How is your weather? (Part 2)

Sounds like a mess.

Sat could be interesting around here for ice. I can remember a new years eve when the rain turn to freezing rain and i90 turned into an ice skating rink. I drove home going 25mph tops.

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-6F again. Will be 40F by Sun/Mon. Cold looks to retreat for the next 10+ days. Not seeing any subzero readings. They can come back next year.

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we are supposed to have more rain and a warm up by late week here. not looking good again for winter rec that depends on snow here. its big business.

I was out on the ATV in my orchards. Applying some newly inscribed name tags, I can verify that single digit temps are a bit chilly for ATV riding. About froze my fingertips. Iā€™ll use the Ranger next time

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Maybe another reason to use natural gas furnace, hot water heater

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i wish. no pipelines for NG come here. i think Bostonā€™s where they end. its fuel oil, propane or wood.

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Thereā€™s a NG line less than a mile from my house. Odds of ever being able to hook up to that line in my lifetime? Slim to none

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I use nature gas for cooking/ baking, heat up the house in winter, hot water, and dryer. It costs less than electricity.

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Iā€™d use it too if I could. Not an option for most rural people in the Midwest

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they build wind turbines/ solar panels here and send that elec. clear to s. new england. yet they wont pipe NG up here. they arenā€™t about helping rural folks.

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Iā€™m on the wrong side of the highway to have N.G. It runs on the north side, Iā€™m on the south. Thereā€™s a power plant about a mile away where they convert it into electricity. -4 this morning. Supposed to be 40 tomorrow. We have had about 6 ft of snow since Thanksgiving, but thereā€™s only about 2 ft compacted on the ground since itā€™s been melting at the ground-snow interface, as well as weā€™ve had some days above freezing. Been watching an ermine scampering around on top of the snow and diving in under it hunting for voles. Frisky little feller. Theyā€™re a lot better for catching voles under the snow than cats. Heā€™s welcome to live here as long as he likes.

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I donā€™t know whats worse, not having a line at all or having one less than a mile away and not being able to access it.

In the end the results are the same I guessā€¦no NG for either of us

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The stupid cat that ā€œadoptedā€ us kills more ermines in the winter than mice.

Outdoor cats are killing machines

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I actually have a no cats allowed sign posted right at my driveway entry. I have bob-o-links come and nest in the summer, bluebirds as well, pileated woodpeckers feeding in the winter, as well as many other visitors. Iā€™m not going to trade all those beautiful native species for cats.

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I didnā€™t want a cat either. Most that show up around here mysteriously die of lead poisoning. The one that is here was clearly somebodyā€™s pet that was dumped. Sheā€™s been here for close to a decade. Back when my wife talked me into letting her stay, I never thought an outdoor cat would survive the coyotes, bobcats, winters, and disease for long.

I was wrong.

There wonā€™t be any more when this oneā€™s gone

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If my wife liked cats better, Iā€™d have to learn to deal with them. Thankfully, she doesnā€™t care to have them around either. With the snow around here too, I donā€™t think they make it through winter if they donā€™t have a barn or something else to live in, so thereā€™s not many strays.

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surprises me. Ermines are fierce little killing machines. No cat Iā€™ve ever had could take one.

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Have you witnessed outdoor cats fighting? They are incredibly vicious animals. A 1/4 lb weasel doesnā€™t stand a chance.

The cat that lives here is ā€œtameā€ by outdoor cat standards, but she has fought off big tomcats a number of times. She is either spayed or infertile thankfully, but that doesnt keep the other wandering cats from leaving her alone. If she can kick a 20 lb feral tomcatā€™s behind, not much besides a coyote or bobcat stands a chance with her.

One night i saw a cat in my garden (not mine). I just said hi and went back inside. I encourage it to come back and get all the mice/voles.

Near 30F. Some sleet/ice mix fell so far. Not sure about the roads. They salted them like crazy yesterday///most iā€™ve ever seen.

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Voles must not taste very good. Our cat kills them but wonā€™t eat them. Mice on the other hand must be yummy.

A bit of snow here. Not much salt gets spread on rural MN roadways.

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