Bob77064
Elite Member
Ice is very hard to drive on with any vehicle, snow is much easier.
Texas Fall/Winter thread!
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blueriver
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I managed to go to work for a few hours this afternoon. Temps were already beginning to fall when I got home, and with my driveway in the shade, it never melted. Had a very thin layer of liquid on top of an inch of ice. So, after sliding a bit, hoping to get into the drive, with no luck, my truck is now parked in a dry area between the house and the barn. Even that took a little effort Might be noontime tomorrow before I try to drive it out of here again. I've had enough ice to last me a lifetime, in this one event!
I bet is was tough walking in those spiked black heels !!!
Bird
Rest in Peace
Maybe it's just my old memory fading, but I can remember some times when this area had some colder weather, and I can remember some times when we had more serious ice storms with even worse driving conditions than we've had lately, but I can't remember the ice and low temperatures ever lasting this long here. With the clear skies and sunshine today, the rain gutter downspouts on the south side of the house had water running out of them this afternoon, but the ones on the north side of the house show nothing but ice.
farmgirl19
Super Member
It was, but at least those heels make my tush look good, even under all those layers of clothes! :laughing:
NativeSon
Veteran Member
Add more layers of clothes when having to work out on the ice........protect the tush at all cost.
Charlie
farmgirl19
Super Member
IMO blueriver is doing an excellent job of trying to produce a healthy meat product. Whether his practices are individual or as a result of a group of producers that he is affiliated with they go far beyond the term "Natural"
That does not mean that we can expect "Natural" from other producers to be the same practices, which was my point.
Since we are what we eat, and you brought up questions concerning hormones, antibiotics and poultry, here are a couple interesting references
that tie food production and labeling together.
Food Politics » Yes, one more post on the meaning of “natural”
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/wcm/co...ling-terms/meat-and-poultry-labeling-terms#14
farmgirl19
Super Member
And even more scary is that the FDA is going to allow chickens to be imported from China. Last I heard, this past summer, FDA has given approval. What many don't realize, is that, some already are imported from China, and still called "product of USA". If it is hatched here, it can then be sent to China for grow out and processing, then frozen and shipped back here as USA product. At least one of the "major names" in your supermarket do that.
Also, since arsenic is considered an element, and not a drug, producers of poultry use it to add weight gain, and the levels are not regulated, as an antibiotic would be. You should see some of the levels of arsenic found in chickens, bought at your local grocer, and sent to independent labs for testing. And yes, some growers are worse than others. Pilgrim's Pride used to be free of added stuff, such as that, but since Bo Pilgrim died, I have not seen how things are changing there, other than the name on the package.
As blueriver said, chickens are a whole 'nother story. If you think eating chicken is healthier, you might be surprised, unless you raise your own. And if you buy eggs at the grocer, and get some that come from chickens fed organic scratch and free roaming, when you crack one of each and put them in the skillet side by side, you can see a HUGE difference. There is as much difference in taste too, as between raw milk and the stuff you buy in the stores that is called milk.
There is no definition to "Natural". I am aware of that. From the PM I rec'd, I think blueriver and I are talking the same language, and meanings/understandings. I do laugh at the items in grocery stores called "all natural". That doesn't always mean healthy. After all, my dogs' poop is all natural, but I sure wouldn't want to eat it!
Also, since arsenic is considered an element, and not a drug, producers of poultry use it to add weight gain, and the levels are not regulated, as an antibiotic would be. You should see some of the levels of arsenic found in chickens, bought at your local grocer, and sent to independent labs for testing. And yes, some growers are worse than others. Pilgrim's Pride used to be free of added stuff, such as that, but since Bo Pilgrim died, I have not seen how things are changing there, other than the name on the package.
As blueriver said, chickens are a whole 'nother story. If you think eating chicken is healthier, you might be surprised, unless you raise your own. And if you buy eggs at the grocer, and get some that come from chickens fed organic scratch and free roaming, when you crack one of each and put them in the skillet side by side, you can see a HUGE difference. There is as much difference in taste too, as between raw milk and the stuff you buy in the stores that is called milk.
There is no definition to "Natural". I am aware of that. From the PM I rec'd, I think blueriver and I are talking the same language, and meanings/understandings. I do laugh at the items in grocery stores called "all natural". That doesn't always mean healthy. After all, my dogs' poop is all natural, but I sure wouldn't want to eat it!
jinman
Rest in Peace
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Got more robo-calls last night from Alvord School District. School is closed today, too. This is the longest string of closures I can ever remember. They don't want to run buses because the daytime melt/nighttime refreeze makes the county roads very treacherous at 6:00 AM when the buses run. With 4" of sleet-pack on some roads, this event has really had a slow healing process. We don't get this weather normally in the dead of winter, much less in the late fall. It had me actually looking at and pricing a hydraulic angled snowplow yesterday. I'm just not sure I want to spend $3700+ on a nice plow that may sit most of the time.
dave1949
Super Star Member
Got more robo-calls last night from Alvord School District. School is closed today, too. This is the longest string of closures I can ever remember. They don't want to run buses because the daytime melt/nighttime refreeze makes the county roads very treacherous at 6:00 AM when the buses run. With 4" of sleet-pack on some roads, this event has really had a slow healing process. We don't get this weather normally in the dead of winter, much less in the late fall. It had me actually looking at and pricing a hydraulic angled snowplow yesterday. I'm just not sure I want to spend $3700+ on a nice plow that may sit most of the time.
Sand is your friend. Sand or stone dust. Without seeing your driveway of course, my guess is a plow will either not work, or it will work while tearing up whatever is stuck to the bottom side of that ice and frozen sleet. That would be a mess to be cleaned up in spring.
jinman
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Well, I don't think it could be any worse than the mess I make with my loader bucket and boxblade. When the ice melts, I always have these little gravel piles to grade and pull back onto my driveway, but the boxblade makes short work of that. I still have a 2-3" thick coating of sleet-pack on my parking pad in front of my garage. It was stuck to tightly to the concrete that I could not pull it off with my loader bucket without really scratching the pad's surface. Later today, I'm gonna hit it with hot water using a hose and spray nozzle. If I can get some water under that ice slab, it will just slide right off the pad since it has a 18" drop over it's 24' length.
Sometimes I think I should just hook up my KK tiller and mix/chop the ice with the top layer of gravel on my driveway. It would have the traction I need and with melt the gravel would go back exactly where it came from. There's no worry of washout of the loose gravel since the ice melt is slow. As long as the gravel got repacked before the next heavy rainstorm, it would work well. It's amazing the jobs you can do with a tiller if you use your imagination.
Bird
Rest in Peace
Denton schools stayed closed again today, but the Lake Dallas schools are open.
txdon
Super Star Member
From the Snow and Ice Management Assoc. to FG19 (check out tip#1)
Tips For Safe Winter Walking
TIP #1: Wear proper footwear. Proper footwear should place the entire foot on the surface of the ground and have visible treads. Avoid a smooth sole and opt for a heavy treaded shoe with a flat bottom.
TIP #2: Accessorize to see and be seen. Wear sunglasses so that you can see in the reflective light of the snow. Also, wear a bright coat or scarf so that drivers can easily see you.
TIP #3: Plan ahead. While walking on snow or ice on sidewalks or in parking lots, walk consciously. Instead of looking down, look up and see where your feet will move next to anticipate ice or an uneven surface. Occasionally scan from left to right to ensure you are not in the way of vehicles or other hazards.
TIP #4: Make sure you can hear. While seeing the environment is important, you also want to be sure you can hear approaching traffic and other noises. Avoid listening to music or engaging in conversation that may prevent you from hearing oncoming traffic or snow removal equipment.
TIP #5: Anticipate ice. Be weary of thin sheets of ice that may appear as wet pavement (black ice). Often ice will appear in the morning, in shady spots or where the sun shines during the day and melted snow refreezes at night.
TIP #6: Walk steps slowly. When walking down steps, be sure to grip handrails firmly and plant your feet securely on each step.
TIP #7: Enter a building carefully. When you get to your destination such as school, work, shopping center, etc., be sure to look at the floor as you enter the building. The floor may be wet with melted snow and ice.
TIP #8: Be careful when you shift your weight. When stepping off a curb or getting into a car, be careful since shifting your weight may cause an imbalance and result in a fall.
TIP #9: Avoid taking shortcuts. Shortcuts are a good idea if you are in a hurry, but may be a bad idea if there is snow and ice on the ground. A shortcut path may be treacherous because it is likely to be located where snow and ice removal is not possible.
TIP #10: Look up. Be careful about what you walk under. Injuries also can result from falling snow/ice as it blows, melts, or breaks away from awnings, buildings, etc.
Tips For Safe Winter Walking
TIP #1: Wear proper footwear. Proper footwear should place the entire foot on the surface of the ground and have visible treads. Avoid a smooth sole and opt for a heavy treaded shoe with a flat bottom.
TIP #2: Accessorize to see and be seen. Wear sunglasses so that you can see in the reflective light of the snow. Also, wear a bright coat or scarf so that drivers can easily see you.
TIP #3: Plan ahead. While walking on snow or ice on sidewalks or in parking lots, walk consciously. Instead of looking down, look up and see where your feet will move next to anticipate ice or an uneven surface. Occasionally scan from left to right to ensure you are not in the way of vehicles or other hazards.
TIP #4: Make sure you can hear. While seeing the environment is important, you also want to be sure you can hear approaching traffic and other noises. Avoid listening to music or engaging in conversation that may prevent you from hearing oncoming traffic or snow removal equipment.
TIP #5: Anticipate ice. Be weary of thin sheets of ice that may appear as wet pavement (black ice). Often ice will appear in the morning, in shady spots or where the sun shines during the day and melted snow refreezes at night.
TIP #6: Walk steps slowly. When walking down steps, be sure to grip handrails firmly and plant your feet securely on each step.
TIP #7: Enter a building carefully. When you get to your destination such as school, work, shopping center, etc., be sure to look at the floor as you enter the building. The floor may be wet with melted snow and ice.
TIP #8: Be careful when you shift your weight. When stepping off a curb or getting into a car, be careful since shifting your weight may cause an imbalance and result in a fall.
TIP #9: Avoid taking shortcuts. Shortcuts are a good idea if you are in a hurry, but may be a bad idea if there is snow and ice on the ground. A shortcut path may be treacherous because it is likely to be located where snow and ice removal is not possible.
TIP #10: Look up. Be careful about what you walk under. Injuries also can result from falling snow/ice as it blows, melts, or breaks away from awnings, buildings, etc.
jinman
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Yep! Don't let FG fool you. She gets all the rain and I get all the ice.:laughing: I just came in from using hot water to make walking paths through the ice on my parking pad. There's no way that I could have got all the ice off the pad since it is 21' x 24'. We just cleared 2' walking paths and put down salt to melt any refreeze overnight. We are parking our vehicles on the gravel I cleared with the tractor, but that 24' gauntlet was very slick and dangerous. I think a big carport is moving up my list rapidly, much faster than my snow plow.
Bird
Rest in Peace
Dennis, the main streets and roads are clear around here, but there's still a thick coating of ice on the lawns and roofs of the houses, and streets that have shade also have dangerous spots. It's not quite like Dallas.
Bird
Rest in Peace
A good carport would sure be on my priority list, if I were you, Jim. We're one of the few houses in our neighborhood that parks both vehicles inside the garage. Of course I have to careful getting in and out with the ice on the driveway. Yesterday, and again right now, we have some water running out of the rain gutter downspouts on the south side of the house, but the ones on the north side just have a big ice cycle showing; no water moving at all; i.e., no visible thawing on that side of the house.
I went to the University Drive Walmart and Sam's Club before noon today. The driving lanes in the parking lot are mostly OK, but it's hard to find a parking spot in which you would not be stepping out of your vehicle onto ice. And at my age, I'm not sure I could slip, fall, and bounce back up like I used to be able to do.:laughing:
I went to the University Drive Walmart and Sam's Club before noon today. The driving lanes in the parking lot are mostly OK, but it's hard to find a parking spot in which you would not be stepping out of your vehicle onto ice. And at my age, I'm not sure I could slip, fall, and bounce back up like I used to be able to do.:laughing:
blueriver
Super Member
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I loaded those hogs to go to the butcher in my trailer that was behind the JD 5520 and backed up to the guy that's hauls them and ran them onto his trailer ... Didn't even attempt to use the 4x4 truck to move around the ice tundra here ... As I parked the trailer I noticed a slight side pass in his truck as he was leaving my drive !!!
Jim .. I vote for the snow plow .. Some thing about owning a piece of equipment that no one close to you has ... Then in several yrs when it's for sale the ad can start with "LIKE NEW NEVER USED"
Jim .. I vote for the snow plow .. Some thing about owning a piece of equipment that no one close to you has ... Then in several yrs when it's for sale the ad can start with "LIKE NEW NEVER USED"
