Ralph, just watched your latest video featuring your old IH truck.  That is just one fine machine.  Thanks, as always, for taking the time to make and post those videos.

Dean

Glad you liked the videos Dean. I'm just trying to keep the International name alive.
Down to -22F here this morning with a high of -10F. Not a bad day at all with bright sunshine and no wind at all.
Coyotes are looking healthy. This one from my trail cam.

Glad you liked the videos Dean. I'm just trying to keep the International name alive.
Down to -22F here this morning with a high of -10F. Not a bad day at all with bright sunshine and no wind at all.
Coyotes are looking healthy. This one from my trail cam.

Ralph,

You beat our fourteen below on Tues night by 8 degrees.  We did a little better than you on Wed., as we made plus 5 with the help of full sunshine.  Thur. night made minus 5 and last night, minus 2.  It seems we are in a warming trend for a few days with extreme cold scheduled to return early next week.  That is a great coyote photo that you caught. Thanks for posting it.  There are low numbers of the critters around here.  i have seen tracks out back, but never met one in person.  Sure have plenty of deer making the nightly rounds through the yard.  

Charlie

Ohio facing another Siberian express. About -5 for tonight and strong winds and 3 to 5 inches of snow. Wind is already more than 30 mph and snow just starting to come down. Temp now is 10 degrees at 5;00 PM. Warmest it has been all week. Was down to -8 Wednesday morning and then again this morning. Winds have made it just too bad to be out very long.

Been enjoying the warm house. Bought a laptop computer Wednesday and been learning a little on how to use it. Trying to catch with technology.

Haven't seen any signs of coyotes here lately. Not even any tracks in the snow. Not very good hunting for them here.


Gene

Melting yesterday, today it is cold and snowing. Gene, you are really updating things there. Is your new furnace propane? I hear no end of talk on the forums about the sky-rocketing price of propane and the real possibility of running out in some places. I hear it may affect natural gas prices too which would be bad news for most of us as natural gas is the heat of choice here. Also it will increase fertilizer prices. Just what we need with the hit we have taken on grain prices this winter. That is if we could actually sell any grain.
The coyote pic is just one of many I have. I have a "bait station" that attracts them so at least I am getting a few interesting photos like this fierce looking one.

Weather here in Ohio is the big news item. High winds and frigid temps has a forecast of -15 degrees with 30 to 35 mph winds tonight will drive wind down to -35 to -40 degrees. Have about 6 inches of snow on the ground that is drifting with the high winds. Went to bed last night with 37 degree temp and woke up to 1 degree and dropping.

Took the little Case and snowblower out yesterday and cleared the driveway and barnlot so I can get out if I have to. Also cleared a path to the woodshed trailer so I can bring in more wood.

Gene

Yes, the furnace is propane. Natural gas is not an option here. No lines close and no plans to install them. De Graff is 6 miles away and plans are to have ng there, but only been talk for last 3 years. LP price was $1.65 here early fall. i filled my tank in December at $2.40. Price now is over $3.00. Many suppliers have a 200 gallon maximum delivery, but my supplier say they have adequate supply to supply everyone. Just at a price.

I had wondered how you heated since you no longer heated with wood.

Gene, hopefully the price of propane will settle down to a sensible level soon and nobody will run out. Sounds like our weather hit you last night. We had extreme winds blowing the new snow yesterday. Swept the open areas down to ice or frozen ground and put up some big hard drifts in other places, like in front of some of my barn/bin doors. At -10F is was bad enough in the morning but worse by late afternoon when it was down to -18F. I walked part way out to check the driveway and nearly froze my nose walking back. Not planning to start a tractor today as it is -32 this morning. At least the wind has dropped.
This picture from yesterday morning.

Well, Ohio had a taste of the polar express. This morning we had a record low temperature for Logan county of -17 degrees. Fortunately we had very little wind so the wind chill factor was not as low as predicted. Our high temperature is the current 4 degrees with bright sunshine all day. I was able to work outside without too much discomfort. Shoveled a little snow and dug some wood out of the outside wood pile. Warming trend coming in so tonight should be the last below zero weather. Gas furnace ran quite a bit overnight and I got up 2 times to add wood to the stove. Was nice and comfortable in the house when I got up.

Bandy has enjoyed being out quite a bit the last 2 days. He lays at the corner of the house or top of the hill by the shop. Keeps an eye on the neighbors and barks at everything that moves. Didn't spend much time outside on his early morning outing at 5:45am.

Gene

Gene, I guess it is never hard to keep warm shoveling snow or gathering firewood. Today was the first day above zero so far this week. Hit a high overnight near 20 and then dropped steadily to down near zero by mid day. Kind of backwards but I guess nothing is normal now when it comes to weather. Got another interesting trail cam shot featuring a stand off between two of the local wild creatures.

Ralph, those are some cool photos--thanks for sharing them!

Forecast is calling for temps at or near freezing tomorrow, which will be fine with me.  I do enjoy seasons in all their glory and drama, but some milder stretches now and then sure make life easier.

Dean

Ralph, I will put my money on the skunk. Always liked them. Probably one of the most social wild animals out there. They are very friendly when not threatened.

Forecast for warmer weather. Looks like the below zero temps are behind us. Couple express systems lined up to the west, but looks like the track will be mainly to north of us. Forecast for Saturday is warm and rain, then colder again for next week. Maybe we will get rid of the snow. Was out with the snowblower yesterday evening and cleared some drifts on front of the shop and barn door and around the truck. Also cleared a lane along the airstrip so I can get back to the woods with the tractor and trailer to haul some firewood. and cut some more of the down trees.

Hope the snow tomorrow misses us. My neighbors are taking me out for supper for my birthday. Don't want to miss that.

Gene

I think the skunk will be fine Gene. I saw him in a few more frames later on. They get a little too friendly here and come up to help themselves from the cat dish on rare occasions. I released a live one from a raccoon trap last summer. It took a bit of patience but as you say, they are not a bad animal and I think help control mice.
Plenty of below zero weather still to come for us. Wind chill is in the -30s today they tell me. I guess I will find out when I get beyond the shelter of the trees. Not sure if my driveway is passable even in 4 WD with winter tires but will give it a go. If nothing else I will keep warm shoveling snow to get unstuck.
Not quite as cold as it was a few days ago when I shot this video.
[video=youtube;agbVf3Z6oVU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agbVf3Z6oVU[/video]

Have a skunk story to tell.

In high school, I worked for a farmer a few miles from home. Ralph was very particular about building fence. It was probably middle of August and Ralph wanted to build a fence to pasture part of the barnyard. To set a railroad tie for a corner post, we had to dig a hole 6 feet x 6 feet and 4 feet deep and braced the bottom of the tie with 4 2x4's. Naturally in August the ground is very hard and dry and took 3 days to dig this hole. Corner post was just a few feet from a chicken house that sat about 18 inches above ground. First day of digging I would see a shadow moving under the chicken house and just thought it was a cat. Second morning I looked over and mama skunk was outside watching me. That afternoon she was out again with her 4 babies watching all the action. Third morning mama and her babies were right at the edge of the hole as I was digging, all were very curious what was going on. I was able to pick up the babies and Ralph's son got a picture of me that afternoon standing in the hole and holding the 4 babies in my arms and mama right beside me. Have had special respect of them ever since.

Gene

Happy Birthday, Gene.  Best wishes for another healthy and prosperous year.  

I sure can't blame you for walking fast in that raw wind, Ralph.  If you slowed down you might freeze to the ground on the spot.  See you did a little tree pruning near the end of this video.  That is sort of a back door way to get the job done, but if it works, well..........................     Great trail cam shots.  My money is in the skunk also, although I did have a short hair that killed a skunk one time, right after the skunk thoroughly washed the dogs face.  The dog was normally not aggressive but I guess the soaked face made him mad.  Quite a sight to see.  Then the dumb dog wanted to bring his kill home.  Nooo chance my friend.  You are lucky I am letting you come home.

Nice day here today.  High in the high 20's.  Bright sunshine all day and not much wind.  Another day closer to spring.

Charlie

Trying something new. Got a new laptop last week and checking to see if I have learned enough to post a message.

    Warmed up today to 35 degrees and forecast for 43 tomorrow with freezing rain and then rain for most of the day. 2 days of warm temps, then back to below freezing and more snow by first to middle of next week. Just a light sleet this afternoon and a chance of light snow this evening

    Worked in the wood pile back of the barn digging some wood out of the snow and stacking it inside.
 
    Neighbors will take me out to supper tonight. Probably go to Mount Victory to Plaza Restaurant. Will be a nice birthday celebration.

         Gene

Hi Gene. Hope you survived your birthday celebrations. Looks like your laptop skills are just fine at posting here. We had close to 35 degrees here this morning too, but on the minus side. Hit a high of -8F yesterday but enough wind chill factor to make it miserable out in the wide open spaces. More of the same (or worse) predicted for today and the rest of this month in fact. On the plus side, I've only had to run the snowblower over the driveway once so far this winter so the old 40 is having an easy winter.