I live, write, and garden in the PNW with my husband of 27 years, disabled daughter, college-aged son, and my 84-year-old mother. We have paid off $250,000.00 worth of debt (if you include the interest) in the last fifteen years and as of 6/12/2020 are 100% DEBT FREE!!!!It is a really good thing that DH was not trying to get home this week and that he is working an extra week as they have been in whiteout conditions for the last few days and no planes would be able to take off and land. What is a whiteout? It's when blizzard conditions reach stage 3 and no one is allowed to go outside. Visibility is gone, all you see is white, whirling, blinding snow. Stage 2 they are allowed to go outside but they must travel in caravans of 4 or 5 trucks. Stage 1 is when you must travel with 2 trucks together.
DH sent me some pictures after he was allowed to go outside again. It is still snowing, but no longer blizzard conditions.
Even when they are in whiteout conditions and can't fully do their jobs, they still get paid. It's one of the hazards of working in the arctic.
It's been cold here, too, but nowhere on that scale. The last few days have hovered around 28 degrees F. It has been taking 20 to 25 minutes to defrost the van every morning, even with deicer, because the inside of the window is just so cold it takes forever to unfog enough to drive. I am going to have to buy some more deicer soon.
I read somewhere that wiping the inside windshield with isopropyl alcohol can prevent that fogging over, but I've never tried it before. I think I will do that, though. Or at least look for some type of antifogger.
The days have been very sunny this week, but that's deceptive. It's just very icy. I keep waiting for it to snow here, not that I want it to, but it only brushes the tops of the foothills. Today the chickens were doing the one foot stand, like a flamingo. They keep one foot up against their fluffy warm bodies and then switch off. We put some hay down for them as that helps insulate them from the frozen ground.
My son is still running a fever today, but he looks a little better than yesterday. DD had early release today and came home and crashed for 3 hours. I hate the flu. It is just so enervating. At least I still can function.
Whiteout
January 16th, 2013 at 11:29 pm
January 16th, 2013 at 11:33 pm 1358379222
January 16th, 2013 at 11:40 pm 1358379602
I also have to give your husband credit for doing what sounds like an incredibly difficult and lonely job.
January 16th, 2013 at 11:47 pm 1358380075
January 17th, 2013 at 12:27 am 1358382451
January 17th, 2013 at 01:02 am 1358384549
January 17th, 2013 at 07:51 am 1358409084
Wow--Difficult, yes, but not lonely. There are a lot of workers up there. The chickens are okay at night, they sleep on a perch all cuddled together, so a warm floor would not help them, except to keep the water thawed.
Nika--Yes, it's beautiful, but no mountains so no skiing. Also -50 F, and even colder with the windchill. As much as you like skiing, I don't think you'd go out in that kind of cold!
Laura--And that is just the area they plowed!
Twest--Thanks. Flu is no fun, so I'm glad he's becoming more functional.