RDM

Nice ambiance. How do you keep the deer from eating the arborvitae? We've lost more arborvitae than I can count to them vermin. Even planted the "deer resistant" off-shoots. Ha, scoff at the concept. GD deer will eat about anything, so it seems. Live less than a mile from the Vienna city limits and had nearly 20 in our back yard last week at the same time. Like a bunch of Weight Watchers at an all you can eat smorgasbord as they mowed through.

Moved this here to avoid cluttering up the main thread. With respect, I want it to snow more than anyone! (joking - we ALL want it to snow more than anyone else). I'm nearly 60 and still have an insatiable appetite for snow. My wife of nearly 25 years knows it's coming every season. The hope, the despair, the sleepless nights hoping... Just happen to live in the wrong place for it apart from our occasional KU shellacking we all dream about. FWIW - you must add one thing to your bucket list. That is to experience one of the dumpings ivo the western facing slopes of the Japanese Alps on Honshu. The moist flow off the ocean with upslope effect results is unbelievable volumes measured in meters, not feet. Zao is known for their "Snow Monsters", which are the wind-swept snow-encrusted tops of pine trees barely peeking out of the 60+ feet of snow. It is a sight that we must all experience at least one time in our lives. Anything else anywhere is a distant 2nd.

Nice shot. Happy Thanksgiving PSU. Is that wine with a beer chaser?

Interesting tidbit... My 62 Gravely walk behind mower uses the same piston, Delco starter and oil filter as a small block Chevy. They are OEM components not something that just happens to fit.

Can relate to the 400. One of my best friends in HS had a Firebird with the 400 small block. Warped heads were an issue too. The larger bore took away stiffness in the block and made for smaller water jackets. All meant meant too much heat. Think he and his dad replaced the heads a couple of times. They even put in a new short block too before Ohio winters and GM shoddy corrosion techniques of the time prompted the onset of cancer. Believe the 400 was the same block used on the 305, 327 and 350, which were all great engines. Think the difference between the 350 and the 400 in the Firebird of the late 70's was only about 10 hp. Hardly worth it. Across the board, the era from 72 to the early 80's is forgettable wrt performance from the big 3 domestic manufacturers. Of course, as losetoa6 can attest, the 3.8L turbo in the GNX really helped amp up the performance factor again, at least for GM.

Dunno - it happened again. You have two posts numbered 57. haha. Just curious about the oddity of it.

haha - funny video. That snowball is as big as the victim. That sort of experience can be traumatic for a 4 year old. I was expecting to see a snowball about 3x the size clobber the dude in the blue jacket, but alas that was not to be. I hope none of us have to visit the panic room this season, for anything. Hope the lights in the room stay off so there's nary a glimmer of light under the crack at the bottom of the door's threshold. That way from even a long distance off everyone can see the panic room is closed and shall remain so. Hell, if Jebman can stay optimistic from way out in Texas on our chances this year, we gotta muster the same on our end.

Hummm - how do you have two posts, both number 54? Interesting. 10 foot drifts would be great. If we had wind about 20mph stronger in Jan 16 we would have had some 10' drifts around here.

I've heard about 93 from colleagues and neighbors who lived here then. Sadly, I was overseas in 93 and missed that one too.

It was hard to say how much snow we got. They say in our area it was between 12 -18" but it all drifted. On one side of our house it was bare grass. On the other the drifts were several feet hight. It was a challenge even for our dad's Gravely with the snowblower. The night before the storm hit my dad and I were at the local private airport just outside New Carlisle working on an engine rebuild. The official forecast still called for just snow showers the next day. The driving rain was accompanied by a sudden drop in air pressure. So much so our ears were popping. My dad said something was afoot when he noticed how rapidly the pressure in the altimeter of our small plane was dropping. Altimeters work off of air pressure, so if you know your altitude, you can determine the air pressure. There were times we could adjust the altimeter every 2-3 minutes. When my dad saw that he said we need to get going. When we arrived home a few minutes later my dad immediately starting calling the sheriff, his fellow fire fighters and the owner of a small farm implement dealer north of town. He told them all to meet at the firehouse in town where they had a big meeting about an hour later. They all thought our dad was nuts because it was still raining and a little breezy, but nothing major. He told them about the pressure drop and said something special was going on. They all went home, got supplies and the waited for it to hit. The changeover was about 1am and by 6am people were already calling in with lost power, reports of people stranded etc. Everyone used the firehouse as the ops center and went out in the areas outside our town to rescue stranded people in cars with a parade of vehicles. Snowmobiles lead the way to survey the terrain for downed trees, power poles and ID cars encased in the snow so the following entourage didn't run into them and get stuck in the drifts. Next went the a large Case loader with a 12 foot angled blade from the implement dealer with several 4wd Jeeps following. The Case even had chains on and it got stuck a few times. The crews would go out for a few hours and come back with the rescued people. Everyone huddled in the firehouse until someone would offer to take them in. We had a family of 6 who we didn't know before stay at our home for over a week and a farmer who stayed several days. Half the fire department took in someone who they didn't know before. That's what people did then because it's the right thing to do.

Great that you remember it. We were out of school in our area for a full 2 weeks. You know how it is just North of Spfld in latitude (from Rt. 41 North). It gets very flat and there is nothing to stop the wind. Many roads in our area were drifted shut by the 70+mph winds for well over a week until they brought out the snow blowers from Dayton Airport and Wright Patterson AFB. That was a sight to see - airport snow blowers driving down Main street in our little town. The thing that sicks out about the blizzard of 78 was the true flash freeze and the wind, which created white out conditions for 36+ hours. Temps dropped 40+ degrees in a couple hours. Our dad delivered several babies in the back of our town's 4x4 rescue truck.

Cool - Know Young's very well. One of my sister's favorite places. I grew up in New Carlisle. Used to hang out at several spots in Spfld, to include the Upper Valley Mall, which is of course now closed. Glad you got some of the 96 event. I was living in Japan then and missed it. Too bad you missed The BIG One for Ohio, and that was the blizzard of 78. Incredible experience to live through and to this day one for the record books.

haha - rotflmao - but remember, never bring a knife to a gun-fight and I'm deadly out to about 400yds.

First, I see your Airborne patch - so thank you for your service to our country. Second, your mention of MO brought back a memory from my childhood. In 1970 we drove from Ohio to Colorado Springs on I-70. 1200 miles one-way and my dad drove it non-stop with the 6 of us in the Buick Electra 225. Back then, you could rive 90mph in Kansas and nobody cared. On the return trip, there was a big snow and ice storm IVO Kansas City, MO. The snow was 12-18" deep with a crust of ice on top. One of those events where you can walk on top of the crust. A double trailer semi had jackknifed across east bound I-70 just east of KC. Traffic was backed up for miles with post-Christmas traffic going home. A trooper was passing by on the plowed shoulder and my dad finagled the ok to follow him to the front of the line to help (our dad was a volunteer fireman and paramedic for 50+ years). We got up to the head of the backup near the semi and noticed everyone there was walking like they were on pins and needles. As the trooper went to get out of his car he slipped on the glare ice. His feet went about 3 feet in the air and my dad caught him just as he was about to hit the asphalt. Yes, it was crazy slick out. After about 20 mins we noticed the traffic was no longer flowing on the west bound lanes of I-70. Our dad came back to the car and told my older siblings and I to all to pay attention... we were going to see something we'd never forget. A few mins later two double axle snow plows came flying by driving east bound in the west bound lanes of I-70. Don't know how fast they were going but they were hauling. They had their plows raised in the air and as they passed us they angled for the median between the lanes of travel. Snow when flying everywhere as they used their mass as momentum to go through the median to maneuver from the west bound lands over to the east bound lanes of I-70 on the other side of the jackknifed semi in front of us. The trooper was standing next to my dad when it happened and he let out a "wow, it's so cool when they do that" as it was a common practice. He told us it was too far to the next exit and would have taken too long for the plows to go around and come back. The two plows backed up to the semi, hooked up chains to the semi and simply slid it around on the ice to get it pointed in the right direction. The semi driver got in and everyone went on their merry way. The image of those two plows barreling through the median is something I'll never forget. Happy Thanksgiving

Hey 007 - who's snow are you talking about? Ya'll up yonder in NE get more than your fair share. (except last year, you were hurting too). If you are speaking on behalf of us in the MA and trying to protect our measly allocation, appreciate the support. (smile).

Springfield? You used to roam around Springfield, OH? I grew up 11 miles west of there. Spent a LOT of time in Springfield until I moved to NOVA in 85.

Fully agree - Gator blades quickly mince leaves into bits. Stopped picking up leaves years ago. Minced leaves are great for the trees and grass too. The only thing I use my tow behind Cyclone Rake for is to pickup the pesky pine needles, which kill the grass.

Any mention of a basketball player for this category must include Wilt Chamberlain. Admit I never saw him play in person, but did see him on TV many times. In his era, he was the most dominate player in the game. There had never been anyone so dominating before him, and arguably since with such a profound impact on the game. In many ways the way Wilt changed the league was instrumental for those who came on his heals like Dr. J in the 70's and Michael in the 80's/90's. Yes, Bill Russell won far more championships than Wilt (11 to 2) - because Boston had a stronger team/roster. But Wilt had many rules changed and other new rules generated because of his domination of the league. Wilt is the only player in history to average 30 and 20 (pts and rebounds) for a season and he did it 7 times. He did 7 times what no other player has ever done. That stat alone should put him on the list somewhere. In the theme of dominating a single sport, yes - Phelps should be right up there. There's another worth mentioning too, albeit he never got the notoriety he deserved and the mention of him may raise eyebrows. That is Edwin Moses in the 400 meter hurdles. He held the reigns of the 400 meter hurdle champion for longer than anyone in that event. He won 120+ races in a row over a span of nearly 10 years. Yes, Track & Field did not generate another honorable mention in the lists, and within T&F the 400 hurdles is an anomaly. But it's also one of the hardest events in the sport. A run of 120+ wins in a row over nearly 10 years w/o a loss is something to consider. Lastly, Moses has degrees in Physics an Engineering. Many of the others on the list couldn't even spell.... I digress.

Great map - thanks for sharing. Can really see the FFCO Waste Transfer Station stand out as the red blob near I66 and FFCO Pkwy. That also happens to be the highest point in FFCO, with a close second being in Tyson's Corner at 123 and Intl Dr.

26 here now with 24dp and dropping

28 here NW of Vienna already. First hard frost of the year.

Cool - love the "crush" solution to increasing pressure. PV=nRT at its finest. Remember my bud talking about the fuel pump and other stuff he did to his GN. You and him would have a lot to talk about. Can relate to the test pipe too. Had to remove the catalytic converter on my Civic when I went to India in 92. Got the EPA waiver and had Landmark Honda install the test pipe just before shipping the car. India didn't have unleaded gas back then. Had to use a funnel to fill up with gas for 3 years. Didn't want to punch out the nozzle restrictor because I planned to use the car after returning to the US. Upon return, all I had to do was have the converter reinstalled along with a new O2 sensor. Was shocked when it passed emissions after burning the crap they call gasoline in India for 3 years.

Yup - largely agree. We're from the same era. Only thing is, in the first year of the GN, they would take a Vette in 0-60. GM upped the ante on the Vette as a response. What really got the GM 3.8L going in the GN and T-Type was sequential fuel injection. My HS buddy's GN had some tweaking on the injectors too, but I don't recall what he and his GM colleagues did. The Buick T-Type had the same engine as the GN and was a real sleeper in the 80's. Always had a soft spot for the Gen 2 Vettes. First thing in my life I ever drove with a stick was my older brother's 67 Vette. Was a small block with factory side pipes - aka leg burners. Sounded great but a small block isn't the big block and even the 396 was wasn't the 427, which came in several variants including the top of the line 435 tri-power (rated at 435, but actuals were much higher). Then there's the 69 ZL-1 beast... My brother had 4 different C-2/3 Vettes when I was in HS and college. Was really cool getting to use them on special occasions. Then in 85 I bought my first car - a 84 Honda Civic. Drove it for 13 years and put 150k miles on it including overseas tours in Germany and India. Sold it in 98 for $2000 - most reliable car I ever had. The mid to late 70's was a forgettable time for hp and US manufacturers. They made some of the poorest excuses for automobiles ever produced, like the Pacer, Matador, Gremlin, Chevette, Pinto, etc. Still remember the Arab oil embargo vividly - long lines at the pumps and rationing...

Rgr on the GN and the turbo cool down - that was std in the 80's era until the installation of post-shutdown oil circulation pumps, which is now std. Not sure if I mentioned to you when we were talking about GNs some time ago, one of my best HS friends was a co-op at GMI (Gen Motors Institute - Now called Kettering). He helped develop the control algorithm for GM's Gen-I ABS system in the early 80's on the Vette. He had one of the first GNs sold with some special tweaking. He had access to the skunk works at GM and they did all sorts of things to the "chip" the performance and the track time to try things. Dunno what improvements he had over a stock GN, but they were substantial. His GN was a blast in a straight line, but could be a hand full on curves. The Buick guys drove the Vette guys crazy in Chevy because GM had never before contemplated having something in the same model year that would take on the Vette. The GN broke the glass and helped opened the GM aperture to sharing more performance components across the entire GM line. Just like we see a Cadillac now with Vette powertrains. My Silverado is the 2wd extended cab short bed. Dark blue and silver two-tone paint and real steel/chrome bumpers. Has front disks and rear only ABS. That was the best you could get on a Silverado in 91. Has nearly every option except locking rear differential, which I wanted but couldn't find. Doesn't have remote locking and no rear doors on the extended cab. Both were not available in 91. Many times Germans would come up and ask to see the engine and marvel at all the extra space under the hood. Sometimes they'd ask to hear it run and would get giddy at the rumble of the torque. Was one of the best stewards of all things great in the USA.

Seeing a lot of articles around about GNs these days for some reason. Dunno why. Seeing a few here and there show up on the online auto auctions too - like Meecum etc. IMO the GN was the beast that started the turbo trend and shift. Didn't see a lot of turbos before, other than funk offs like the Merkur XR4-TI and Dodge Omni Turbo etc - most of which had issues with turbo oil bearing failures due to oil cookout after shutdown. Enjoyed the debate between you and CAPE on color and car purchase volume. I'm nearly 60 and have owned 7 cars in my life. Still own 5 of the 7, including the only 2 I've ever bought new. A 91 Chevy Silverado with 183K miles and a 2001 Sienna van. The Truck was my daily driver until a couple years ago. Took both to Germany some years ago. Was a blast cruising am der autobahn in the truck at 110mph (it topped out at 114 and took about 3 weeks to stop).