Sure sign of Spring...

Had the IM out twice last week and now the sure sign of spring....the City is removing the snow from our street!

This is a once year occasion whether you need it or not. Its a big deal for the neighbourhood. They put signs out on the street in the morning and you have to remove all vehicles, trailers, etc from the street by midnight or they'll be towed and you'll be fined. No advance notice...heaven forbid you're out of town when they decide to do your street!

The snow has built up the road at least 1 foot or so so when they remove it you have at least a foot drop from your drive to the street. Unless you've kept up with snow removal from your drive in which case you've had a foot bump up to the street all winter. EArly morning we go out and chip away at that drop to enable us to drive out...its an opportunity to chat with neighbours doing the same.

This starts at 1 am. The trucks, graders, front end loaders with their "beep beep" reverse indicators going all night. The frickin' dog barking at every bump, beep, etc (locked him up outside last night...learned my lesson last year)

And then the drive out through the obstacle course left with the chunks of ice and snow...

Spring has Sprung!

Brian,

Thanks for the pics and the reminder---why I moved to Florida!!!!!! jkl

Brian. Wow it sure looks cold around your place.
Funny how when the snow-plow comes by they tend to block you in your driveway so you cant use the street.

Yahooo. You know I never thought it was so....well...so...residential up there. Looks nice! Cold, but nice. Hey you've got the 3 weeks of summer coming sooner than you thought.

I guess you're right David...I only get blocked in once a year here. That's not too bad....

And what do you mean so residential? What'd ya think ... we lived in igloos?

Real estate's a big thing up here. Vacancy rate's either zero or negative right now. You could probably sell almost anything. Two diamond mines up and running and a 3rd and 4th getting ready....there's no end in sight for the foreseeable future.

Wow! I lived in Buffalo for eight years and we got ALOT of snow but I never saw anything like this.

"Real estate's a big thing up here. Vacancy rate's either zero or negative right now. You could probably sell almost anything"

Is this guy for real???? I think the cold got to him......
Sorry dude....

Vince look at it again he said -100 blow Zero.
BERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Never, in my wildest dreams, would I ever have thought there were diamond mines up there.

But, then, you gotta remember that once, in the dim dark past, that area used to be on the equator or something (before the Earth's axis tilted).

Sure says a lot for where "beach front property" might be in another million years.

I wonder how they get water out of those fire hydrants at 40 below zero??????

God bless you, I thought it was cold a couple of days ago when the temp was 59 above 0.

I though it was bad, not really, here in AK. Atleast we get 4 weeks of summer! Funny our housing market up here is rather high too. We hit 50F today, but still have two feet of snow left in the front yard, seems soon as it's about gone we get it again. We do live in igloos, the fishing sucks, the animals...there aren't any...Your really don't want to visit. Did I say it was dark all the time......

Brian,

I don't know how you do it. Someday, I hope there is a beach in your back yard, an umbrella in your drink, and sunblock on your nose every day of the year. You sir, are the man.

Brian,

Wasn't it you who was talking about moving east a year or two ago? Maybe I have the wrong guy but I thought I recall seeing that here?

TJ, your speedster is mighty lucky to have such a fine place to park
mine is envious..........

When I was a kid, I loved the snow. When I learned how to cross country ski as a young man, I learned to tolerate the snow. Now that I'm I geezer, I hate the snow. I'll take what East Tennessee offers, and that isn't much in the way of the white stuff.

Thanks Vince, Redondo is a fine place to live. I lived in Hermosa for several years after getting out of the USMC. Those days bring back good memories.

5'm with Hoss. When I retire it won't be in the DC area. I have a daughter/grandson in Phoenix and a daughter in San Diego, you can bet I'm going to be in one or both of those places
ed

You can always put on more clothes...

The story about the diamond find up here is a very interesting one. Guy by the name of Fipke searched for years believing that there must be diamonds here...all the geological indicators were here but he just couldn't find them.

Eventually he stumbled on the thought to check under the lakes. Seems the kimberlite pipes that come up from the earth's core are what can bring diamonds to the surface. They're softer that bedrock so when the last glaciers receded they carved out hollows in the kimberlike and created lakes. Under the lakes in where he found the kimberlite and eventually the diamonds.

The find was at the time of that gold stock fiasco in Asia. I, and many others, wouldn't believe it. Those that did became millionaires overnight.

They've now found kimberlite pipes in the US and other places in Canada. Keep you eyes and ears open and take a chance if you can afford to...

Couple of websites...

www.aurias.com/en/index.shtml

www.diavik.ca/

brysonburke.com/people_chuck_fipke.html

There's been some specials about it on the tube...really interesting stuff. It was a real clandestine operation even to the extent of stringing electrical wire and passing current through it to throw off other searchers.

Brian

Yeah the north is full of stuff. According to many geologists Northern Canada and the maritimes have more oil than Saudi Arabia has ever had. They have also discovered diamonds in Northern Quebec. Not jewelery diamonds industrial diamonds as they did where you are at. but tons of 'em.

sure sign of spring here. The day before yesterday was 15C about 60F and sunny, then it snowed 6 inches the next day. Here's a sign of spring....the geese are starting the northern migration....

Mike:

Tiverton, RI, is on one of the Eastern Flyways and always gets thousands of Geese in February when they hit the corn fields for food on their Northern trek.

I heard (we were still down South) that this year had heavier flocks than in the past few, but they stayed for a shorter time - only two+ weeks instead of the usual 3 - 4. Don't know what that means.

In all the months we spent in South Carolina, we never saw any Canadian Geese until the next to last day there, when I saw three, very loud and raucous Ganders, who stayed in the marsh behind our house for the Morning and then took off towards the North. Guess they were the "clean-up crew" sweeping the marsh for stragglers heading North!!

Also, we just saw two Harbour Seals out in the bay this afternoon. They've been gone since last September.......and the DAFFODILS are out!!