Tootsall

So last week they said it would snow lightly Saturday night. So on Saturday I go out and buy new Michelins for Mrs. Toots' car. About 3 this afternoon it started snowing. Gaaaaaa.





THIS IS TOO EARLY, PEOPLE!!!!

Lazorphaze

nice fountain, toots.
but my house and neighboorhood look awesome in snow. especially with the huge piles made by the snow plows, which we use to make snow forts.

DrunkIQ

I have the same comment - love the fountain...

Glad I don't have to drive in that mess - do you just buy M+S tires?

-marc

Tootsall

Yeah... normally the snow here is light and "dry". Plus, some of you Southerners may not believe this, but the colder it gets the more traction there is in (powder) snow... the ice crystals grow with sharper "points". The absolute worst stuff (other than what we call "Black ice" which is the ice that forms when frost comes out of the pavement but the air is still cold.... you can't see it!) is the 4" of heavy, wet "glop" that clogs tire treads, pulls you into the ditch and plasters itself to your windshield where it bogs down the wipers.

I used M&S tires on one vehicle and that was back when I was driving a GMC 3/4 ton conversion van... used it for a LOT of mountain driving. Front wheel drive is sooo much better if you are going the 2WD route. A standard transmission helps too...the brakes and steering aren't fighting the driving wheels like what happens with an automatic (or you can pop the auto into "neutral").

Someone once told me "You only get stuck deeper with 4WD and you still can't brake or steer any better plus it costs a lot more to maintain". I've never had 4WD but would consider it if they built Subarus with more leg room for us tall guys.

W Scott

Ed,
Whoever made the comment that you 'can't brake or steer any better with 4wd' probably never had one.

Up here in Tahoe that's what every full time resident has and I can tell you that I'll slide with the truck in 2wd and stop sliding in 4wd when there is snow. Ice---well, not much helps you there!

I'm watching snowflakes come down too! I'm hearing of a developing El Nino that's just might make Tahoe a very white place indeed!

__________________
Gabriel is NOT a woodwind player!

Bourbon City

Gentlemen, I used to think the same thing about 4wd and ice. Then one day I got stuck near the bottom of a hill trying to go up it. I was traveling in 2wd with my 4wd Ranger. There was too much ice on the road to continue traveling. Me and others were stuck along side the road. I never gave it a thought to lock my front hubs and try 4wd. After all 4wd won't help you on ice - everyone knows that, don't they? Well that is not entirely true.

This little girl in a blazer came by doing around 25 mph and made it up and over the hill that had stopped me. Well, I locked my hubs, shifted into 4wd high and took off. I couldn't travel fast, but 20 mph or so on ice is fast enough. Me and my Ranger made it home just fine. Adequate control. Adequate breaking. 4wd does just fine on ice as long as you use your head more than your right foot.

That's my 2 cents.

__________________
Dale Schmidt, P.E.
Bridges to build and Rivers crossed...

Tootsall

Bill, Dale... check your PM.

oldcomebackgeezer

Hey Tootsall - I had to look up Palliser's Triangle on Google to see where it was. The pictures make me homesick for my old stomping ground in Alaska, eh! Seems I have been in your neck of the woods several times on my way to and from Alaska. I've been in Edmonton (Love that West Edmonton Mall), Red Deer, Calgary (too bad about the Flames in the playoffs), Ft. Macleod and Lethbridge. Love Canada and Canadians, and am a avid Hockey fan. I even considered imigrating to Canada once, but found Alaska to my liking also. I guess I am weird, but I love the North Country, snow, and all that goes with that lifestyle. I probably would have wound up in Whitehorse, as it is about (aboot) the right size, and I always enjoyed visiting there in my travels to Alaska. Don't know what opportunities are there for amateur trumpet playing, but I'm sure something is going on along that line.

Thanks for posting the pictures. By the way, I just came back from Orchestra practice. The first chair trumpet player tried out my new Olds Recording, and liked it so much he asked for a second session with it. I wasn't sure he was going to let me have it back in time to play it myself during rehersal. He is a High School music teacher, and a pretty good player. His usual instrument is a 5 or 6 year old Bach Strad, so guess the Olds compared favorably with that. I know that I was able to play much better tonight than usual.

What city in Alberta do you live in? Just curious.

Les

Tootsall

Geezer.... give me a holler next time you are through Lethbridge! Band night is Thursday evening... I'm sure we can find you a stand or you can read off my music. Heck, you can try my Eclipse and I"ll give your Olds a shot.

http://www.lcbs.ca