I have today off from work. I was all ready to go out to the GH water,
fertilize and treat some plants for scale. Drat! the weather turned all
cloudy and the GH is a clammy mess. Guess I'll have to crank up the heater
and burn some fossil fuel.

I hate winter, and it ain't even winter yet.

K Barrett

"K Barrett" wrote in message
news:ZK8tb.197358$HS4.1675126@attbi_s01...
[snip]
I hate winter, and it ain't even winter yet.

Yes it is.

We (in south-central Ontario) have already had one storm, and no sooner did
the snow from that melt away do we get more. As of right now, it has been
snowing for a day and a half, with no sign of letting up. We have so far
accumulated several centimeters of snow on the ground. It is sooooooooo
pretty. I wish I had a digital camera so I could show you. ;-)

On the brighter side, the long term weather prognosticaters here claim it
will be a mild one.

Cheers,

Ted

"Ted Byers" writes:
We (in south-central Ontario) have already had one storm, and no sooner did
the snow from that melt away do we get more. As of right now, it has been
snowing for a day and a half, with no sign of letting up. We have so far
accumulated several centimeters of snow on the ground. It is sooooooooo
pretty. I wish I had a digital camera so I could show you. ;-)

You lucky *******. I still have to drive three hours to get to decent
snow. It is all foggy and clammy here now. Good for the orchids,
though. I can't believe how they are growing now that I have finally
figured out my vandas can and will take water every two days quite
happily. That is almost a doubling of the watering frequency.

On the brighter side, the long term weather prognosticaters here claim it
will be a mild one.

I think this is along the lines of a fortune teller saying you will
meet some tall, dark bombshell. Basic fiscal fact of life. The bringer
of bad news seldom, if ever, get paid.

Geir

Well the most we got so far is some rain. I tahnk my lucky stars that I
don't live in the greater LA area or San Diego County, (BTW, Did Matt Swift
make it OK? I know the lady who owns Island Delights was burned down. Lost
everything)

I turned up the heat in the gh, started sweeping up and general cleaning,
watered, malathioned ants.

Then noticed a sagging bench. Looked underneath at the metal support and
you'd a thought you were looking at the rust dripping from the Titanic...
[sob!] Looks like I got my work cut out for me this winter. Re-building
benches. Drat.

K Barrett

"Ted Byers" wrote in message
...

"K Barrett" wrote in message
news:ZK8tb.197358$HS4.1675126@attbi_s01...
[snip]
I hate winter, and it ain't even winter yet.

Yes it is.

We (in south-central Ontario) have already had one storm, and no sooner
did
the snow from that melt away do we get more. As of right now, it has been
snowing for a day and a half, with no sign of letting up. We have so far
accumulated several centimeters of snow on the ground. It is sooooooooo
pretty. I wish I had a digital camera so I could show you. ;-)

On the brighter side, the long term weather prognosticaters here claim it
will be a mild one.

Cheers,

Ted

First, I hate winter too, which is part and parcel of why we now live in FL.
Still, see separate thread propane heater question.

About Matt Swift: Some time back, I started a thread in which I said I
hoped that everyone in CA came through okay. Only one response, asking
about Matt. I have not seen anything from him.

GL with your bench building. I'm happy that mine are new!

Diana

I'm with you Kathy, I hate the cold too & so do my joints!
Sad news about Ramona, what a shame! I hope they had insurance?
Haven't heard from Matt Swift except for a going out of business sale last
month. (Shop only)
Yes first the fires, flash floods & now hail!! Mother nature is angry.
There is always something that needs attention in the g/h but.....its all
worth it.
Cheers Wendy
"K Barrett" wrote in message
news:b5ctb.201239$Fm2.188734@attbi_s04...
Well the most we got so far is some rain. I tahnk my lucky stars that I
don't live in the greater LA area or San Diego County, (BTW, Did Matt
Swift
make it OK? I know the lady who owns Island Delights was burned down. Lost
everything)

I turned up the heat in the gh, started sweeping up and general cleaning,
watered, malathioned ants.

Then noticed a sagging bench. Looked underneath at the metal support and
you'd a thought you were looking at the rust dripping from the Titanic...
[sob!] Looks like I got my work cut out for me this winter. Re-building
benches. Drat.

K Barrett

"Ted Byers" wrote in message
...

"K Barrett" wrote in message
news:ZK8tb.197358$HS4.1675126@attbi_s01...
[snip]
I hate winter, and it ain't even winter yet.

Yes it is.

We (in south-central Ontario) have already had one storm, and no sooner
did
the snow from that melt away do we get more. As of right now, it has
been
snowing for a day and a half, with no sign of letting up. We have so
far
accumulated several centimeters of snow on the ground. It is sooooooooo
pretty. I wish I had a digital camera so I could show you. ;-)

On the brighter side, the long term weather prognosticaters here claim
it
will be a mild one.

Cheers,

Ted

"Geir Harris Hedemark" wrote in message
...
"Ted Byers" writes:
[snip]
You lucky *******. I still have to drive three hours to get to decent
snow. It is all foggy and clammy here now. Good for the orchids,

I don't mind winter. After all, if it gets a little chilly, one can always
put more clothes on, but I am not fond of summer because it sometimes
becomes impossible to get comfortable. When it gets too hot, one can't
always remove more clothing, and even if one did risk it, it doesn't help!
But then, my health has degenerated to the point I can't shovel the snow, so
we hired a local farmer to use one of his tractors to clear the snow for us.
Even though we have had significant snow, it is still mild; only about -1
degree C (about 30 degrees F). I have yet to find it necessary to wear a
coat! All I have needed so far has been my insulated shirt.

The only downside to snow is all the crazy drivers out there. The only
accident I have had in almost 25 years happened last year a month after I
bought my truck. It was at the beginning of a major winter storm, before
the plows and sanders had a chance to work on the roads, and I was stopped
at a stop sign when a moron in a taxi came racing around the corner far to
fast for the conditions and spun out of control, swinging his back end into
my bumper. Fortunately, while his car suffered major damage to his rear
fender, the only damage my truck suffered was a slightly cracked lens on the
left signal light. A C$30 repair on my truck while the taxi suffered many
hundreds of dollars worth of damage. Fortunately, he was honest enough to
admit he screwed up and took full responsibility for it.

though. I can't believe how they are growing now that I have finally
figured out my vandas can and will take water every two days quite
happily. That is almost a doubling of the watering frequency.

My plants are doing OK (mostly on either the window sill or on shelves in
front of south facing windows. In fact, the old inflorescence on one phal
has produced two branches, one from each of the top two nodes, so it ought
to give a decent display many months down the road, and my phrag is
producing it's second flower on its first ever inflorescence (alas I can't
take credit because I bought it as a first bloom seedling).

I have to be a bit more diligent in watering because the air gets quite dry,
especially during the winter! A friend of mine tells me he gets his to
thrive because, in his experience, his orchids love very high humidity.

On the brighter side, the long term weather prognosticaters here claim
it
will be a mild one.

I think this is along the lines of a fortune teller saying you will
meet some tall, dark bombshell. Basic fiscal fact of life. The bringer
of bad news seldom, if ever, get paid.

True enough, but it seems to me that winters have been rather milder over
the past few years compared to what I remember when I was young.

Actually, for some, a mild winter is bad news. Local ski resorts tend to
suffer greatly when there isn't lots of snow, and a heavy snow greatly
affects farm economics, both with regard to soil moisture and nutrients.
The snow puts alot into the soil in the spring. If there is little snow,
the soil will tend to be dry and the farmer will have to pay more for
irrigation and fertilization.

Cheers,

Ted

Winter? It's Spring here........a sunny 95F today.

;-)


"Ted Byers" wrote in message
...

"Geir Harris Hedemark" wrote in message
...
"Ted Byers" writes:
[snip]
You lucky *******. I still have to drive three hours to get to decent
snow. It is all foggy and clammy here now. Good for the orchids,

I don't mind winter. After all, if it gets a little chilly, one can
always
put more clothes on, but I am not fond of summer because it sometimes
becomes impossible to get comfortable. When it gets too hot, one can't
always remove more clothing, and even if one did risk it, it doesn't help!
But then, my health has degenerated to the point I can't shovel the snow,
so
we hired a local farmer to use one of his tractors to clear the snow for
us.
Even though we have had significant snow, it is still mild; only about -1
degree C (about 30 degrees F). I have yet to find it necessary to wear a
coat! All I have needed so far has been my insulated shirt.

The only downside to snow is all the crazy drivers out there. The only
accident I have had in almost 25 years happened last year a month after I
bought my truck. It was at the beginning of a major winter storm, before
the plows and sanders had a chance to work on the roads, and I was stopped
at a stop sign when a moron in a taxi came racing around the corner far to
fast for the conditions and spun out of control, swinging his back end
into
my bumper. Fortunately, while his car suffered major damage to his rear
fender, the only damage my truck suffered was a slightly cracked lens on
the
left signal light. A C$30 repair on my truck while the taxi suffered many
hundreds of dollars worth of damage. Fortunately, he was honest enough to
admit he screwed up and took full responsibility for it.

though. I can't believe how they are growing now that I have finally
figured out my vandas can and will take water every two days quite
happily. That is almost a doubling of the watering frequency.

My plants are doing OK (mostly on either the window sill or on shelves in
front of south facing windows. In fact, the old inflorescence on one phal
has produced two branches, one from each of the top two nodes, so it ought
to give a decent display many months down the road, and my phrag is
producing it's second flower on its first ever inflorescence (alas I can't
take credit because I bought it as a first bloom seedling).

I have to be a bit more diligent in watering because the air gets quite
dry,
especially during the winter! A friend of mine tells me he gets his to
thrive because, in his experience, his orchids love very high humidity.

On the brighter side, the long term weather prognosticaters here claim
it
will be a mild one.

I think this is along the lines of a fortune teller saying you will
meet some tall, dark bombshell. Basic fiscal fact of life. The bringer
of bad news seldom, if ever, get paid.

True enough, but it seems to me that winters have been rather milder over
the past few years compared to what I remember when I was young.

Actually, for some, a mild winter is bad news. Local ski resorts tend to
suffer greatly when there isn't lots of snow, and a heavy snow greatly
affects farm economics, both with regard to soil moisture and nutrients.
The snow puts alot into the soil in the spring. If there is little snow,
the soil will tend to be dry and the farmer will have to pay more for
irrigation and fertilization.

Cheers,

Ted

Oh Bolero! Don't rub it in!!

(Having said that - isn't the weather sensational here in Australia at the
moment?) %-}

/me ducks, and wishes all Northern Hemisphere types the best for the
upcoming winter.

Best, Matthew.


"Bolero" wrote in message
u...
Winter? It's Spring here........a sunny 95F today.

;-)


"Ted Byers" wrote in message
...

"Geir Harris Hedemark" wrote in message
...
"Ted Byers" writes:
[snip]
You lucky *******. I still have to drive three hours to get to decent
snow. It is all foggy and clammy here now. Good for the orchids,

I don't mind winter. After all, if it gets a little chilly, one can
always
put more clothes on, but I am not fond of summer because it sometimes
becomes impossible to get comfortable. When it gets too hot, one can't
always remove more clothing, and even if one did risk it, it doesn't
help!
But then, my health has degenerated to the point I can't shovel the
snow,
so
we hired a local farmer to use one of his tractors to clear the snow for
us.
Even though we have had significant snow, it is still mild; only
about -1
degree C (about 30 degrees F). I have yet to find it necessary to wear
a
coat! All I have needed so far has been my insulated shirt.

The only downside to snow is all the crazy drivers out there. The only
accident I have had in almost 25 years happened last year a month after
I
bought my truck. It was at the beginning of a major winter storm,
before
the plows and sanders had a chance to work on the roads, and I was
stopped
at a stop sign when a moron in a taxi came racing around the corner far
to
fast for the conditions and spun out of control, swinging his back end
into
my bumper. Fortunately, while his car suffered major damage to his rear
fender, the only damage my truck suffered was a slightly cracked lens on
the
left signal light. A C$30 repair on my truck while the taxi suffered
many
hundreds of dollars worth of damage. Fortunately, he was honest enough
to
admit he screwed up and took full responsibility for it.

though. I can't believe how they are growing now that I have finally
figured out my vandas can and will take water every two days quite
happily. That is almost a doubling of the watering frequency.

My plants are doing OK (mostly on either the window sill or on shelves
in
front of south facing windows. In fact, the old inflorescence on one
phal
has produced two branches, one from each of the top two nodes, so it
ought
to give a decent display many months down the road, and my phrag is
producing it's second flower on its first ever inflorescence (alas I
can't
take credit because I bought it as a first bloom seedling).

I have to be a bit more diligent in watering because the air gets quite
dry,
especially during the winter! A friend of mine tells me he gets his to
thrive because, in his experience, his orchids love very high humidity.

On the brighter side, the long term weather prognosticaters here
claim
it
will be a mild one.

I think this is along the lines of a fortune teller saying you will
meet some tall, dark bombshell. Basic fiscal fact of life. The bringer
of bad news seldom, if ever, get paid.

True enough, but it seems to me that winters have been rather milder
over
the past few years compared to what I remember when I was young.

Actually, for some, a mild winter is bad news. Local ski resorts tend
to
suffer greatly when there isn't lots of snow, and a heavy snow greatly
affects farm economics, both with regard to soil moisture and nutrients.
The snow puts alot into the soil in the spring. If there is little
snow,
the soil will tend to be dry and the farmer will have to pay more for
irrigation and fertilization.

Cheers,

Ted

"Bolero" wrote in message
u...
Winter? It's Spring here........a sunny 95F today.

;-)

How aweful for you. ;-)

You have my deepest sympathies! ;-)

I don't know how you can endure such obscenely hot weather! ;-)

Cheers,

Ted

"Ted Byers" writes:
But then, my health has degenerated to the point I can't shovel the snow, so

Ouch. That isn't good.

hundreds of dollars worth of damage. Fortunately, he was honest enough to
admit he screwed up and took full responsibility for it.

While you were staying still? Would he have had a chance anyway?

I have to be a bit more diligent in watering because the air gets quite dry,
especially during the winter! A friend of mine tells me he gets his to
thrive because, in his experience, his orchids love very high humidity.

It does? I have a humidity problem in the winters. I don't let in much
outside air when it gets below -15C. The gas hob and shower generates
enough moisture to keep a steady 55-70%. Of course, I tend to get
problems with rot.

True enough, but it seems to me that winters have been rather milder over
the past few years compared to what I remember when I was young.

Not here. We had a very cold winter last year, with temperatures below
-20C and decent amounts of snow. That is the first time in about ten
years. -5 is the norm around here.

Geir

sounds all to scary,we don't get anything like that in the UK.We have had a
good summer & so far a good autumn,we still need some rain !I couldn't live
were all of you live,due to the risks of tornadoes,hurricanes,earthquakes,
fires etc,but I am sure you get used to it if you have had to live with it
,we get winds & localised flooding at worst.
We in the UK moan about the weather, but it isn't that bad.We get a good
mixture!I think other countries have to live with the extremes of weather.I
love to go on a holiday in the sun,but after a couple of weeks in the heat
i`ve had enough.I don't know how people work in it day in day out!!I love a
good snowball fight,but am glad to see the snow melt away.
How do you cope with mother natures battering!
kenty
"Wendy" wrote in message
news:uWdtb.2715$Ue4.622@fed1read01...
I'm with you Kathy, I hate the cold too & so do my joints!
Sad news about Ramona, what a shame! I hope they had insurance?
Haven't heard from Matt Swift except for a going out of business sale last
month. (Shop only)
Yes first the fires, flash floods & now hail!! Mother nature is angry.
There is always something that needs attention in the g/h but.....its all
worth it.
Cheers Wendy
"K Barrett" wrote in message
news:b5ctb.201239$Fm2.188734@attbi_s04...
Well the most we got so far is some rain. I tahnk my lucky stars that I
don't live in the greater LA area or San Diego County, (BTW, Did Matt
Swift
make it OK? I know the lady who owns Island Delights was burned down.
Lost
everything)

I turned up the heat in the gh, started sweeping up and general
cleaning,
watered, malathioned ants.

Then noticed a sagging bench. Looked underneath at the metal support and
you'd a thought you were looking at the rust dripping from the
Titanic...
[sob!] Looks like I got my work cut out for me this winter. Re-building
benches. Drat.

K Barrett

"Ted Byers" wrote in message
...

"K Barrett" wrote in message
news:ZK8tb.197358$HS4.1675126@attbi_s01...
[snip]
I hate winter, and it ain't even winter yet.

Yes it is.

We (in south-central Ontario) have already had one storm, and no
sooner
did
the snow from that melt away do we get more. As of right now, it has
been
snowing for a day and a half, with no sign of letting up. We have so
far
accumulated several centimeters of snow on the ground. It is
sooooooooo
pretty. I wish I had a digital camera so I could show you. ;-)

On the brighter side, the long term weather prognosticaters here claim
it
will be a mild one.

Cheers,

Ted

"Geir Harris Hedemark" wrote in message
...
"Ted Byers" writes:
But then, my health has degenerated to the point I can't shovel the
snow, so

Ouch. That isn't good.

No, but when there is no safe, effective treatment, let alone a cure, there
is nothing to do but grin and bear it.

I am diabetic and have a diabetes related neuropathy which causes rapid
fatigue, insensitivity to real physical damage (such as stepping on a tack
or staple), and sometimes severe phantom pain (mine is, on a good day, much
worse than any toothache or headache I ever had; and on a bad day thousands
of times worse ...). It is the neuropathy that can't be safely or
effectively treated. The diabetes itself, in my case, can at least be
controlled with insulin combined with some oral medication.

hundreds of dollars worth of damage. Fortunately, he was honest enough
to
admit he screwed up and took full responsibility for it.

While you were staying still? Would he have had a chance anyway?

Yes, I was completely stopped, and no, he would not have had a chance
anyway. But he wasn't particularly concerned since he didn't own the taxi
and thus, unless his boss had a policy of making the drivers pay for damage
they cause, he wouldn't be out any money. Of course, his boss wouldn't have
been too pleased since every collision in which his drivers are involved
leads to significantly higher insurance premiums.

I have to be a bit more diligent in watering because the air gets quite
dry,
especially during the winter! A friend of mine tells me he gets his to
thrive because, in his experience, his orchids love very high humidity.

It does? I have a humidity problem in the winters. I don't let in much
outside air when it gets below -15C. The gas hob and shower generates
enough moisture to keep a steady 55-70%. Of course, I tend to get
problems with rot.

We have forced air heating, here, and during the winter indoor humidity can
be as low as 20%. I have had my humidifier going all out and still observed
indoor humidity no higher than 35%. But we're in a house about twice as old
as I am. We replaced all the windows this summer, and notice a reduction of
our heating bill by close to half. When I finish the insulation project, I
expect similar gains. But some colleagues here tell me that adding
humidifiers to the furnace won't help all that much. I can see a shower in
a small house or in an apartment helping a great deal, but not a house as
large as this one.

As you might expect, I tend not to have trouble with rot, but plants will
sulk if I forget to water. :-)

Cheers,

Ted

Actually it got to 102F here........although like you say......we shouldn't
be rubbing it in.

he he he

"sneff" sneff at d2 dot net dot au wrote in message
s.com...
Oh Bolero! Don't rub it in!!

(Having said that - isn't the weather sensational here in Australia at the
moment?) %-}

/me ducks, and wishes all Northern Hemisphere types the best for the
upcoming winter.

Best, Matthew.


"Bolero" wrote in message
u...
Winter? It's Spring here........a sunny 95F today.

;-)


"Ted Byers" wrote in message
...

"Geir Harris Hedemark" wrote in message
...
"Ted Byers" writes:
[snip]
You lucky *******. I still have to drive three hours to get to
decent
snow. It is all foggy and clammy here now. Good for the orchids,

I don't mind winter. After all, if it gets a little chilly, one can
always
put more clothes on, but I am not fond of summer because it sometimes
becomes impossible to get comfortable. When it gets too hot, one
can't
always remove more clothing, and even if one did risk it, it doesn't
help!
But then, my health has degenerated to the point I can't shovel the
snow,
so
we hired a local farmer to use one of his tractors to clear the snow
for
us.
Even though we have had significant snow, it is still mild; only
about -1
degree C (about 30 degrees F). I have yet to find it necessary to
wear
a
coat! All I have needed so far has been my insulated shirt.

The only downside to snow is all the crazy drivers out there. The
only
accident I have had in almost 25 years happened last year a month
after
I
bought my truck. It was at the beginning of a major winter storm,
before
the plows and sanders had a chance to work on the roads, and I was
stopped
at a stop sign when a moron in a taxi came racing around the corner
far
to
fast for the conditions and spun out of control, swinging his back end
into
my bumper. Fortunately, while his car suffered major damage to his
rear
fender, the only damage my truck suffered was a slightly cracked lens
on
the
left signal light. A C$30 repair on my truck while the taxi suffered
many
hundreds of dollars worth of damage. Fortunately, he was honest
enough
to
admit he screwed up and took full responsibility for it.

though. I can't believe how they are growing now that I have finally
figured out my vandas can and will take water every two days quite
happily. That is almost a doubling of the watering frequency.

My plants are doing OK (mostly on either the window sill or on shelves
in
front of south facing windows. In fact, the old inflorescence on one
phal
has produced two branches, one from each of the top two nodes, so it
ought
to give a decent display many months down the road, and my phrag is
producing it's second flower on its first ever inflorescence (alas I
can't
take credit because I bought it as a first bloom seedling).

I have to be a bit more diligent in watering because the air gets
quite
dry,
especially during the winter! A friend of mine tells me he gets his
to
thrive because, in his experience, his orchids love very high
humidity.

On the brighter side, the long term weather prognosticaters here
claim
it
will be a mild one.

I think this is along the lines of a fortune teller saying you will
meet some tall, dark bombshell. Basic fiscal fact of life. The
bringer
of bad news seldom, if ever, get paid.

True enough, but it seems to me that winters have been rather milder
over
the past few years compared to what I remember when I was young.

Actually, for some, a mild winter is bad news. Local ski resorts tend
to
suffer greatly when there isn't lots of snow, and a heavy snow greatly
affects farm economics, both with regard to soil moisture and
nutrients.
The snow puts alot into the soil in the spring. If there is little
snow,
the soil will tend to be dry and the farmer will have to pay more for
irrigation and fertilization.

Cheers,

Ted