I don’t think it was the one that originally caused my outage, though. I called it in to emergency services and continued home.

The little genset, hadn’t been run for, at least two years. Maybe longer. I checked the oil, put the gas in (I always drain the gas because it doesn’t do well in long term storage.) and would you believe, it started on the second pull. Gotta love those Hondas’. I had to refuel it twice during the day. A small price to pay to stay warm and have my coffee. Of course, I couldn’t run the computer and stay warm at the same time. The computer lost. I read a good book……………

As I was preparing to go to bed, I went to the barn to get gas to refuel the genset, one last time. Guess what? The power was back. It was out from at least 0430, when I woke up, until sometime between dark and 2200, when I found it was back on. I called the power company, dispatcher, and thanked him for the restorative work his crews had done. I wouldn’t have wanted their jobs, yesterday.

Except for the lack of running water, life is back to normal, and good…

Thinking things over, If I lived someplace where the only source of heat was electric, the day could have been brutal...

You have ny deepest sympathy, DOrA. This is a nasty winter.

I finally got into my truck after a serious struggle.... started it, and maneuvered it on the ice so it's facing down the driveway. Tomorrow I'm going to try to scrape the ice off the windshield so I can get into town for more epilepsy meds for Timmy (altho Mike will bring them to the house if I ask him) and more thyroid meds for me. That was the one thing I forgot to stock up on before the storm hit. I also need to get more feed for Buddy, my 30 year old horse with no teeth, and scratch grains and layer crumbles for poultry. They've increased feed intake in the cold weather.

Heidi, I think I have it pretty easy, compared to you. I don't have all the animals to take care of. Just me and the hound. If we needed to bail out, for a while, we could.

True. I can't bail out if it gets bad. All the animals have to be fed and watered. I switched to city water, altho' I hate the taste, so that if we have a power failure, we still have water. I remember one ice storm with no power where I had to lower a bucket on a rope into an old abandoned well to bring up water for the cattle. It was back breaking work. Of course my lousy ex wouldn't lift a finger to help water tha cattle. Or chop wood to keep the fire in the fireplace going. Or stoke the fire.

I just got all of the ice off the truck's windshield and side windows, since I just promised Robert I'd try to get him to the eye doctor tomorrow. So, of course, we're under another winter storm warning for the next 2 days.... starting in 3 hours. Mostly snow, but some ice. I figured that I'd get a head start so there'd be less stuff to clean off the windows tomorrow.

Hi, Everyone! I'm running late & falling asleep, so must say Good Night!{{{HUGS}}} to ALL!

I made it to the feed store for poultry, horse, alpaca and dog food, then to the Vet Clinic for Timmy's pills. The roads are awful, and deteriorating rapidly. It's sleeting out right now (more ice!), then heavy snowfall is supposed to start in an hour. They're calling for 2 inches (5 centimeters) of snow per hour on top of the ice. I didn't have to take Robert to the eye doctor, since they closed because of the bad weather. I did stop at Robert's apartment and dropped off 6 dozen eggs. (I'm now getting 3 dozen eggs every 2 days.) Robert gets a lot of help from his neighbors in the cooking department, since he can't see well enough to set the stove or oven, so the eggs are for him to share with all of the neighbors who help him.

What's coming down now is a mix of sleet, ice chunks and snow. Several inches have come down since I last posted. There is no way that any sane person should attempt the roads now. I'm so glad I got out and stocked up when I could.
Robert called to tell me how delighted his neighbors were with the eggs.

I got some of the feed unloaded.... just what I needed today. I'd rather leave the rest in the back of the truck as long as I can for extra weight. It's really hard work unloading feed in this weather. I'm shot.

My youngest cow just gave birth to a healthy heifer calf. The calf is up and nursing, and doing well. At least the cow had the sense to have it inside the shelter.

Watched the world news during the night and they had a segment on the horrific weather in Texas and surrounds. Commented this is the worst ever recorded - hope you all are able to stay safe and warm with the power outtages.
So kind of you Heidi to help Robert with his neighbours.
Julie, can you get boots with hooks/nails in the soles? We are at an age where a fall really hurts.
DorA - must have been so frustrating without power for the day - you are right, seldom do the workers receive thanks for a job done under such awful conditions.
We are hoping to be out of lockdown again tomorrow night but I do not think it will happen. Our state premier could not run a chook raffle!! Could not believe the fact the toilet rolls went off the supermarket shelves so quickly again!
We received 3 hours notice to vacate the van at the beach - 2nd son went there and secured the outside shades and packed the annexe so tight it will be too hard for the local idiots to get to the caravan door to break in to see what they can steal.
Been trying to catch a cockatoo with the awful beak and feather disease - it is slowly getting used to coming close to me for food.

Nearly 24 hours with no post from Heidi. I do hope all is well with her and that she still has power.
DorA, glad you got your power back, I hope it has stayed that way.
I can't believe what I am seeing weather-wise from Texas. Must be a surprise for the locals to get weather like that. MizT posted on FB that it's snowing in Birmingham.
If we got snow here, panic would set in, no-one is prepared, our homes are open plan with lots of glass. Thinking of myself, I'd be glad that we do have a fireplace and firewood. We are heading into a period of heavy rain for the rest of February. La Nina is back. We need the rain but no flooding.

Yes, I still have power. I've just been too tired to post. I've been very busy with breaking ice on water tanks, refilling water tanks, draining hoses to keep them from freezing with water in them, and feeding everybody. It's snowing fairly heavily and it's about 10˚F / -12˚C and falling quickly. It's going to be a week before we geta break from this. At least the newborn heifers are doing well (one's mine, one's Mike's).

SO tired. And tomorrow I need to unload some more of the feed in the back of my truck. I need to unload a bag of generic sweet feed and a bag of layer crumbles for the chickens. With all of the ice on the driveway, I can't drive my truck back to the barns, so I'll have to unload the 50 ln bags into a wagon and pull it through the deep snow to where I need it. It's hard going.

I'm getting worried about Timmy, my 10 year old rescue collie with epilepsy. Today he was acting kind of out of it. He's acting like a very old dog. Long term epilepsy meds shorten their life expectancy. He's been in the meds for 9 years now. I may have Mike look at him tomorrow when he stops by. Timmy is terrified of riding in a vehicle (he was thrown from a speeding car as a puppy, causing the epilepsy and all sorts of other phobias) so he can't be taken into the clinic.

Heidi - I hope you can get some respite from this weather - lugging those bags will be a burden on your back. Hope Timmy is o.k. and not uncomfortable. What a terrible experience for him as a puppy - some people are so disgusting - triple karma to them. Friend has a border collie with epilepsy and since his first seizure, constantly barks - difficult to live with.
Hope DorA and Julie are o.k. and not without power in this dreadful spate of cold weather.

I got my 'running water' restored, yesterday. Once again, life is just about as good as it gets...

Heidi, just reading about all the 'chores' you have, makes me tired. I'm sorry to hear about Timmy.

'Back in the day' most cars had manual transmissions. When it snowed and we needed to go out, we just put on the tire chains and went about our business. Today with all shiftless drivers relying on 'snow tires', anti-lock brakes, all wheel drive, etc. instead of situational awareness and skill there are more collisions. That doesn't even factor in cell phone distraction. Just my 'two cents worth'.

Hi, Everyone! We're doing well. So far the furnace has been able to keep the house warm. Piles of snow just keep getting higher, and the sidewalk is getting narrower because of all of the snow. I'm running on empty and need to get to bed. Sending lots of , healing energy, positive thoughts, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, and prayers!

My crampons arrived today!!! Those are the spiked gizmos you put on over the soles of your boots for traction on ice. This'll be so nice to be able to walk around outside with out riskng falling.

Timmy is acting better today. I'm so relieved. I will be keeping a close eye on him, though. His metabolism seems to have gone screwy, though. He just blew his winter coat, which is unusual for a male this time of year. Maybe I'll have Mike check his thyroid levels.

Phew, glad to see everyone checked in and is okay. Stay that way!

And it's snowing again. It's supposed to continue for at least the next 24 hours. At least I don't have to go anywhere on the icy roads.

Hi, Everyone!

Heidi, I'm glad the crampons to put on your boots or shoes have arrived. You certainly are getting more than your share of ice, sleet, and snow!

Midge, it might be a good idea for me to get some crampons/ice trekkers, although I don't have the need to do nearly as much walking on icy surfaces as Heidi does. Because some of the slippery areas where I need to walk are in parking lots, I wouldn't be able to get anything with sharp spikes, as they could easily damage the car floor and floors of any stores where I need to shop.

Heidi, I'm glad the newborn heifers are doing well. I also hope Timmy is doing better! It sounds like he had a very difficult start, so it's no wonder he doesn't enjoy riding in the car!

DOrA, you have also had your share of difficulties dealing with power outages, lack of running water, etc. I'm glad you and the hound are doing well and enjoying each other's company! How kind of you to call & express your gratitude to
cockatoo with the awful beak and feather disease

We are getting more snow again. I don't know how much is predicted this time. It looks like temperatures aren't likely to get up to freezing or above until next Thursday. I don't know how long it will stay warmer, but I'm guessing things will be extremely messy for a while as we wait for the snow to melt. In just the snow from Monday to Tuesday, many areas around us got about 18 inches (around 45-46 centimeters) of snow. The wind caused quite a bit of drifting, so I'm not sure exactly how much snow we got.

Midge, it sounds like your #2 son has had some experience at packing up the van quickly. I certainly hope it remains safe! I have a question about the cockatoo with the awful beak and feather disease. Are you hoping to catch it? Is the disease curable?

DARN! I fell asleep and bumped a key that closed SA! I just lost the second portion of my comments. I apologize! There had been something for everyone! I'm too exhausted to try to rewrite it!

I'll just finish with the usual: thinking of Everyone and sending healing energy, prayers, positive thoughts, {{{{{HUGS}}}}}, and ! Stay safe, Everyone!

Julie.... Amazon sells crampons that are safe to wear when driving. They have rounded knobs instead of spikes which still give you good traction. I figure that they cost a LOT less than the injuries that you can sustain when falling on ice. They only cost about $12, and are great things to have around IN CASE.

We've gotten several more inches of snow overnight. At least it's warmed up ro 27˚F / -2.8˚C. Major improvement. They're now saying it should warm up to the low 40's˚F by Monday, and it'll get into the 50's˚F on Tuesday and Wednesday. Mike and I will be weaning the 2 June born calves on Wednesday. Both are mine. They'll go in with the 2 yearling heifers we're keeping (and the ancient cow that we still haven't put down), so the heifers can quiet them down and teach them to come up for feed. Mike's September bull calf will stay with his mother until May or June. He's been kept as a bull because Mike has a buyer for him already. He's what is called a Balancer (red or black Angus/Gelbveih cross), and they're proving to be exceptional commercial bulls. He's a full brother to another Balancer bull in the area whose owners can't believe what exceptional calves he produces. Mike is VERY proud.... with good reason.

Well, time to go outside and break ice on all the water tanks. I do that 3 times a day.

Julie, if I can catch the cockatoo I will keep it if it is not too far advanced. This disease is not curable but they can live longer in captivity Their beak grows out of proportion and they cannot feed in the wild. Also they lose their feathers from the head first and then all over and cant survive in the bad weather. They are also contagious and can infect other parrots. My aunt used to keep these birds and had them in knitted jumpers.

Tomorrow I'm going to try again to get Robert to his eye doctor. I haven't tried to drive down my driveway in 4 days, so this could be scary. It's still thick ice under the snow.

Heidi, thanks so much for mentioning that Amazon has crampons that can be worn while driving. I'll need to take a look! I love how we are able to help each other long distance like that. It's part of what makes Sudokuaholics such a special group! And the way you help your neighbors and friends, such as Robert and Debbie!

Midge, you are another example of the Sudokuaholics spirit. I hope you are able to catch the cockatoo and help it!

Heidi, good luck driving Robert to his eye doctor appointment! Please drive safely!

I'm about to fall asleep, so need to shut down the computer. Thinking of Everyone and sending healing energy, prayers, , positive thoughts, and {{{{{HUGS}}}}}! Take care, Everyone, and stay safe!