It's Dang cold...

isawlogs · January 16, 2004, 08:55:01 PM

  Don't need to tell anybody how cold its been ... But ill do it anyways...

   My truck was pluged in , block heater working fine ,wifes car pluged in , the mazda pick-up not pluged ... Figured 2 out of three aint bad ....
   Well murphys law came back at me and proved me wrong again...
   the only thing that was working out for me yesterday was the fire in the furnace...
   Went out to start the saturn (my wifes car) that didnt hapen it would only turn over and make beleave that it would start...

Came back in and told her I'd drive her to work with my truck seing that hers would not start. ;D Got the courage to go back out and crank the old Dodge over ... it started and idled for about 2 minutes and then started to idle real rufff I new then I was in trouble :

... the fuel was freezing up ,,, came in and told Renée that the truck was freezing up and knowing that the other pick-up was not pluged in I was not about to go and try it (then I went to have a look at the therm. Dang thing was reading -40*C)... She got a ride from the neibour ...I got to put the batery chargers on both vehiculs and put some deisel conditioner in mine plug the Mazda in and wait... by the furnace ... till 3 in the afternoon to start the saturn ... the Dodge finaly stared this morning around 10 oclock and the Mazda around 3.30 this afternoon,,,
  We have gained 25* on the thermometer in the past 24 hours .... What a heat wave ...(tis still -15*C)
  FLD you got to put that fan on and point it this way due north
   BTW I din't go near the mill ;) ;D ;D ;D

Paul_H · January 16, 2004, 09:50:29 PM

isawlogs,
That's too DanG cold

We warmed up and have been above freezing for almost a week.I went to Vancouver on Thursday and it was 56 F,clear and sunny with a gentle breeze off of the Ocean.There is no snow on the ground and the grass was green like it's supposed to be.

I was in no hurry to go home.

etat · January 16, 2004, 10:18:46 PM

Today high 54, low 44, forecast tomorrow high 55 low 51, Monday, high 38, low 22, Tuesday high 43 low 26
.
Our problem is when it does get cold it's a damp, wet cold. Or the way it jumps from hot to cold or vice-versa so quickly. Sometimes we get the occasional snow fall or ice storm but it usually doesn't last long. It really makes me wonder sometimes what the people cutting and sawing wood, a roofing crew, or construction workers do during wintertime with some of the temperatures talked about. I know y'all are probably used to and know how to deal with these temperatures, but I actually think it'd kill me! . I thing the only job I'd like would be the designated guy who keeps the fire, only time I'd leave it would be to go get wood!

Minnesota_boy · January 17, 2004, 04:09:18 AM

That Saturn would have started if you had known the trick. This isn't in the owners manual because everyone knows that nobody tries to start a car when it is that cold. When it starts to fire (cough, cough), give it a little throttle and it will start right up. It seems that the fuel injectors are computer controlled for starting and nobody programmed it for -40 because it never gets that cold where programmers live.

Neil_B · January 17, 2004, 05:13:46 AM

Minnesota is right, but make sure the car is actually running or you'll flood it if you pump the throttle while it's turning over. My wife's car, Cavalier, is pretty much the same as a Saturn. Sometimes it will flood itself when turning over and all I have to do is put the throttle to the floor and crank it a couple more times and it'll start. -40C and I haven't had any trouble starting it yet. I don't usually plug it in either.
Now my trucks are a different story. My GM diesal usually starts but should be plugged in for a couple hours. The Ford, well, the block heaters toast >:(. No go on that one until it's warm enough to start it so I can pull it up to my garage and drain it to put a new one in. Other day had a tarp and space heater with 100' of extension cord, changing out the glow plugs and fixing the fuel heater on the Ford. Tarp kept the wind off but it was still cold on the fingers!!

Tom · January 17, 2004, 08:56:44 AM

It's so--o--o-o-o cold down here that the nylon tires on my work truck get flat spots and I get double vision for the first 3 miles until they get round again.

I had some ice on the windshield the other morning and pressure switch on the pump froze too.

Yep, best stay inside in this kind of weather. ;D

Corley5 · January 17, 2004, 09:05:04 AM

On the bright side March is only 6 weeks away ;) ;D ;D of course winter doesn't end up here til May 1st but March 1st is a good day to look forward to. We had 15 below the other morning and that's the coldest we've had this winter so far. Cold's no big deal just keep the fire going. The Dodge Cummins was a little slow to start in the -10 weather though. It started last year on a couple -20 mornings with out a hitch and wasn't plugged in. We just cycle the glow plugs twice when it's 15 or colder and it starts right up. I put some Sea Foam additive in it and told Dee to buy diesel somewhere else.

Mark M · January 17, 2004, 03:37:19 PM

I hate to say this but the weather in Lima is about 75 and sunny. It doesn't seem to change much down here, not even from day to night. I'll be DanG glad to get back to my family in ND but I'm starting to like South America. The food is especially good.

Mark

smwwoody · January 17, 2004, 04:41:07 PM

I wa splowing snow in the mill yard this morning and after about 15 minutes I was ready to go stand by the fire a get warm. and the tractor had the same thought. it started to chug a little and then it stopped dead. checked the fuel tank it was 1/2 full so I pulled the filter off and sure enough full of slush. so while I was thawing it out by the fire I looked at the temp it was -14 F. hope it is warmer monday because the tractor is still sitting in the middle of the mill yard where it died

Woody

pappy · January 17, 2004, 05:21:17 PM

Mark,
"Lima is about 75 and sunny" as in Peerue??

thought you was just going deep..deep south fer a week or so....be careful that warm climate can make yous head think kinda funny... ;) you been down dey fer a bit eh??

hey guys when he starts talkin' about ze foods we might not hear from him EVER again... oh my god FF without Mark-M...

it's gotta be this cabin fever...I ain't thinking straight... Mark would never do that ;D

I bet it's the trees... they don't have trees like that in ND..it's gotta be that?? ;)

Mark M · January 17, 2004, 06:44:39 PM

Hi Termite

They have a lot of different trees down here, about the only one I recognize looks like a locus of some kind. They have some other that looks like pine trees and a lot of flowering trees. I put some pictures in http://www.pbase.com/mmathys/peru

As for food is it out of this world! Lots of fresh fruit and really good chicken, like none I've ever had. I haven't seen any grits on the menu but they have something calles Lomo Saltado that is a sirloin steak stir-fry and I love it. I've had it about 6 times

I was supposed to come back today but will return next Wednesday instead as things are slow going and communications takes a while.

I'll really be glad to get back.

Mark

Minnesota_boy · January 18, 2004, 04:41:02 AM

Hi Mark,
It's the food, I tell you! If the food had been bad, work would have progressed much quicker and you would have been back to lovely North Dakota by last Wednesday. :D :D

L. Wakefield · January 18, 2004, 08:57:10 AM

Wonderful pictures. I wish my brugmannsia looked that good right now. They are dormant after blooming- but spring is coming!

Those skulls look quite different. Any word on age, or whether the heads were stretched by some weird packaging of the babies? lw

Bill Johnson · January 18, 2004, 11:55:02 AM

Isawlogs

Bill Johnson · January 18, 2004, 11:59:15 AM

Have to try that again :D

isawlogs

Don't worry, there's good news the weather forecast says we're warming up! This weeks long range calls for highs of -9 to -18 and lows of -23 to -26 shouldn't be too bad as long as theres no wind.

Of course the heat wave is bringing snow so just have to hope it's not too big of a dump.

Bill

L. Wakefield · January 18, 2004, 01:12:13 PM

Oh!! I feel for you. You are on that part of the map that I think of as 'up there'- like 'they sure are having some horribly cold weather 'up there' Hope it stays 'up there' and doesn't come 'down here'. Course, it did this winter.

Do you'all ever give it up and move underground? lw

redpowerd · January 18, 2004, 02:49:27 PM

thats odd, seems everytime it reaches 100 deg. or -40 deg. up here we are talking 'bout underground homes.

Gus · January 18, 2004, 06:08:44 PM

Youse guys are getting the brunt of the weather over east thats for sure. :-/ It's been cold here too but I aint even going to complain

nothing like youse are going through this winter.

isawlogs · January 18, 2004, 07:51:48 PM

Got all them vehicluls started and running alright now.

As far as the saturn goes it does normaly start well when its cold, depressing the throdle down just didnt cut it that time.. guess it was just to Dang cold ??? :

Those nylon tires you mention ... Dad had a 69 Dodge coronet and he went and put Firestone 500 steel belt nylon tires on it

, when it was cold out you could of swarn you where driving on a corduroy road until them tires warmed up .... ;D ;D
   Gus...
  It really isnt that bad , Im not saying that I like it ,you do get to learn to live with it , for a few days, It dont stay that cold for long anyways It just harder on the wood pile... ;)

   The warm air is almost on us now 1/2 of jan to go then we get the feb sun and march is around the corner ...Yes sir .... 8)
   You where right Bill it did snow last night and this morning got 4 to 5 inchs Got all my plowing done without to much to fix tomorow :-[
   Only a light >:( Its not bad at least theres no teeth marks on the steering wheel....Dang plow got hooked up on the chain and I of course did not notice...hit a inverted speed bump(read sunken culvert from the frost )and hold and behold da plow unhooked and snaped down and broke the plow light from wiplash

Got me some Red Green out and duck taped it back on ;D ;D ;D
Heat wave is on -10* C Where cooking now.

isawlogs · January 18, 2004, 07:57:28 PM

L Wakefield
My wood furnace is in the basement ... does that count ???
It seems to me that I have been spending quite a bit of time there

pappy · January 19, 2004, 06:02:28 AM

Severe Weather Alert from the National Weather Service

...NORTHEAST AROOSTOOK ME-NORTHERN PENOBSCOT ME-SOUTHEAST AROOSTOOK ME- 805 AM EST MON JAN 19 2004
... WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT...

STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL WILL RANGE FROM 12 TO 18 INCHES BY THIS EVENING.

This storm started out with just 6" but I guess the low pressure bumped into another over the Canadian Mari-times and is loading up in the Gulf of Maine and dumping big time on us.

Snowmobiling is now wide open...the trails and potato fields will be super riding. 8) Anyone up for a ride??

Mark have a safe ride home...I'm gonna look at those pics...thanks

termite

PS
"Lomo Saltado that is a sirloin steak stir-fry and I love it. I've had it about 6 times"

You think ya could get the recipe for us folks at the FF, cause you know we just love ze food. :D :D

Frank_Pender · January 19, 2004, 06:26:57 AM

Hey ya, Mark, where are the trees you spoke about? :'( Some of that country looks more like South Dakota. :D

pappy · January 19, 2004, 06:33:44 AM

Ya SD with water :D :D :D

Mark M · January 19, 2004, 08:00:47 AM

Frank - Yes it is even much more barren than SD. I will try to post some of the tree pictures later and hope to be able to go out and get a few for the Identify this tree. I have been looking for a field guide to trees but they are all in Spansih.

Termite - that sounds like some storm coming your way!