Midwest and Northeast friends: Heads Up! By noon on Friday, this is what it looked like from the porch and it's probably heading your way. This storm was a little colder and snowier than our last one. I'm burning the wicks low tonight and, just before midnight, it's 13 degrees Fahrenheit outside but a reasonable 63 degrees inside the cozy Rat.
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.Today was the big day to finally move the drilling rig out. The trucks started to roll by well before dawn and went without a break until late afternoon. What an amazing and pricey collection of 'stuff'. And I didn't bother to record the scores of pick-up trucks.
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The enlarged versions are 350 to 400K so be advised before you click.There were trucks everywhere, including in our front yard and up our new driveway. The furious pace was partially explained when the snow clouds began to loiter threateningly and later unleash their icy spawn.
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And so ends phase one of our entertainment. Of course, I had to finish up the collage with a photo of my favorite big toy, the Cat D8R and then the triumphal exit of the King and Queen thrones. It's quiet out there, beautifully quiet for now...
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Humor (from Ken)A man wrote a letter to a small hotel in a Midwest town that he planned to visit on his vacation. He wrote: "I would very much like to bring my dog with me. He is well-groomed and very well behaved. Would you be willing to permit me to keep him in my room with me at night?"
An immediate reply came from the hotel owner:
"I've been operating this hotel for many years. In all that time, I've never had a dog steal towels, bedclothes, silverware or pictures off the walls. I've never had to evict a dog in the middle of the night for being drunk and disorderly. And I've never had a dog run out on a hotel bill. Yes, indeed, your dog is welcomed at my hotel. And, if your dog will vouch for you, you're welcomed to stay here, too."
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34 comments:
Glad to see that they have gone, did they leave anything behind?
Hopefully that's the last you will see of them this year. There is nothing in weather so fine as a good snow storm - when you can look out on it from a cosy room.
dba, I WISH they were done for good. Some would say that this first phase is the least disruptive. I can hardly wait for the 'flare-off' phase either. I've seen these conflagrations lighting up the night sky from several miles away so we may have to install nuclear flash curtains on the Rat's windows just to get a good night's sleep in a reasonable darkness.
You have there real wide-screen entertainment. Your descriptions are so vivid I almost feel I'm there.
Atavist, we're even getting it in full 3D without having to wear those special glasses. It's also full-surround audio with the sound track echoing off the mesa wall behind us. This is when I miss nuked popcorn - I really should put old fashioned stove top popcorn on my supply run list.
Wow...quite the collection of big-assed equipment, indeed!
Ya know, I'd forgotten about the flare-off thingie. Dunno why, but it completely escaped me until you mentioned it, Lin. But hey! If you drop your keys (or another such object) at night you won't have to go looking for a flashlight.
No need to thank me, I'm just pointing out what may be an overlooked bennie. ;-)
And... we got a great storm here on The High Plains last evening, complete with "thunder-sleet." I'd never seen that WX phenomenon before...
So when do the flare stacks come in? They will certainly ruin your star gazing.
We're getting 2-6 inches - already got 2 this evening through tonight more on the way.
Shoveled first batch this morning.
Question - how long were they really there? If they found gas do you get any benefit? Is there any permanent remains from their drilling? JACNOTES
That's some cool gear, but I know you'll be happier when you've see their asses for the last time. Enjoy the peace while it lasts.
Buck, you're a sweetie for pointing out the positive. Yep, better a flare-off from the big G than a flare-up from the big H!
That thunder and ice thing sure takes some getting used to, doesn't it? It just seems so unnatural.
Alphonse, the weather has really messed up their constructions schedule but they will probably set that up in two to three weeks. The star show will definitely be put on hold while they are flaring off.
JAC, we're so glad you're getting snow instead of ICE! Boy, it didn't take long to get there either. I tracked down a jet stream map last night and realized that you weren't going to get a break this time either.
You have to be pretty unlucky to NOT find gas around here. Since we don't own any mineral rights, we get zip, squat, nada from their bounty.
FHB, oh yeah, we are soaking up the quiet like it is going out of style because it will vanish all too soon again.
Turns out we got 6 inches so far tonight so total so far 8 inches.
We actually had thunder snow. Good news - it will be out of here by tomorrow morning and then the next few days will be sunny and in the 40's.
Sorry to hear you don't get a benefit from all the commotion.
Sueschirps & Jacnotes
Looks like quite the storm, nothing but blue skies here, unfortunately.
S&J, thanks for the update. Wow, that's STILL a lot of snow for you to deal with but I am glad it happened on the weekend when you can stay home and off the roads.
PopeT, you still need the precip badly there, don't you? I'm not sure if we are coming out of the long drought here or just having a few generous but rare seasons so far.
Lots of neat heavy gear! Also, several million $'s and they're not finished yet. The guys who drilled our new well (700' deep) said that if they had to replace their drilling rig, about one million $.
Glad you're staying very warm this winter. Also, the apartment is waiting. love you guys, Red
I'm waitin' on the "back to nature" shot! Back like it used to be!
Darn it, lin. I know I commented here. Mebbe the chupabarra got it.
You're not blogging yet, so I guess you're having 'lectric problems.
And for your further information, young lady, you could have kept that snow in your area instead of forwarding it to me.
C'mon, lin. Let's have a post (but please, not so many photos).
Red, I think this well is going to be a bit over budget since the weather messed them up. Not like it will drive them to the poorhouse though.
We're staying warm so far! Thanks for the open invitation, too - you just never know.
Mushy, I'm hoping they do a proper and discrete job as well, so hoping.
Cat - I just posted the day before yesterday! Did my sister put you up to this by sending you boxes of Christmas short bread cookies?
Just for that, you're both getting more snow! Bru-ha-ha-ho-ho-ho.
whyzzit when I see these groups of pictures on your blog, I'm always hearing that old song "I love a parade?"
Lurve the dog joke. Dogs rock. The unswerving devotion of dogs indicates to me there may, in fact, be something good about people. (OK, I know it's just that we're where the easy food comes from, but allow me my little fantasies, thank you very much!)
I love the snow (very cookies&cream) and the leaden skies. Beautiful. Perfection.
Phlegmmy, you just made it occur to me that aside from missing a Santa figure, this field parade probably put a lot of small town parades to shame. And few others have a heated Rat reviewing stand.
You and my SILs - dog lovers extraordinaire!
Yep we still need lots and lots of rain, hopefully this summer isnt the scorcher I've got the feeling its going to be
Okay, PopeT, for the sake of Oz, I am going to share my secret of rain with you: Find a road that will become impassable from rain and then find something you feel somewhat obliged to do but truly detest on the other side of it. You will work extra hard to pray that you cannot cross that wash due to rain. And it does work!
Ok, the next time you get that crappy weather, Lin, KEEP IT!!
Wow, sixty THREE degrees inside, huh? That's warm and toasty and about three degrees warmer than we keep our place. And trust me, when you're in the low sixties, every degree counts:)
Ooops, sorry about that, Goddess! I'll have to unkink the jetstream and send it packing directly east since they could use the precip in the southeast, from what I've heard.
I'm loving that 63! Ya know, the older you get, the warmer you like it. Our previous next door neighbors kept their place at around 80. Mark would walk over there in winter in his shorts and a t-shirt so he didn't create a sweat puddle during visits.
Had to put on an extra sweater and my fluffy socks after looking at that icy frosty photo. BRRRRRRR
I laughed at Catmove telling you how to write your posts. They're so demanding, aren't they?
Lin, you realize that your sister and I are indeed going to gang up on you and Mark?
I have already contacted all the weather people on TV here, instructing them that your area needs more snow. Lots more snow.
Your sis has been in touch with the national weather bureau and they agreed with her request. Have a white Christmas. And New Year's. And 2008.
You know what they say about paybacks. Hehehehe
Babzy, throw on an extra layer - our winter hasn't hit rock bottom YET! You West B.C. folks are SOOO weather pampered!
It's a good thing we have plenty of cats around here - makes it easier to live up to the demands of Catmoves.
Okay, Cat, let's get down to solid brass tacks here; what did sis offer? She forgets that I also have Mum's recipe for Christmas Scottish shortbread cookies. One dozen? I'll up it to two and throw in the Maraschino cherry chunks on top for free. Every Cat has its price when it comes down to real butter.
Lin, you win. I give up and am waiting for those delicious sounding cookies with real butter.
And Wild thing loves all cherries. Uh, I think I might have phrased that better.
A deal then, Cat. You both get real butter shortbreads but Wild Thing gets the ones with cherry chunks and YOU get the ones with the pine nut and juniper berry clusters ... because you da cat.
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