This ICE is driving me crazy.

DFB · Jan 1, 2001

Hey Ernie. That guy is probably giving good advice if your ashes come from burning household trash. I would have to believe those type of ashes could contain toxic by- products. My source for those interested is DOWN TO EARTH VEGATABLE GARDENING KNOW-HOW written by Dick Raymond printed by GARDEN WAY PUBLISHING in Pownal VT.
Just for grins /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif here's a photo of a moose taken at the Maine state game farm.
And Bird, I think that's great your wife making that wild game chile for you. Mine won't even cook it, forget about her eating it.

Bird · Jan 1, 2001

DFB, that picture wasn't taken right recently was it? I wouldn't expect to see that felt still on the antlers this time of year.

Bird

DFB · Jan 1, 2001

No, it was taken in late summer. Labor Day weekend I think. I'll tell ya the critter that impressed me the most was a mountain lion. Awesome size for a cat. Its no wonder people near killed them off. I sure wouldn't want to run across one of them in the wild.

Bird · Jan 1, 2001

DFB, I guess you know the mountain lion is making a comeback in some parts of the country, and becoming a dangerous nuisance again. There were even some reports of sightings in Dallas County this past year and a professional hunter was even hired to set traps, etc. but no results. I wonder whether one was actually seen. And a couple of years ago, some folks who live about 10 miles from me told me they think that's what killed their 250# ram and took him over a 4' fence without damaging the fence. Personally, I have some doubts, but who knows?

Bird

DFB · Jan 1, 2001

Bird, They've been having those types of sightings western MA and southern VT too. The state officials say there no proof but people claim to have seen tracks and scat. The one I saw at the wildlife park was a male. About 9 ft long from nose to tail. It was holding a deer leg in its mouth. Couldn't get a photo before it took off into its den./w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

EddieW · Jan 1, 2001

Thanks DFB, I wrote the information down and stuck in my wallet so I can get some tomorrow. I finally got the ice off by using my front end loader and pointing it down, setting it down until the front tires alomost rose off the ground then backing up. I could take about a 6" bite each time but it finally came loose. It took a while to do 150' driveway but since I couldn't get out I didn't have much else to do. It was nice to drive the tractor again. I will get some of the stuff and keep it in the garage.

ERNIEB · Jan 1, 2001

Bird and DFB, Some of the people on here from California may know more about this, but I heard in someplaces where homes are being built in mountain areas, there have been attacks on people by mountain lions.

Ernie
"Do not be uneasy about me, I am among friends"
David Crockett 1836 (in a letter to his family)

Harv · Jan 1, 2001

Ernie -

I haven't heard anything about mountain lions in recent years, but just last month several bears ransacked some summer cabins (including ours) in the Kirkwood area here in California. That's at about 7,700 feet, altitude-wise.

No humans were attacked, but the area is lightly populated, and the bears were oblivious to people shouting at them. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

Bird · Jan 1, 2001

ErnieB, I just saw a story recently on TV about the same thing in California, including a woman jogger that was killed by a mountain lion and a child that was attacked and severely mauled before being scared off by the child's mother. There was also some publicity about hikers in Big Bend National Park being warned about mountain lions after someone was attacked there.

Bird

TWINKLE_TOES · Jan 1, 2001

Tom,

My two cents on surge protectors. Modern surge protectors are semiconductor devices which are intstalled across the lines. They come in a variety of technologies from Metal Oxide Varistors MOV's to Transorbs (registered tradmark of General Instruments). The Transorb is effectively a special Zener diode. Both of these devices are only lightly conductive at voltages experienced in normal household environments. At voltages above normal they become conductive and dissipate the energy during the abnormal condition. There is nothing inherent about these devices that limit their life. A well designed unit should last a lifetime.
The key word is "well designed". Most of the less expensive units in service today that have experienced a transient overvoltage of any consequence are probably dead and offer no protection at all. As far as self testing, I have never seen one that actually tests it's ability to withstand a voltage transient.

I think the best way to assure you are adequately protected is buy a device that is design compliant to the requirements of IEC 61000-4-2 (Electro Static Discharge) IEC 6100-4-4 (Fast Transients) and IEC 6100-4-5 (Electrical Surge Voltage)