What's going on in California?

[bpence]

What\'s going on in California?

All you folks out on the left coast......what's going on out there?

I heard on the news the past couple of days that California is about ready to shut the lights off....no more power. This AM there was talk about rolling black-outs and that the power grid was within 2-3% of a total shutdown. That's pretty scary!

Also, the weather prognosticators around here are talking about the worst storms in 50 years coming in off the Pacific and engulfing California. Heavy rains, wind, crumbling coastlines.

Have you folks out there made all the gods mad at the same time? Sounds like you're getting a whole different kind of winter than those of us in the Eastern half of the country. Batten down the hatches and buy some extra gas for the generators.

Bob Pence

 

[TWINKLE_TOES]

Re: What\'s going on in California?

Bob,

The Northwest will save em, yesterday Bonneville power administration gave them 1,000 Megawatts, thats a billion watts, I call it a "Beg a Watt". The catch is they have to pay back double. The power deregulation has got everyone (Washington/California) in a bind.

As far as washing away we are having the highest tides in 14 years, if you couple that with a strong wind it happens.

Some places around here are seeing 22 feet of high, low tide variation. They have even started figuring in the effect of the humidity in the air increasing the level of the high tide.

I think it still beats the heck out of 100 inches of snow and being so cold you can't leave your beer on the back porch.

 

[Von]

Re: What\'s going on in California?

Twinkle,
Hey, you can still leave your beer on the back porch! It just gets colder faster and you have to drink it before it freezes!

Von

 

[ronjhall]

Re: What\'s going on in California?

Bob. All they need now is for the whole thing to fall in to the ocean./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif If enough Kubota's where to hook up to generators, do you think we could solve their power problems?/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif I guess I shouldn't be picking on them. I still remember a few weeks ago, we had snow all over the place. When it's wintertime in Michigan, and the gentle breezes blow, about seventy miles an hour and it's fifty-two below. You can tell you're in Michigan 'cause the snow's up to your butt and you take a breath of winter air and your nostrils both freeze shut. The weather here is wonderful, so I guess I'll hang around, because I could never leave Michigan. My feet are frozen to the ground!/w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

ronh/w3tcompact/icons/cool.gif

 

[RobertN]

Re: What\'s going on in California?

Well, the power thing is a pian. The power companies and controllers say blackout is emminant. But, then there are those now who say it is a farce, to raise rates. At work, we have been cutting lighting by half every day at 4pm voluntarily. Actually, everyone cheers, because the "soft" lighting is gentler to the eyes and brain.

The Surf's up! We'r eway inland, so there has been no affect to us, except indirectly. It has pushed seaweed and kelp into the cooling outlets of Diablo Canyon Nuke plant. I have friends that work there, but have not heard anything yet...

We had some nice rain and snow inland. The Sierra's got a nice blanket over the last week. But, today it was nice and sunny in Sacramento after the fog burnt off.

We had wind yesterday, but nothing like the wind we had that blew down trees and power lines in October. I was on the Engine-28 that day; we were running all over putting small fires out!

We're about on par for weather, excepting the surf. Harv, Roger, and I usually start getting our heavy rain about now. All three of us are at or below 1600'; well below our typical 3-4000' snow line.

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif

 

[RobertN]

Re: What\'s going on in California?

Von,
I should send you some homebrew Stout in trade for a venison steak /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif

 

[Harv]

Re: What\'s going on in California?

Yeah, we've been running around, looking over our shoulders, waiting for that dreaded rolling blackout to wipe us out, but so far, nothing. /w3tcompact/icons/crazy.gif

I have one range of hills between my house and San Francisco Bay. Until I see a wave wash over the tops of those hills, I'll assume everything's okay. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Thanks for the weather report, Robert. We're heading up to the property Saturday morning. Looks like I might get some tractorin' in after all. That muddy road I keep talking about will keep me from most of my project areas, but I'll bet I can find some excuse to fire up my 'Bota. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[Thomas]

Re: What\'s going on in California?

Bob,
In the last month or so you had your share of mother nature hand,but for us in the upper northeast its been quite compare to everyone else on the west side of the Appal.Mt.range /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

Kinda hard to figure..last year the west coast didn't really have a power problem that I heard of,but this year they do also BP gas company was caught fixing gas prices.

Mid summer you folks had out of this world gas pump prices until the goverment step in,kinda makes one wonder if someone not trying to line there pockets. /w3tcompact/icons/mad.gif

Heard propane prices will double on the east coast and electric shall take a price hike. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

Looks like Mr.Bush better put his foot down fast or very lean times are ahead.


Thomas..NH /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

 

[RobertN]

Re: What\'s going on in California?

Kubota's couldn't do the trick. Even mighty Farmall's could not. What is required is a Nuke Aircraft Carrier. It is very little known fact that a aircraft carrier cam in after the '86? quake in SanFrancisco, and jump started the city. Nothing else on the face of this planet has that much raw portable power.

I do not have the info on it here; I will try to find it next week and publish.

Here in the Sierra foothills, we are less than a hour drive to find snow up to you tush.

RobertN in Shingle Springs Calif

 

[bpence]

Re: What\'s going on in California?

Twinkle Toes....the beer usually doesn't freeze until it gets below 15 -20 degrees or so. And the good thing about all the snow is, you can just bury your beer in the white fluffy stuff and it'll keep your beer at an excellent 30 - 32 degrees. Amazingly, snow is a great insulator. Go figure.

Bob Pence