Today was Glorious! We're promised 3 more days of warm, sunny, rainless skies.

I took this opportunity to awaken Nix prematurely, take her outside and give her a Bath (in Meguair's Quick Detailer or course)!

She got SO dirty over the past couple months! But she purrrrrrrred with all the attention.

She Was a bit curious about the new resident (WHO ARE YOU? WHERE'S MY FRIEND, WART?), but I parked them side by side for about an hour so they could become acquainted.

I think they'll get along fine.

Tomorrow she'll have her first outing of 2016. I can't wait!
(';')

 

You planning a nice drive and the East coasters are planning to keep digging themselves out. Diverse place America :-)

 

Thank you, Steve,
I imagine that's why the forums have been so quiet these last few months. When it's finally Spring from coast to coast though, hang onto your hat!
(';')

 

I'm sure your new resident already respects Nix's status and accepts that any attempt to compete would be futile!

 

I don't know how you do it, I can't imagine storing a car for the winter. Just a couple of days without seeing mine and it like feels lifetime without driving it.
Son has done about 3000 miles in it since mid December.

 

Well, Clarke, ya see it's like this;
Our winters are different from yours.
I don't want any more RUST!
She's BLACK, and I don't fancy having to actually WASH the mud off because the grit (there's Always grit) scratches the clear coat.

Her AC works way better than the heat does for some reason.
Her wipers are Far less than wonderful.
She has the best traction DRY CONDITION tires husband could find, with warnings about wet pavement conditions. I've been off-road once already recently (with Wart), didn't like it, don't want to do it with Nix.

However, she sleeps right across the wall through the dining area, so I go out and talk to her frequently.

But most of all, there's been this little matter of broken Wart, dealing with the other person's insurance, acquiring a replacement, and husband's ongoing medical adventures (that's what I get for marrying an older man!).

But yesterday, Nix was SO happy to be out in the Real World, seeing some old familiar places, renewing old friendships. It was hard to hold her back, and once or twice I just let her have her head. She ran smoooooooth, and quiet, and she's just as quick as ever.

She appreciates not getting her feet wet (cats HATE wet feet) but I promised her the next dry day to take her out again.
(';')

 

Yep, I think I got lucky when I moved here.

 

Elinor I guess it's what you get used to, I don't think I could live in a place where winter months were that bad. However in saying that I am sure there must be some benefits...( I would love a white Chrisrmas)...anyway I am really glad your getting an extended time out with Nnix.

 

Jim, that's why I left Montana! Winter months ARE that bad! Bitter cold; -20F isn't uncommon, -40F (-40C) is not unheard of. When I was a kid, some years we didn't see the ground from mid November until mid March! People get downright surly!

Having got a taste of California as a child with my family once, I always knew I was a California girl, merely born in the wrong place. So I set out to rectify that situation as soon as I could, and succeeded.

Winters are mercifully short in this area, only about 6 weeks of *Chilly* temperatures between late November and mid January. Yesterday for example, it was nearly 60F! I have flowers blooming, more in the bud, I saw a honeybee yesterday, and in about another 2 weeks, the Almonds will start blooming and Spring will be well and truly here!

I only go back to Montana in January, to remind myself why I left.
(';')

 

That all sound glorious - but what about the fires and earthquakes?

 

Fires and EQ's. Yes, the price we pay. I recall a families panic after one of our "big" ones, the 89, I think. "We are getting outta here". they moved to the gulf coast, just in time for one of the hurricanes!!!!
To my way of thinking, the winds and waters trump the shake!


I grew up in West Texas. The spring dust storms were the issue there. Red dust blowing at up to 80 mph blinded all and got into everything. Don't miss 'em at all.


In the 40+ years in Norcal, I dimly recall only one winter when it snowed enough to stick to the ground. And, not much at that.


But, one winter, we had a real freeze. I used a torch to thaw the pipe
coming in to the house. I was working then and got a lot of business
with busted pipes in attics!!! Not insulated around here!!!


Fussing with head cold. why do I get them in winter???


Carl

 

We do have a Wildfire season, and much damage results. But a Large portion of that damage is because people *Refuse* to create defensible space around their house. They have the idea they're somehow special and fire only happens to others, never to them.

So many people want to live in high fire danger areas by their own choice, it's like one of my friends says (Southern Good Old Boy), "Ya jes' cain't fix stoopid."

Earthquakes happen in certain areas, well known and documented by geologists. The San Andreas fault system is probably the most famous. People, Millions of them, flock to these areas like moths to a flame. Some of them have lived there for generations and don't know anything else. Although they know the danger they too think it will never happen to them.

As I'm not a native Californian, but moved here deliberately, I could choose where to live. I don't live in an area where either of these is cause for alarm. We're in a well watered area, have good defensible space around the buildings and take precautions when told to do so.

Our biggest danger here is high wind after heavy rain causing falling trees to break power lines. One of the reasons I left Montana was the constant wind. I thought I had escaped it mostly but these last 3 or 4 years, the wind has caught up with me. But given warning of damaging winds, we stock up on water and fuel for the power plant to keep the freezer cold.

I learned to deal with it as a kid so even though I HATE strong wind, I can work in it and get along pretty OK.
(';')