[Maitland]

Karen, on 06 January 2010 - 04:15 PM, said:

Maitland, what's the coldest temps you have ever felt? A big -33 here a few years ago. I am sure Mike remembers. -33 degrees = -36°C so cold the hair in your nose froze. LOL! Maggie do you remember? Maybe it only got in the -20's there Mike. Looks like what you were talking about.

I said previously that the coldest was -28.2, I was wrong. The coldest temperatures ever recorded in Scotland was -27.2. I remember one of the years that temperatures were exceptionally low. We had no heating in the house other than a small electric radiator in the living room and I woke to about an inch of ice in the inside of the bedroom window. None of the School buses were working properly as they ran on diesel and the diesel had waxed and I think this only happens below -20 or thereabouts.

The kids went to school this morning in temperatures of -16. Mrs M had to run the eldest to the bus stop as you couldn't walk on the footpath or the road here and the middle one taken to primary school. The wee mans nursery teacher is still off so he won't be back to school until next week.

No more snow forecast still but temperatures tomorrow -20 or below. -18 in some parts of Scotland last night.

M...

[Mike]

People used to look for ways to work, in order to earn a living. Today, people expect a paycheck for doing absolutely nothing.

I was up at 2:00 AM and it wasn't snowing here. It's coming down pretty hard, now. They're now saying 4-6" of the evil stuff before it ends. Our winter storm watch is now a winter storm advisory.

Karen, -29° / -33° is the coldest actual temperature I've seen. When I was in trade school, I worked in a service station and I remember we had wind chill figures of -45° / -42°. And yes, this was back in day of full-service filling stations. We would almost beg to check a customer's oil, just to get some heat off the engine.

So yes, I feel for Maitland having to deal with the temperatures he's seeing, but he doesn't know what real cold is actually like. Then again, he's likely never experienced our summer heat, either. You know, those days when it's 102° / 39° in the shade, with 70-80% humidity after the pop-up thunderstorm that just blew through.

Young people today gripe because they have to go to work in a heated/air-conditioned building. Heck, you haven't lived until you've de-tassled corn in 100°+ temperatures. When I was in kindergarten, I remember Dad carrying me to school on his shoulders, because I wasn't tall enough to walk through the drifts of snow. Now we close school if they think we might get a cat's-paw dusting.

Then again, when I went to school it was a ten-mile walk. One way. And uphill in both directions. (Actually, I never walked any farther than 3 blocks, in all my school years. And this is the Indiana prairie, so the biggest incline I had to maneuver were the curbs as I crossed the streets.)

[Karen]

I remember back in the 80's it got to 104 degrees. We would swim in our pool and in less than 15 minutes hair was dry and bathing suits were all dry. That must have been the same day Mike. But nothing like the Glasgow, Ky. humidity. We get it here awful bad too, but it seems like Glasgow is worst.

[Mike]

Damned snow!

The young man that was appointed to the pulpit I retired was killed this morning. He apparently slid across the centerline in the snow and was hit broadside by a school bus.

Local News Report

Godspeed, Kasey.

[Karen]

How sad Mike. I watched the video and looked at the photos. I hope it was instant.

This post has been edited by Karen: 07 January 2010 - 05:26 PM

[Maitland]

Mike sorry to hear the sad news. My thoughts are with his family.

We are fortunate here to have a temperate climate. Mild winters and mild summers. We do get low temperatures but never for this length of time, this is very unusual and it is set to continue. The children went to school this morning in temperatures of -16. I don't know what the lowest temperature was here last night but would imagine around the -18 mark. Altnaharra in Sutherland dropped to -22.1 last night with temperatures across Scotland averaging around -17 I believe.

Thankfully we are not forecast any snow but I would suggest as the temperatures start to rise we may see some snow before this cold snap finishes.

M...

[Maitland]

-16 at the moment and dropping. I am led to believe that the Highlands will drop to -23 this evening with a windchill factor of -34 (New Windchill Factor). Still no snow thankfully and none predicted. Long may it last. There is some indication that we may reach +3 on Sunday. The difficulty where I am is the fact that the sun doesn't reach the front of the house and the road at this time of the year. It sits behind the trees and we are always last to lose the snow, damn damn and double damn.

Mike I still haven't got a decent one yet but am trying !!

M...

[Mike]

Maitland, on 08 January 2010 - 02:48 PM, said:

Mike I still haven't got a decent one yet but am trying !!

And that was me, thinking Mrs. M. is pretty decent.

A decent one, what? Remember my advancing years and fading memory? (And remember to show a deserved measure of respect for your elders before replying to that last bit too, you young whipper-snapper! )

Billy, Jennifer and Lauren came by the shop yesterday afternoon. And Lauren has finally decided to start calling me Papaw. You know, a lesser man would be all excited and proud about it. As for myself, I barely noticed. Just another day, so far as I am concerned.

Maitland, I did hear a news report on the radio yesterday about the cold snap over there. The report said 'Britain was bracing for record cold as the temperatures were dropping in the Highlands'. Never so much as mentioned the fact the Hielan's are in SCOTLAND.

[Maitland]

Mike, on 09 January 2010 - 09:36 AM, said:

And that was me, thinking Mrs. M. is pretty decent.

A decent one, what? Remember my advancing years and fading memory? (And remember to show a deserved measure of respect for your elders before replying to that last bit too, you young whipper-snapper! )

Billy, Jennifer and Lauren came by the shop yesterday afternoon. And Lauren has finally decided to start calling me Papaw. You know, a lesser man would be all excited and proud about it. As for myself, I barely noticed. Just another day, so far as I am concerned.

Maitland, I did hear a news report on the radio yesterday about the cold snap over there. The report said 'Britain was bracing for record cold as the temperatures were dropping in the Highlands'. Never so much as mentioned the fact the Hielan's are in SCOTLAND.

Mrs M makes the grade I just wish she would wheesht now and again

I am trying to get my hands on a decent calendar but am struggling. I have however been pointed in the direction of the library who are selling some good ones.

The Highlands are in Northern Britain remember, no such place as Scotland. The good one at the minute is Scotland being called Northern Britain but Southern Britain being referred to as Southern England and by the same weather announcer, ARS* !!

M...

[Mike]

Maitland, on 09 January 2010 - 01:35 PM, said:

I am trying to get my hands on a decent calendar but am struggling. I have however been pointed in the direction of the library who are selling some good ones.

If you're looking for a good calendar, I can advise you. You should have asked. I am somewhat of an authority on calendars, you see.

On your next venture to Alloa, visit 10 Mar Street. It is the home of the Wee County News. Their calendars are crackers. And possibly free, if I recall. You could take Mrs. M and dine at the old distillery where we ate on my last trip across. Please allow Mrs. M a running start at her plate, afore you start lifting her food onto your own plate.

Scott sent me a Salmon calendar, a couple years back. I still have it hanging at my desk. The dates are screwy, but the scenery isn't. I am looking at 'The Big Herdsman of Etive' as I type.

I keep forgetting to mention this. A few days back, the MSNBC News Web site had some pictures from around 'Britain', showing all the wintry weather. As you might expect, nothing but photies of your southern neighbor, save one. It was the Port of Menteith Curling Club, out on frozen Lake of Menteith. Hey, I've actually been there!! Reckon you could skate out to Inchmahome Priory? Be sure to take along the coffee fixings, you'll need a hot cup before you get back.

[Maitland]

Mike, on 09 January 2010 - 04:53 PM, said:

If you're looking for a good calendar, I can advise you. You should have asked. I am somewhat of an authority on calendars, you see.

On your next venture to Alloa, visit 10 Mar Street. It is the home of the Wee County News. Their calendars are crackers. And possibly free, if I recall. You could take Mrs. M and dine at the old distillery where we ate on my last trip across. Please allow Mrs. M a running start at her plate, afore you start lifting her food onto your own plate.

Scott sent me a Salmon calendar, a couple years back. I still have it hanging at my desk. The dates are screwy, but the scenery isn't. I am looking at 'The Big Herdsman of Etive' as I type.

I keep forgetting to mention this. A few days back, the MSNBC News Web site had some pictures from around 'Britain', showing all the wintry weather. As you might expect, nothing but photies of your southern neighbor, save one. It was the Port of Menteith Curling Club, out on frozen Lake of Menteith. Hey, I've actually been there!! Reckon you could skate out to Inchmahome Priory? Be sure to take along the coffee fixings, you'll need a hot cup before you get back.

If I were to take Mrs M out to Dine the Calendar would hardly be free now would it

You would have no problem walking to the Priory at the moment, the whole Loch (struggle to say Lake) is covered in ice about 7 inches thick now.

Temperatures should get above freezing for the second time in 3 weeks today and we should start a wee thaw. However it is forecast to snow Monday and Tuesday, possibly very heavy and that will only add to the foot we still have.

M...

[Mike]

It's currently 1° / -17° here with a predicted high of 18° / -8° for the day. I'm sick to death of winter and we've 10-12 more weeks of it.

[Maitland]

So much for the predicted snow over the next few days, apparantly a thaw starts tomorrow Should take about a week for this snow to disappear and I hope I never see any again !

M...

[Karen]

Mike, on 10 January 2010 - 07:21 AM, said:

It's currently 1° / -17° here with a predicted high of 18° / -8° for the day. I'm sick to death of winter and we've 10-12 more weeks of it.

Won't be long. TIMES GOES QUICKLY WHEN YOU ARE OLD.

[Maitland]

Ah the beautiful sound of melting snow

M...

[Mike]

We're meant to get above freezing the latter part of this week. I can't wait!

If only the weekdays would zip by as fast as Saturdays and Sundays always do.

[Maitland]

Why can't they make their mind up. Yes it is thawing here with temperatures around the +3 mark. I have just watched the weather and there is a specific warning of heavy snow overnight for Perthshire

M...

[starringashrslf]

Mike, on 11 January 2010 - 05:47 AM, said:

If only the weekdays would zip by as fast as Saturdays and Sundays always do.

Remember when we were little and time seemed to drag by. What happened to that? I feel like my life is just zooming by now. It's time for the weekends to go slower!

[Maitland]

And still we have the drip drip drip of melting snow. The snow last night didn't appear, we had rain. All the icicles (some a foot long) have disappeared from the side of the house. The roads are just about clear (brown slush). The paths were cleared by a contractor over the last few days just in time for the thaw and there is no snow forecast for Scotland with temperatures above freezing for the foreeseable future, wonderful.

M...

[Karen]

Our local news last night said, we had seventeen days with snow. I'm as sick of it as you are Maitland. May get to 40 degrees this week.