klw

Another story, this time with pavers. Last year we wanted to get estimates for repair/repave our driveway (110 yards long and steep). 3 companies were going to come out. 1 sent a low level employee who muttered out some loose range of numbers 20 to 30k and that they would send us a written estimate. They never did. The other two companies never showed. I am gradually doing it myself. Joys of home ownership.

We ran into many problems with consistency when we were in the St J area. People would show up once but not again. We had one guy who came and said he would be back on Tuesday to finish the project. He no showed and then called a year later to say he would be out on that upcoming Tuesday. In fairness he hadn't said the year before which Tuesday he would be back. We had another guy who was also doing a job next door. We got pretty sure he was billing us for time he was next door. We later found out (years later) from another handyman in town that he came in and helped the guy add supports in the basement when the first guy removed too much of a retaining wall and our upstairs was on the verge of collapse. We later found a vodka bottle and some emptys in a crawl space in the basement- I have no idea if the two things were connected. One day the guy billed us for 8 hours- he had put up one piece of trim around an opening. That night I rehung it properly and we let him go. I have learned to do much of the work myself as a result of these adventures.

Killington folks gone wild. https://www.wcax.com/2020/08/31/state-probing-covid-cases-related-to-killington-party/

2 possible explanations: 1. The numbers we are looking at are from July. The State really reopened in June. Many professional services required for closing on houses were not really running until then so Attorneys could not do title searches, hold closings, etc. So even if that place for sale was instantly under contract places were not closing until July. Then you need to get in, figure out what changes are to be done, get contractors etc- so there is a time line. Thus the huge explosion recently in construction material costs. Lets see where those construction employment figures are come September. 2. Vermont may not put electricians, plumbers under the construction category but as other professional services. It could be an accounting issue. Also: Fewer kids are going into trades up here. For instance when we first moved to the St. Johnsbury area, the St J Academy had a thriving electrical program with two full time teachers. We had a class of kids come out and do wiring projects at our house. Within 2 years, one of the teachers were gone and the program was hanging on by a thread due to lack of student interest despite the opportunities that are out there in the area for good reliable electricians, plumbers, etc.

If you look hospitality is not the biggest employment sector but rather is behind government, health care, professional and business services, retail trade, and manufacturing. Sure it does add money to some other sectors but Vermont is not as dependent on tourism as perceived though it certainly helps.

Here is a webcam in Hamden, in case it is heading that way: https://www.see.cam/us/ct/hamden/highwood-historical-scsu-route-10-foot-bridge

That would probably cause damage in Tolland.

So Alabama is safe? Fake news!

I was in Peacham that season. We ended up with 41" and the largest was on 12/29 with 5.5 inches. The breakdown was: 2015-16 Biggest 12/29 5.5 first, 10/17 last 5/16 Oct- .5 Nov. .5 Dec 7.0 Jan 11.0 Feb: 13.4 Mch 3.7 Apr 4.7 May .2 Total: 41.0 The other years in Peacham where I tracked seasonal totals were: 2011-12 76.0 2012-13 102.2 2013-2014 total 105.0 2014-15- Total: 111.6

Live free or die. Worst I have ever had it was the summer of 03. We were living in W. Warwick RI at the time. The neighborhood sounded almost like a warzone on July 4. The dogs were manic. Making it hard to understand was that we lived about 4 blocks from the Station Nightclub and the fire had just been about 4 months earlier. Only having one neighbor within a half a mile has lessened this issue.

Good to hear they were okay. I am just shocked that there are trees left in Tolland to fall down. I would have thought they all would have come down the past 5 years based on the number of downed trees and power lines we have seen over the years.

Meltwater is pouring off the roof now. I'll be out working in the yard soon this afternoon at this rate.

Another picture:

Sun is coming out more frequently and we are up to 34 now so the melting has begun. Last measurement gives us 2.6".

2 inches on the outside table, clumpy on the ground depending on where there is grass, wet ground, etc. That poor birch above the wheelbarrow has been bent over since a storm in January? when we had snow then ice then snow and it then didn't melt off the trees for over a week. 30f and light snow at the moment.

Funny but I was thinking about that everytime I hit a rock yesterday. Yup this is why they all moved to Ohio.

I spent the weekend building stone steps up the embankment of the backyard. Our property has a large number of rocks everywhere and whenever I have done any digging, I inevitably hit a large stone somewhere. When I was digging the raised beds I ended up lining the outsides with stones from the beds instead of wood. I frequently had to resort to using a prybar to get the biggest ones out of the earth. So yesterday and today I took about 25 of the biggest flat stones and built a staircase. Hardest parts were when I would hit stones where I was trying to dig out to put the steps in. The other aggravating factor is that the lower part is very wet this time of year so the area I would dig would fill with water and muck. It was pretty fun yesterday with the COC day haowever. In terms of mulch, our town has a shed outside the transfer station. In the winter there is salted grit any resident can go and get. The other 4 months there is free mulch- mostly pine. I just go with about twenty containers and fill away. I did that a week or so ago on a day the dump was closed so it was quiet. It is a nice perk the town does.

but wait there's more... another 1.1 overnight 18.7 for the event now.

Looked like a little under 1.5 inches during the day today, 17.6 for the event

17.2 here after getting another 3.5 since 10:30 last night. Still snowing.

been ripping 4" since 7:30, 13.7 so far on the day

We caught enough of the 91 band that we are up to 5.5 inches in the 05055

this would seem to be an interesting run of the GFS

I just figured Mrs. Cold Miser finally saw his avatar history.

Ran into this article from an Anchorage paper about the storm. http://www.adn.com/2...at-western.html