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You good folks Texas and elsewhere enduring this rare snow and cold certainly have my empathy. It must be very tough when the power goes out and snow removal equipment is scarce. I recall being in Louisville,Ky years ago during a snow storm and vehicle traffic was chaotic. I stopped to help an elderly lady by the side of the road bleeding from a head wound with her little Chevrolet stuck up against a concrete pillar. Noone else would stop. I took her to the hospital and my companion drove her car behind me as it was still operable. While standing outside the hospital I saw a big Cadillac with the wheels locked sliding down a steep incline road and skidding into lamp post. I went down the hill to help the woman driver. She rolled down the window and said. ” I dont understand it , my brakes dont work ! ” She had obviously never driven on a snow covered and slippery road.
We have just went through a two week period of -35C at nights and daytime highs in the -20C. Windchills in the mid -40’s and I appreciate how difficult it can be without the proper equipment or preparedness but you Texans are a tough bunch and will get through this like you do in every other hardship. Take care.
TXGunNut said
Good tip, TR.My thinking on the PTO driven generator is that I already maintain that engine so it won’t add much to my maintenance chores. I know an electrician so the wiring part won’t be difficult. My Kubota is pretty small but it should run a generator pretty well. I think with the current situation a generator will almost be a necessity for me. Believe it or not, Chuck, solar and wind are very significant sources of power in Texas. Today solar and wind are not available and natural gas is freezing at the well and in pipes.
Almost glad I didn’t get to go hunting this year, not sure my freezer contents will survive this.
Mike
Mike, solar and wind is everywhere today. Do some research and see how many houses your wind farm can actually supply then look at how many houses a single gas fired unit can supply. The average wind turbine puts out maybe 5 Megawatts. The average output of a single gas fired unit puts out about 600 to 700 megawatts. Most generating stations have 4 units or more usually built in pairs. A drop in the bucket.
November 7, 2015
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clarence said
TXGunNut said
My Kubota is pretty small but it should run a generator pretty well.A larger & better engine than any portable generator!
That’s true, PTO rated over 17HP. Unlike most self-contained gas models it will run for years.
Mike
Hello everyone,
I grew up in Michigan but have lived in Houston for 40 years. Driving in the snow is no big deal once all the “rookies” are finished. Luckily my wife and are are surviving the big storm with no problems. We left Houston the day before and drove to Wisconsin!!! 
Our oldest daughter, a veterinarian, livesin Milwaukee and we are here for a few more days. Then over to Grand Rapids, MI to see our youngest daughter and then a few days at the “cottage” up near Traverse City, MI. Hopefully by that time things will have returned to normal in Texas and we can head back to the ranch for a few days of hog hunting and then into Houston for my second Covid shot and a few days at the house there. But is is certainly weird when the ranch temp in Texas is the same as out kids up here in the north.
Michael
Model 1892 / Model 61 Collector, Research, Valuation
Now that the temperature in Wisconsin is as high as Texas, does that proves global warming is real? Or does the fact that temperature in Texas is as low as Wisconsin prove global warming is not real? T/R
TR said
Now that the temperature in Wisconsin is as high as Texas, does that proves global warming is real? Or does the fact that temperature in Texas is as low as Wisconsin prove global warming is not real? T/R
Yes, and yes!
Michael
Model 1892 / Model 61 Collector, Research, Valuation
November 7, 2015
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TR said
Now that the temperature in Wisconsin is as high as Texas, does that proves global warming is real? Or does the fact that temperature in Texas is as low as Wisconsin prove global warming is not real? T/R
It’s climate change now so it’s whatever they want it to be. 😉
Mike
However bad it is in Texas now–and I know it’s very bad–you folks will be mowing grass while I’m still shoveling snow; so count your blessings.
November 7, 2015
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clarence said
However bad it is in Texas now–and I know it’s very bad–you folks will be mowing grass while I’m still shoveling snow; so count your blessings.
I understand. Posting by candle light but I don’t own a snow shovel, hope I never do. What may seem like a normal storm to some will cost billions of dollars in damage and lost productivity and dozens of lives here in Texas.
Mike
TXGunNut said
Posting by candle light…
Mike, get serious…for the next time: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Streamlight-44931-Siege-LED-Black-Coyote-HandHeld-Cordless-Lantern/313213933892?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
PS, Forget the Coleman lanterns, oil lamps, etc., all of which I put away when I got a couple of these.
November 7, 2015
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clarence said
TXGunNut said
Posting by candle light…Mike, get serious…for the next time: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Streamlight-44931-Siege-LED-Black-Coyote-HandHeld-Cordless-Lantern/313213933892?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
PS, Forget the Coleman lanterns, oil lamps, etc., all of which I put away when I got a couple of these.
Have LED lamps and a dozen flashlights accumulated over dozens of years hunting and in LE. Also bought a huge package of little warmer candles several years ago and each burns for hours. I’ve shoveled a bit of snow in my younger days. Not gonna happen, I put the loader on my little Kubota a few weeks back.
Mike
November 7, 2015
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That was stupid. Water frozen for days, pipe finally burst. Bundled up to deal with it. Cutoff valve under two inches of mud under 6 inches of snow. 26 degrees so didn’t think I needed gloves. Wrong. Even minor frostbite is a painful bitch. Tossed a wet towel in the microwave to warm them up, still a bit sore and swollen. Too soon old, too late smart.
Mike
Mike, My heart goes out to you and all others dealing with the cold. One day at a time, one problem at a time, don’t look back. T/R
TXGunNut said
That was stupid. Water frozen for days, pipe finally burst. Bundled up to deal with it. Cutoff valve under two inches of mud under 6 inches of snow. 26 degrees so didn’t think I needed gloves. Wrong. Even minor frostbite is a painful bitch. Tossed a wet towel in the microwave to warm them up, still a bit sore and swollen. Too soon old, too late smart.
Mike
At least you’ve got power, then; during the Great Ice Storm of 1999, when dozens of miles of main transmission lines were brought down, I lived in the dark for 11 days, many others for 2 wks & more. Did the power companies learn a lesson about the wisdom of burying their power lines to keep them safe from the next ice storm? Of course not, that would “cost too much.”
November 7, 2015
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clarence said
At least you’ve got power, then; during the Great Ice Storm of 1999, when dozens of miles of main transmission lines were brought down, I lived in the dark for 11 days, many others for 2 wks & more. Did the power companies learn a lesson about the wisdom of burying their power lines to keep them safe from the next ice storm? Of course not, that would “cost too much.”
I’ve had power since about midnight, they apparently quit doing the rolling blackouts. Costs are on my mind, only figure I’ve heard for loss of life so far is “dozens” and the cost of damage and loss of productivity is likely billions, possibly tens of billions. Hundreds of thousands of people still without power and/or water. I’m likely one of the luckier ones. Still have some stiffness/swelling/soreness/loss of feeling in my hands but a guy I shoot with got a more severe case of frostbite on his toes.
Mike
clarence said
At least you’ve got power, then; during the Great Ice Storm of 1999, when dozens of miles of main transmission lines were brought down, I lived in the dark for 11 days, many others for 2 wks & more. Did the power companies learn a lesson about the wisdom of burying their power lines to keep them safe from the next ice storm? Of course not, that would “cost too much.”
Yes it costs a lot but there are problems putting hot things in the ground and transformers in your yard. Most people don’t know how much heat is produced along the wires and in the transformers. You know the ratepayer will foot the bill not the utility company. A typical residential set up is 16,000 volts feeding the transformers that kick the power down to the 120 volts that feed your house. Maybe you’ll be lucky when the system overheats and the transformer blows up. I worked indirectly and directly for an electrical power company for over 35 years. Most new installations are being put underground around here because it looks better. Trading one problem for another.
Chuck said
You know the ratepayer will foot the bill not the utility company.
Well, doesn’t the rate payer foot the bill, indirectly, when thousands of poles & miles of cables have to be replaced after a big hurricane, ice storm, or similar disaster? Then there’s the cost of all the damage caused by loss of power, spoiled food in grocery stores, etc. (Actually, EVERY commercial establishment ought to be required by law to have their own back-up generators, which would be 5% or less added to the cost of construction.)
My wife is California born and never had driven in the snow. We were skiing and I didn’t want to put on the chains. There was about 6″ of snow on the road and I was slipping and sliding my way along with no problems. At least I thought. My wife was not so sure so I had her in my ear for quite awhile. Once we got out of the mountains I let her drive. No snow on the road but still below freezing. She decided that we were going to pull in and have lunch. The only thing that stopped the car from going through the restaurant was the concrete parking stops. Last time she drove in this kind of weather. Course she still gets in my ear.
Mike and other TX members,
TR has hit it on the head. Prioritize and deal with the big problems as best you can. Take it one day at a time as you can. My heart also goes out to you. For what its worth, my elderly neighbor has had his water service freeze up somehow, and supposedly we know how to build for the weather we are having. It is frozen outside his basement wall and not getting in to his meter, etc. I have supplied him with drinking water plus enough in buckets to flush the toilet some. I will resupply as needed. TX is too far to try that! Somehow, the powers to be need to get their acts together and build for the worst case, not the convenient case. This disaster will pass, and if folks learn from it, maybe it won’t be the disaster again. Take care, God bless! Tim
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