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[geek]

I guess it's time to check on your apartment in the DR

It’s done, going back maybe end of January to work remotely for a few days.

 

[winemaker81]

Another reason I’ve been wanting to move to NC, hoping I can pull the plug in 2022

It's a trade-off. June through early September is typically 95+ F and 200% humidity. Real snow (as you understand it) is a rarity, but we've had 24" drops, so it's not unknown. Ice storms and freezing rain are NOT what you understand -- it's a different beast, as transplants learn the hard way. Road treatment is not like it is in the north -- when there is freezing rain or snow, stay home. That means less clueless idiots on the road.

Sounds ugly, doesn't it?

Actually, it's not. It's different, and once you accept that you're not in CT anymore, it can be very nice.

If you haven't already, visit the area you're interested in, in the summer and winter. Unless you're moving to the coast, the fall (hurricane season) and the spring are just great. Kind of like summer in the northeast.

 

[geek]

It's a trade-off. June through early September is typically 95+ F and 200% humidity. Real snow (as you understand it) is a rarity, but we've had 24" drops, so it's not unknown. Ice storms and freezing rain are NOT what you understand -- it's a different beast, as transplants learn the hard way. Road treatment is not like it is in the north -- when there is freezing rain or snow, stay home. That means less clueless idiots on the road.

Sounds ugly, doesn't it?

Actually, it's not. It's different, and once you accept that you're not in CT anymore, it can be very nice.

If you haven't already, visit the area you're interested in, in the summer and winter. Unless you're moving to the coast, the fall (hurricane season) and the spring are just great. Kind of like summer in the northeast.

Sounds like a good trade off for me
Oh, you forgot to mention the big difference in properly taxes, really sucks in CT

 

[winemaker81]

Oh, you forgot to mention the big difference in properly taxes, really sucks in CT

You are totally correct. Living costs are similar in many ways, but property taxes are MUCH less.

Given the opportunity to move back north, we'd pass.

 

[geek]

 

[Sage]

It's really dumping on us right now and no end in sight!! Might be time to start Popper (1956 JD crawler\dozer).

 

[Sage]

My shooting bench, yesterday and today. That was at noon, snowed another 4" after that was taken.

 

[RRRwine]

I HAVE THE BEST DAUGHTER EVER!!!!

totally unsure where we will display this in hte house. Not even sure I can bring myself to open any of them without the full costume party to go with it!

 

[Sage]

Maybe it's stopped!! Taken 2 minutes ago.



And now sunshine!!!

 

[Sage]

And now it's snowing again...

 

[jswordy]

See Hitchcock, Alfred. The snows in the Midwest have brought our annual migration of grackles and starlings. I watched one packed flock fly past the farm yesterday for over a half hour before it finally petered out. That's a lot of birds!

 

[jswordy]

You are totally correct. Living costs are similar in many ways, but property taxes are MUCH less.

Given the opportunity to move back north, we'd pass.

While I love the state, NC is one of the higher-cost Southern states. Cost of living in Tennessee, where I live, is below national average. Property taxes are VERY low and total taxation is moderate. There is no income tax, and the state has a huge surplus. We were very fortunate to buy here in 1990, so we have seen an astronomical increase in our property's value. It's almost hard to believe when I think about what it is worth now.

I work in booming, high-tech Huntsville, Ala., and live in low-cost Tennessee. It's a 25-mile commute but so worth it when I get out a calculator.

The older I get, the more I like the heat. I have to work out in it on the farm. Summer in the South is like winter in the North. You stay indoors more and learn to do to physical chores in the morning whenever possible. I save my heavy farm work for the balmy winters, when we don't see really cold temps until the end of January and most of February, after which it starts warming up. I just finished a fencing project. Born Southerners will tell ya, as they have told me, "It's too cold out to do any work." Mid-50s is too cold for them, but perfect for this former Midwesterner.

My wife is a longtime TN girl. Her farmer father moved from CT to TN in 1968. I'll never forget our last year on the plains of Illinois, we were sitting in the living room and there was 4 feet of snow on the ground. It was -40 F and the wind chill was -90. The whole town was frozen up. Sue looked at me and said, "We are not staying here another year!" By March, she had a new job in Virginia, and we were headed south.

We've been in the South now since 1983, though it was strange when moving to TN to tell people we came from Virginia and they'd say, "Wad y'all do up North?" I'd be like, "Virginia? Capitol of the Confederacy?"

I grew up in the Midwest, so I did my time! Illinois, 1977. That black box is the lid of the gas grill.

 

[ibglowin]

NYE was nonstop rain/sleet/snow that melted immediately as both the air and ground temps were too warm to stick. This continued off an on all night long but changed over finally to snow that stuck around 3AM and continued until around 7AM. The rain gauge had over 1.5" of water in it. They say a good average is 0.1" of rain = ~1" of snow so using that we got ~15" of snow if it would have all "stuck". This was a huge and welcome storm for the Southwest. Much needed and it created a beautiful sight afterwards!

 

[jswordy]

A few shots of damage five miles south of my farm from a probable EF-0 to EF-2 tornado touchdown last night. It was contained in a helluva storm that we felt, too. The whole thing was rotating so that rain was pelting my northern house windows. It never does that. About the time I was saying "What the..." when I saw that, the siren went off and phone flashed.



I always thought he was nuts to let the trees grow beside this garage. Yup. They must have swayed hard and got it breaking loose.



This house is only a few months old...



...and it looks to me like somebody didn't do their job well on that one sheet...



This guy's porch roof...



...wound up taking out his neighbor's end gable. See debris below...



Now awaiting tonight's 1-3 inches of snow. SMH!

 

[jswordy]

Oh baby! Heading this way. Complete with 15-25 mph winds!

 

[winemaker81]

A few shots of damage five miles south of my farm from a probable EF-0 to EF-2 tornado touchdown last night.

Tornadoes can leave a swath of devastation. A few years back we had one pass within a mile of our house. Wow. Ya gotta see it to truly believe it.

 

[MapleAndSpruce]

New shelves and tables

 

[jswordy]

Birthday surprise for me! Local weatherman Brad Travis on Saturday evening: "We might see some snow out of this system but it won't accumulate because the ground is too warm." Got 5-6 inches here, Brad. Very pretty. Now it can melt asap! It'll all be gone in two days.



So to recap: Saturday, sitting on my back porch in shorts with a beer at 77 degrees. Sunday: 55 falling to 40 by early evening. Sunday night: 32 with snow. Monday morning, see below...

 

[jswordy]

Tornadoes can leave a swath of devastation. A few years back we had one pass within a mile of our house. Wow. Ya gotta see it to truly believe it.

I have been in 3 tornados and 2 hurricanes – so far!

A few years back, I was out on my farm battening down stuff against a coming storm when I watched this entire cloud begin to rotate over my pasture, moving west.



It skipped over my immediate neighbors to the west and set down again about 4 miles west of me as the crow flies, where it did this and more.







Dodged a bullet by being at the beginning of it that day.

 

[bstnh1]

Outstanding sunset tonight!!