SoCal to CdA: How can I tell if I can handle the winter? (Boise: how much, college)

[volosong]

Originally Posted by juliejohn69

Thank you, Volosong. That is helpful info, and it seems very reasonable.

Ceramic tiles you say? I'm picturing vents on the outside of your house, that you would use to access the crawl space, is that the gist? I'll bet that saved you money, good idea. I'm putting that idea in "the file."

Those are just ventilation vents to the crawl space. About six inches by about eighteen, up against the side of the house. There are ten of them around the house, maybe nine, (I haven't taken them up yet for the summer). They have a plastic open/close flap inside, but they have been known for the wind to push them open. I noticed one day that the wind actually had the force to "pick up" one of the tiles. Only happened once this past winter. Not sure where the access to the crawl space is, but the electrician found it. He ran a outdoor electrical connection for my four-tier Bellagio fountain to inside my front room so that I can turn off the fountain at night from inside the house.

[juliejohn69]

That's trippy about the wind, it is indeed a force to be reckoned with.

A four-tier fountain? I am forced to reassess my mental picture of you now. Flannel? Check. Winter beard? Check. Outdoor Bellagio fountain that he controls from inside the house? Ummmm, check. (Not judging, mind you.)

[volosong]

Originally Posted by juliejohn69

That's trippy about the wind, it is indeed a force to be reckoned with.

A four-tier fountain? I am forced to reassess my mental picture of you now. Flannel? Check. Winter beard? Check. Outdoor Bellagio fountain that he controls from inside the house? Ummmm, check. (Not judging, mind you.)

Hah! I got you fooled. No flannel. No beard. I recently started volunteering for the Sea Cadets and since we wear Navy uniforms, (albeit slightly modified to designate Sea Cadets instead of regular Navy), I need to keep well groomed. Which means short hair, short sideburns, no facial hair. The fountain is my own little piece of Italy here in North Idaho. If I could, I would live in Italy for at least part of the year. Fascinating place. Almost as fascinating as North Idaho.

[banjomike]

If you gotta be a snowbird, Tuscany isn't bad at all in the winters.

[cleosmom]

Originally Posted by banjomike

If you gotta be a snowbird, Tuscany isn't bad at all in the winters.

[juliejohn69]

Ah, I see, thanks for correcting my misconceptions. Sea Cadets sounds like a good route for some youths. May the winds be at your back, and you can always lower your earflaps in case the short haircut leaves a chill. Thanks for knowing I was just teasing you! Your fountain sounds beautiful.

Good to know Tuscany comes in second to North Idaho, too. They both are decidedly gorgeous.

[sunflowersinthegarden]

Ways to tell that you (ok, ME) can tolerate cold and snow:
-you get SAD in the summer time. Miserable, depressed, longing for winter, hiding from the sun as much as possible.
-you always mourn the end of winter, wishing it could last another 6 months longer
-you think snow shoveling is the best exercise ever!
-you think anything past 70 degrees is roasting on fire
-you've experienced 5 Idaho winters and still long for more snow
-you like to set your thermostat to 58 degrees, just so the pipes don't freeze.
-you think being snowbound in your home is the best thing ever, hobby catch up time!!
-you never ever get cabin fever or twitchy to get out. Home is still the place to be.
-you like to help neighbors and other family shovel snow cuz you ran out of snow to shovel at your place.

[redwhiteblue]

Personally I didn't mind the cold or the snow what did bother me were the gray skies. I can handle cold and sunny or even partly sunny but the solid cloud cover was depressing.

[juliejohn69]

Sunflowers: I appreciate your post, but I'm not sure if you are being sincere about liking the cold/snow that much, or if it's sarcastic (just a function of not being able to hear your tone of voice). I'm going to assume sarcasm, but correct me if I'm wrong. So thanks for the chuckle, and I hope taking a walk on the silly side of "loving winter" made you chuckle too.

RedWhiteBlue: I hear you loud and clear. I wonder about that myself, and have been reading about D3, full spectrum lamps and bulbs, and such aids.

Does going outside help, even when it's cloudy and grey? I'm sure hoping it does.

[sunflowersinthegarden]

Originally Posted by juliejohn69

Sunflowers: I appreciate your post, but I'm not sure if you are being sincere about liking the cold/snow that much, or if it's sarcastic (just a function of not being able to hear your tone of voice). I'm going to assume sarcasm, but correct me if I'm wrong. So thanks for the chuckle, and I hope taking a walk on the silly side of "loving winter" made you chuckle too.

Actually, I'm being 100% sincere. We had the huge snow a year ago winter (breaking 30+ year records) and to me that was what a proper winter should be like. My hobbies include reading, journaling, quilting and other hand crafts... which are very compatible with cold weather. I'm also a stay at home wife/mom, so that does afford me a lot more flexibility than the typical employed person.

I spent the first 10 years of marriage in the southwest, and after we chased some of my husband's dreams, we agreed it was time to chase my dream of much more greenery. I've never once regretted moving to Idaho, just mourning at the hike in crime and vandalism in the Treasure Valley area. One town here said they used to get 30 car break in calls a month, but last summer it was around 150 calls a month. While I realize many other cities would LOVE to have that few car break ins, I've been picking up on the hesitancy and frustrations of my neighbors.

Maybe someday rural North Idaho will be in the cards for me, but in the meantime I'll just make the best of what I do have and pine for winter all the time.