I can't imagine living in the North....

[halo]

Quote:
Gasoline takes care of the fire ants, don't waste your money on anything else that says "fire ant killer" because nothing else works
Snakes really aren't THAT bad, and chickens, cats and dogs all kill them for me so....
and chickens eat those giant roaches (they are actually water bugs, not kitchen-infesting roaches)

I just don't know what you're so afraid of

Not true. If the EPA catches you dousing with gasoline, you'll be in a heap of trouble. Our aquifers are in enough trouble without information like that.

Amdro works wonderfully with fireants. I spread it periodically, and have very little problems with them on my 10 acres. Ive only seen a few snakes here on the farm, they avoid me like crazy. Which is fine by me. I saw just as many living in NJ. Bugs here not bad at all, thanks to chickies, and the bluebirds and the purple martins and the barn swallows.

I love northern Florida. Gets cold enough that people do start fires in the stoves; do get enough frost to kill weeds and bugs. I lived up north, and yes the 4 seasons were beautiful, but fall was depressing at the end of it, because you knew what was coming next, winter was always horrible and I felt a huge waste of time in my life, since that was months and months I couldnt play outside. Spring was eventually nice, but the transition from winter to spring could be a soggy, cold mess. Four seasons are beautiful; I fully enjoy pictures of them. As far as real life, give me 350 days out of the year where I can slip on flip flops and go feed chickies.

 

[drumstick diva]

I love the seasons as well. If I lived in one of those areas with one beautiful day after another, I'd be bored sick. Surviving a midwestern winter, etc. makes me totally appreciate and savor the beautiful days we get in between. I have lived in Chicago or near suburb all my life, and to move away would be to wimp out. I don't mind the bitter cold, you can find outerwear to get you thru anything EXCEPT HEAT. I lived thru the blizzard of '67, and a record low in our suburb of 32 below zero. Just tell yourself "this too shall pass." It does and by summer I have forgotten how bad or mild winter may have been and vice versa summer (heat,humidity) is erased clean by a sparkling cold .

I always get a laugh about people(family,friends, etc) who have lived out here for a long time and then relocate to a milder climate. After the first year , the milder winters seem as bad to them as the ones they left behind. Everything is relative. If you are used to 40-50 degree winters you still think you are freezing too death. I know my sister in Albuquerque is always freezing. My son in Wash.state is just the same. He needs a warmer coat than he had when living out here. Meanwhile to me, it's just business as usual. I can't imagine thinking 30's are cold. I know there are people living in even worse winter areas but you feel like such a survivor when you plow thru it, you are empowered. Heck, I still shovel , no snow plow or snow blower, the old fashioned way and I am no spring chicken. I love shoveling especially at night when it is so quiet and peaceful you can hear flakes fall. You just know someone much greater than us, exists.

Sorry to babble so long - I am just passionateabout living where I do.

 

[kelidei]

Quote:
Babble on--- you are speaking to my heart too! There is something very special about cold winter nights--- absolute silence! No crickets, frogs, birds etc.... just the crunch of your own footsteps. The night skies are stunning ---they look just like someone spilled a bag of sugar across black velvet...

 

[slightlyscrambled]

this was our Christmas present from Mother Nature this year
This is standing on the largest drift in drive way looking at house

this is twords end of drive

this is looking from house twords the barn
barn is on the right, shop is on the left, drift is in drive way between house and other out buildings, I have to climb over all of this to check on chickens and geese at least twice a day!!

Gosh I love snow!!

 

[kelidei]

Quote:
Whoa! you guys really did get socked! We only ended up with about 14" all together.

 

[CityChook]

You guys are funny - 30 degrees is the BAHAMAS MAAAN. We've been having days in the 20s over the last week and have stacks of new snow and I actually saw some kids at the grocery store yesterday IN SHORTS. No lie. We like it when it's snow'n because that means it's actually WARM enough to snow!!

We had a beautiful, white Christmas with 16 inches of new, wet snow. Just perfect for sledding and snowmen. It's still coming down and the kiddos are thrilled. I'm sure the tow truck drivers, body shops and snow plowers are high-fiving all around.

I moved to MN from San Diego -- talk about a shocker! But I've come to very much love the midwest, even with the sub-zero temperatures. I totally understand why people who grew up here either never leave or eventually return... it's a great place to live.

Here's my coop on Christmas morning before I went out with the roof rake to pull down some of the snow. The path that leads to the coop is knee deep. I think it's beautiful.

BTW slightly, I'm digg'n on that first photo with your car all buried. I'll bet that was quite an experience to extract...

 

[highcountrychickens]

One of the original reasons I got Black Jersey Giants... Solar gain - Those black feathers on a clear cold day (normal cold day here these days is generally below zero) and they are happy happy in their warm black coats.

Nothing to be sorry about - it's just life... and the view sure is worth it!

 

[TK Poultry]

we got our first big snow of the season here i think i spoke too soon when i said that we didnt really have any but it snowed a few inches here today and its still snowing!!!! but its no where near 14 inches but still more than some people get!!! My chickens are just so upset over the snow they can out of their house long enough to eat and drink today poor things!

 

[Windrider]

I have nothing but respect for you hardy folks that brave those fierce winters, but I am a California beach girl born and bred. What little cold tolerance I had from living in our Sierras was completely lost when I spent three years sailing the South Pacific. I love visiting you guys, just like I enjoy a weekend in the Sierra snows, but I do so love to be able to come home to the coast afterwards. That is why I love California. Sub-tropical coasts, deserts, mountains, rain forests, farmland... we've got it all.

And for those who say So Cal doesn't have seasons - not true! We have Spring, Summer, and Fall which segues right into Spring again. I know this from my fruit trees; my apple tree (a late apple) is just losing all its leaves by the time my apricot (early apricot) is in full bloom. We get lovely fall colors from the liquidamber trees on our street, but again, they are hardly bare before they leaf out again.

This is what I was doing yesterday; our annual Boxing Day regatta - I am the blond gal at the helm of "Isabelle." 60 degrees (notice us So Cal folks wearing jackets! LOL). We often have very little wind in the winter so it was slow going, but better than the traditional East Coast "Frost Bite" regattas!

 

[riftnreef]

I can't even begin to tell you how much I hate the cold! I have been beggin' the Mrs for 13 years to get me out of this place and move somewhere warmer...only she kinda likes the cold and can't stand the heat...me, give me 100deg with the sun blazin' and I'm great as long as I have a ball field near by...

My winter "funk" has kicked in especially early this year, and Momma is not looking forward to 4 more months of my being frumpy!