Maggie's FarmWe are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for. |
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Saturday, January 27. 2018Cold Weather is a Relative Thing, with special reference to upstate New York65 above zero (F): Floridians and Arizonians turn on the heat. 60 above zero: 50 above zero: Italian & English cars won't start. More below the fold - 40 above zero: Georgians don coats, thermal underwear, gloves, and wool hats. People in Upstate New York throw on a flannel shirt. 35 above zero: New York city landlords finally turn up the heat. People in Upstate New York have the last cookout before it gets cold. 20 above Zero: People in Miami all die. Upstate New Yorkers close the windows. Zero: Californians and Arizonians fly away to Southern Mexico. People in Upstate New York get out their winter coats. 10 below zero: Hollywood disintegrates. The Girl Scouts in Upstate New York are selling cookies door to door. 20 below zero: Washington DC runs out of hot air. People in Upstate New York let the dogs sleep indoors. 30 below zero: Santa Claus abandons the North Pole. Upstate New Yorkers get upset because they can't start the snow-mobile. 40 below zero: ALL atomic motion stops. People in Upstate New York start saying...'cold enough fer ya?' 50 below zero: Hell freezes over. Upstate New York public schools will open 2 hours late. Trackbacks
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When I was teaching at big state university in climate zone 6, I went out to the car one morning and after a few steps my nose got that tingle that I remembered from when it got chilly in Canada. I thought to myself "ah, yes, scarf and winter gloves weather", and dashed back in to grab some stuff that had been unused and moved all over the world since I had left Canada 15 years prior.
All day my students were complaining at how unsafe and unjust it was to carry on having classes in such conditions -- conditions which to me (even after 15 years away in much warmer climes) were "I guess I need my scarf and thick gloves". DRESS. FOR. THE. WEATHER. People who grow up in cold climates learn how to dress for the weather- layer upon layer in winter. I got the impression that many people who moved from a warm climate to a colder climate had problems with the cold because they didn't know how to dress for it. No, you don't need 3-4 layers when it's 70 out, but it's rather useful when it's 20 out.
Though I now live in TX, I grew up in the NE, so have experience w cold weather. 35 degrees. Play soccer in shorts, but have long sleeves on. Stop playing soccer when ground is frozen. Snow and ice didn't impede playing football. 20 degrees. Go outside to the mailbox with a flannel shirt on. If you are outside for more than a minute or two, layer up. I moved from California to New Hampshire for a year to go back to school for another degree when I was 55 and retired. When the temperature reached 40, girls at Dartmouth were out in shorts. Since I grew up in Chicago, I quickly adjusted. Thanksgiving morning in Hanover it was 26 below. My teenaged kids visited frequently and had a wonderful time in snow that, in Los Angeles, can only be found about 5000 feet.
We're nearly ready to start planting tomatoes for a spring crop.
That's right. And next month, when it stops dropping into the 40's at night, we San Antonios will put away our winter parkas!
Same same in Nort' Dahkohta. Got up to 20 one day, had to unzip my parka all the way down.
First year DH and I were married we lived up on the place. I woke one morning and my lipstick was frozen to the bathroom countertop. My face cream was frozen solid in the jar. You wanna try cold try this: -40 one day. -28 the next two days!
On the other hand, Upstate NY will talk your ear off about their cars rusting out.
I find it interesting that quite a few of the good Auto diag/repair youtube channels are from NY/PA area. Lots of voltage drop along those wires. Something similar could be said about driving distances.
Have relatives in the Yukon who think nothing of driving 7 hours for a visit. I'll drive 3 hours for a visit in one day (and drive back). Tell folks that who live in the UK and they'll think you're nuts. :) Cheers I am from New York (the city). Mrs. Ben David is from upstate. This is about right.
Now living at 600 meters above the Mediterranean, we get hail, hoarfrost, or a dusting of actual snow 2-3 days of the year. Don't blink or it's gone. My kids once gamely gathered enough snow to make a Mr Potatohead sized snowman. When going over family photos, we have to explain to incredulous younguns the importance of enclosed garages. We only break out long underwear to sleep in - because the winters are so mild, we don't keep the heat on all the time. And we still have our turtleneck shirts and bulky sweaters at the back of the closet. As the Talmud says - he who was bitten by a snake, is cautious around a coil of rope. The challenge is to dress for a commute to/from the coast, that won't leave us sweltering in Tel Aviv. And we are absolutely tickled by the Tel-Avivis trying to make believe that there is a winter season here. They basically want to buy the clothes and pretend they are European. The current fad up here in Alberta Canada is for men to wear shorts outdoors in almost any weather.
The thickset guys carry it on the longest, down to about -15F. -50°F. up here, the schools open on time.
My kids had a mile walk out to catch the school bus & at -50° and lower we'd give them the choice of staying home. Unless there was a test that day or some such that they weren't prepared for, that's very seldom take advantage of that option. I don't complain about the cold at work. Too many of my colleagues have been down to work on our experiment at the South Pole.
My late spouse was an upstate NY snow fighter, and he was used to horrific cold weather. When he was drafted after college, he was assigned to Fort Richardson in Alaska. It was explained to him that they didn't send sissies there, meaning they culled candidates from hardbcore winter areas of the lower 48. The guys had week long trainings outside in winter. Plus hungry big brown bears at large and in quantity. Today at least they are giving the troops decent gear.
https://www.army.mil/article/182767/alaskas_extreme_cold_tests_soldiers_equipment |