weather

overheated and stranded

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I was on my way to students’ house in Cardston when my van overheated.  So now I’m stuck out here waiting for a tow truck.  I left town at 2:30pm; now 4:20pm; still another 1 hour before the tow truck shows up.

In the mean time, I was kept company by about 4 or 5 dozen cattle.  One of them named Dolly (obviously a pet) ate grass from my hand.  I would like to have stayed out there, but it’s cold out.  Now that I’m sitting in the van, it’s colder in here than out there.  How’s that?  I could feel their collective heat.

Could this be my winter travel I was hoping could happen?  Considering the van now has an issue, this might be it!

 12/8/2024  3:15 PM      3800429 stranded on HWY 5 with cattle 20241208_151517.jpg
 12/8/2024  3:16 PM      1313326 stranded on HWY 5 with cattle 20241208_151620.jpg
 12/8/2024  3:25 PM      4961156 stranded on HWY 5 with cattle 20241208_152550.jpg
 12/8/2024  3:25 PM      5210336 stranded on HWY 5 with cattle 20241208_152554.jpg
 12/8/2024  3:26 PM     10425014 stranded on HWY 5 with cattle 20241208_152558.jpg
 12/8/2024  3:36 PM      2823603 stranded on HWY 5 with cattle 20241208_153654.jpg
 12/8/2024  3:38 PM      2462500 stranded on HWY 5 with cattle 20241208_153827.jpg
 12/8/2024  3:38 PM      3475047 stranded on HWY 5 with cattle 20241208_153829.jpg
 12/8/2024  3:38 PM      1259535 stranded on HWY 5 with cattle 20241208_153844.jpg
 12/8/2024  3:41 PM      1694790 stranded on HWY 5 with cattle 20241208_154111.jpg

soooo much snow

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I shovelled the driveway four times in the past 2 days.  The snow finally stopped.  We got about 20cm (8″) of it.

So, of course, I had to include a comic or two.

Veronica & Jane

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I just met a woman from Ireland named Veronica.  She was standing in the town square in Basingstoke, UK near a statue of Jane Austen.  How’s that?

I video called my sister via WhatsApp.  When she answers, she was talking to a friend of hers on the street and introduced me.  I showed Veronica the snowy landscape in Lethbridge, just outside my windows.  It just so happened that we’ve had about a foot (30cm) of snow.  She was quite amazed.  Aizlynn showed the town square, a quaint, picturesque place.  There is a statue of the writer, Jane Austen, nearby.  We read some plaques on the ground showing bits of into.

Aizlynn & Caleb were on their way out to supper, so off they went.

first day of Spring

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Happy First Day of Spring, everybody.

Actually, it doesn’t happen until 9:06pm this evening, so, technically, this is still winter until this evening.  But it got up to 21° yesterday here, so I’d say it’s already here.  The tulips are (were) coming up.  ‘Were’ because the deer ate all the heads off already before FT and I could put the fence up.  All the snow cover has melted away leaving random lumps of dirt and gravel all over the front lawn, but some green is already coming up. 

However, we’re in for some more snow in the next few days.  Phone:

first scooter ride of the year

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I’m at Starbucks having a tall Pike.  I got here by scooter.  Yesterday was the first time this year being out on the scooter.  It’s still a little cool out – 10° today, 14° yesterday – but it was still a good ride.  The Harley riders and the diesel screamer pipe rednecks are out as well.  And I ride by with my silent but quick scooter.  Put that in your pipe.

unprepared for havoc

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Okay, I admit it.  Havoc happened.  I went out to start the van this morning, and it wouldn’t start.  I forgot to plug it in.  So I plugged it in and waited.  Still, the engine spun around and around, but it didn’t fire up.  I used the little Noco Boost Plus battery booster, and it still just spun around but didn’t fire.

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havoc (or cold snap)

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It used to be the norm here in Alberta – -20-40°C – but lately we have become soft.  Up until about a week ago, we’ve been hovering between -2°C and +15°C, but that all changed.  Our home weather station said that we got down to -37°C yesterday morning at 8:00am.  Are people prepared?  You’d think it was the end of the world.  The newspaper says,

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heat pump explained (with boiler)

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I found this while snooping around on the internet.  For those of you who keep hearing about heat pumps but still know nothing about them, this is a pretty good visualization.

A fridge but in reverse? The fascinating science of heat pumps – visualised – The Guardian (newspaper in the UK)

…except that boilers are certainly not the norm here in western Canada.  Substitute boiler with heat exchanger.

So I’ve had a heat pump at 520 for over a year now, and it works well.  To be honest, though, we still haven’t had much of a winter yet this winter.  If / when it ever gets down to -40°C, then we’ll actually put it to the test.