Snow, milk and Bread

[Beekissed]

This is massive...

 

[aftermidnight]

Massive, deadly blizzard roars up the East Coast

I think, in this day of false drama, that people have really forgotten what the words "massive" and "deadly" truly mean. I remember snows that covered our eaves on the house and we had to dig a hole to slide down into the home and climb up out of it. Two feet of snow is neither massive nor deadly, IMO.

I so agree, although we haven't had what I'd call a real winter for quite a few years, I can remember wading through over a foot of snow in a blizzard to get to school while still in the primary grades, granted it was only 6 blocks away but it did stop the school buses bringing the kids in from the outlying areas so those kids got a holiday, not very envious. Kids who walked to school had to attend. Now if the furnace broke down that was a different story, we all got a holiday .
I can remember one year when we lived up the coast in Ocean Fall the snow was half way up the windows, we had to dig out the walk so many times the snow was piled high enough we could hear people going down the lane but we couldn't see them, thought nothing of it. I think my parents along with my generation were and are made of tougher stuff.

When winter comes I always have enough in the house that will last a couple of weeks if needed, I use powdered milk in some of my recipes so in a pinch and I always have packets of yeast so can always make bread if I have to. Yep, me thinks we were made of tougher stuff back then.

Annette

 

[thistlebloom]

I suppose some people are surprised that winter comes annually.

 

[Smart Red]

The winter of 1978-79 we had a lot of snow. The plows shoved all the snow to the side of the road in high piles. Some shorter roads with other access were never cleared until spring. With the high banks on either side of the road, every time after that with the smallest of snowfalls, the roads would drift closed.

Many country roads ended up being one lane only and cars would have to back up for the bus to get through. I often thought putting boards across the banks would have prevented the drifts and allowed the traffic to drive through the tunnel safely.

Yup! We've had a lot more snow in the past. We've had a lot colder temperatures in the past. I remember walking to school with an air temperature of -25° (F). (Wind chill descriptors were unheard of back then.) We've also had winters with little snow and warmer temps in my past. Either folks today have short memories or they were overly protected in their youth.

 

[Beekissed]

Agree on all counts. Of course, when you mention all these things you'll always get the snide comment, "And it was up hill both ways when you had to walk to school." And it was, so I can honestly say that I did walk uphill both ways to get to the bus stop, a mile from our house to the hard road.

That's why I laugh when I see shows about survival or doomsday prepping...it's all fantasy, not reality. This generation couldn't survive the life of their cell phone battery....and they are proud of that, which is a weird thing to me.

 

[digitS']

It is, very much what you are used to. But, my parents were children of the depression, Dad, 98 next month, was nearly a teenager by Black Tuesday, 1929. Mom said her family was "always depressed," she never knew when it started .

They always said that they wanted a better life for their kids. I'm spoiled. So, why did they move up here so that my brother and I had to follow??!

Okay. While I was growing up in southern Oregon, the temperature dropped once, below 0F. We thought we were killed ..! Well, the pipes froze ...

I moved back to the coast of California. I can still remember the absolute insanity of the one snowfall in the three years I lived there! Even for a guy from southern Oregon, it was weird how people behaved .

I was a kid, a mile from my elementary school bus stop. It seldom snowed but the fog in that Oregon river valley could be so dense that I almost couldn't see the fence posts on both sides of the little country road when I walked in the middle. No, I wasn't stupid enough to walk in the middle. And, if it was raining, Mom would nearly always drive me to the bus stop. When I got to the 5th & 6th grades, I'd make her drop me in a driveway about 60 yards away so the other kids wouldn't know .

We were supposed to do chores, outdoors and indoors. Life is easier off the farm and with modern appliances but I can remember the dust mop giving way to the Electrolux.

Honestly, I remember -25°F and it wasn't so long ago. (I thought things were colder in WI than here, @Smart Red . Actually, I'm sure they went and are. ) But, I was an adult. I know that they sometimes cancel school in those conditions and I think they did for my youngest.

You know, there was a population explosion in the South, post-Air Conditioning.

Steve
BTW, when they burned waste oil in the smudgepots in those Oregon valley orchards, the air was horrid! Maybe, someone had given a thought to an EPA.

 

[baymule]

Hi. I'm Murphysranch and I horde food. Every one can come to my house. I've got plenty, and a gas range to fix it.

 

[Nyboy]

5 people died last night in NYC shoveling snow.

 

[baymule]

5 people died last night in NYC shoveling snow.

Shoveling snow?? City crews of individuals? And if individuals, why in the devil would they be out there is that kind of storm?

 

[digitS']

Bay, I sometimes do the job in steps, not all at once. Snowfall isn't painful, altho 50mph winds can be!

And, 12" would be a major snowfall here where we only expect about 20" or less of precipitation, annually. So, I'd be out 3 or 4 times over 3 or 4 hours. Gotta get up early!

Killing people? I suppose that there are far worse ways to go.

Steve