Here's one for you guys up north....

Key West, 1/5/15. 81*, light tropical breeze.

It's tough, but someone has to do it.

GFC & GW in paradise.

Wuss.

Today was -7C with 30 knot outflow northerly winds driving sharp edged frozen ice pellets that stung like gravel.

That's my kind of Paradise

MurrayM said:

Wuss.

Today was -7C with 30 knot outflow northerly winds driving sharp edged frozen ice pellets that stung like gravel.

That's my kind of Paradise

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Oh, you poor soul. Maybe you should think about
moving south!

saltcod said:

Oh, you poor soul. Maybe you should think about
moving south!

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No, really, I love it here! When it's snowing I shovel the driveway before work, walk about 10km delivering mail to 550 houses on my letter carrier route, then shovel again after dinner. Last Saturday when our daughter went downhill skiing with friends I spent the day snowshoeing and photographing in a small valley beside the ski hill.

Four distinct seasons is the only way to go

Keep telling yourself that, Murray.

FlyWright said:

Keep telling yourself that, Murray.

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Hey, it's true. I call Kitimat a little city perched on the edge of Paradise, and I mean it. This spot is less than a 5 minute drive and ten minute walk from our house (remember Coho Flats trail, saltcod?)

I agree with Murray. After spending 3 months in southern California "paradise" weather, I couldn't wait to get out of there. It was soooo boring. Nothing beats stepping outside when it's 0F, being unable to breath it's so cold, and hearing the snow squeek under your boots. I love it.

and here's one for you guys down south.

...and a couple more;

And that's exactly how I want to see snow...........in a picture that somebody else took!

Ted

Greetings,
Mr. MM. You're so good at your craft it chills my knickers just looking at the results. Brr....Not for me, thanks. With the wind, it's forecast to be -17ºF here today....Stupid cold.

Murray and Boat Poker, I am SO not jealous.

Actually, we'll be back in WA and into the near freezing temps.

Strong northwest winds, combined with a “surge of frigid arctic air … will produce windchill values between 35 and 40 degrees below zero,” in Minneapolis today. “The worst conditions will be from 3 a.m. to 10 a.m.” Blowing snow is being tossed in during this time frame as well. Schools are closed.

One of the nice things about being Canadian is that I can book a week in Cuba at an all inclusive for under $600. ....... think I'll call my travel agent

Murray that reminds me of the many B&W pics I took in and around Juneau.
Enjoy it .... these southern guys just don't understand.

GFC said:

Key West, 1/5/15. 81*, light tropical breeze.

It's tough, but someone has to do it.

GFC & GW in paradise.

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I lived with this kind of picture in Hawaii for nearly 30 years. And I have to say it was the most boring environment I've ever experienced. I love weather. It makes one feel alive. While I enjoy the occasional sunny day, if I never experience one again that will be fine. I love rain, overcast, snow, wind (except when I'm flying or boating), storms, all that sort of stuff. It's exciting.

I liked my job in Hawaii, it paid extremely well, and I liked the people I worked with (commercial television production). But by 1979 I simply couldn't take the staggeringly boring, unchanging weather any more and I moved to where I live now.

The job I've had for the last bunch of years takes us all over the world. We're currently working in Taipei for the next couple of weeks. But while I've seen a lot of fascinating places and had a lot of unique experiences, there is nothing I've seen yet that can even hold a candle to the Pacific Northwest, British Columbia, and southeast Alaska.

I see a picture like the one posted above and I simply feel sorry for the people who are stuck in that sort of place. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt, and I'll never have to go back, thank God.

I don't think that Marin and I hear the same drummer. ;-)

manyboats said:

Murray that reminds me of the many B&W pics I took in and around Juneau.
Enjoy it .... these southern guys just don't understand.

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Kitimat's about 140 miles as the crow flies from the southern tip of Alaska's panhandle and 60 miles from open water through the 'outside inside passage', the 'inside passage', and up Douglas Channel...so ecologically speaking we have more in common with Alaska than south coast BC.

What I like is how even though daylight hours are short in winter the sun stays low in the sky, and even on a clear day it shines obliquely through high humidity giving a soft, diffuse light.

seasalt007 said:

I don't think that Marin and I hear the same drummer. ;-)

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Probably not. For me, the United States has always stopped at the southern Oregon border and the east bank of the Mississippi River. Everything south and east of that rectangle can be given back to whomever we stole or bought it from. Except Maine. Judging by what I've seen of it, Maine is very much worthy of inclusion in my definition of the U.S.

We spent most of November and December at the south tip of Texas. We are flying back to Seattle this week to spend a month on the boat and year end stuff. I think we will become winter Texans and summer Washingtons.

Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall

twistedtree said:

I agree with Murray. After spending 3 months in southern California "paradise" weather, I couldn't wait to get out of there. It was soooo boring. Nothing beats stepping outside when it's 0F, being unable to breath it's so cold, and hearing the snow squeek under your boots. I love it.

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After growing up in Michigan, I spent 40 years in So. California. What a refreshing change to be back in the seasons again. The seasonal transformations are never the same and always invigorating. Four times a year you get to watch another of nature's movies unfold.

Yeah, I sure do envy you guys in cold weather country enjoyin' nature with your boats "up on the hard" whatever that is. Here in SOCAL we have a raft-up and a Predicted Log race this month, in spite of temps that won't top 75 degrees. What a bore!
P.S. Left New York City 46 years ago and do not miss that rotten weather one bit.

Hey Laker those are good ones. Got more??

So Cal = Brown.

manyboats said:

Hey Laker those are good ones. Got more??

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+1

ancora said:

Yeah, I sure do envy you guys in cold weather country enjoyin' nature with your boats "up on the hard" whatever that is. Here in SOCAL we have a raft-up and a Predicted Log race this month, in spite of temps that won't top 75 degrees. What a bore!
P.S. Left New York City 46 years ago and do not miss that rotten weather one bit.

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Ours is in its berth, in balmy Pacific Ocean water (compared to the air temperature) just waiting for a quick shoveling to clear snow, and we're off!

Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall #2

manyboats said:

Hey Laker those are good ones. Got more??

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Life is defined by time and seasons. Each season has its treasures.

MurrayM said:

Hey, it's true. I call Kitimat a little city perched on the edge of Paradise, and I mean it. This spot is less than a 5 minute drive and ten minute walk from our house (remember Coho Flats trail, saltcod?)

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I do remember. I recall a time I think I was with you walking down there before daybreak to fish for Coho, and having a large owl buzz us as we walked the trail, remember?

seasons

Great Laker, Murray M,, absolutely agree, also with a few others!

I'm another who loves the four seasons and would be bored to tears living in a uni-season area. That being said, it is nice to escape during the middle of winter and get the chilled bones warmed again.

We return home to WA on Saturday, then in 7 days I'm off to AZ for 3 months. Being born and raised in MI in the snow country, then living in AK for 4 years while in the USAF, I've learned that snow is great when I can see it on TV or in someone else's photos.

Right now we're in Ft. Myers, FL. It's a "damn cold" 68* (according to my brother) but I wandered around this evening in just a polo shirt and shorts. Perfect temps!