Coffee anyone ?

[Bunnylady]

What do you folks discuss at lunch?

Us... we discussed if chocolate cheese was possible... chocolate with what cheese... and WHY wound you do it, would anyone ever actually want to eat it.

Our ol' buddy Sourland might not agree, but chocolate cheesecake is to die for.

And I've seen this:
https://www.wect.com/2021/02/18/explainer-why-power-grid-failed-texas-beyond/

 

[Mini Horses]

Sleet this morning. Temps dropping like a rock! Goats were fed in barn, they weren't coming out!!! Hope they eat it before laying back down. Too expensive for bedding I need to go to work. Roads will be pretty ok, most of them, with the traffic volume on them. Will be slow and easy on any back ones....in case iced. They say upper 30s but only mid with wind chills. Damn that groundhog!!!!

 

[Mini Horses]

@Bunnylady I make a turtle cheesecake with caramel!, Pecan & chocolate...oh, my!!!!

 

[Bruce]

Actually it is the wind turbines that are frozen. 25% of Texas electricity is generated by wind and the blades are covered with ice now.

News reports say solar and wind combined is 10% in Texas. And apparently it isn't ice but the wrong temperature grease keeping the wind turbines from working. We don't have that problem in Vermont and we get much more severe weather than TX is currently suffering. Of course it would be a superhuman effort even if they had the proper grease available in quantity AND made the effort to replace the grease before this hit. I'm sure no one considered there would ever be a need for winter and summer weight grease. I suspect what we use up here would be a major fail in the hot TX summers.

As @Bunnylady posted, EVERY sector of power generation failed. Apparently the governor admitted that on TX TV but somehow shifted to blaming solar and wind when he got to Fox. Playing to the audience? Natural gas froze in the pipes so it wouldn't matter if they had 100X gas generating power plants. No fuel, no power.

What I don't understand is the solar. There are no moving parts, my panels work fine in negative F temps and panels generally work better at lower temperatures than hot ones, electricity flows better. They still generate (diminished) on cloudy and light rain days). I guess maybe the arrays are covered with snow? That will shut them down if there is enough and certainly diminish output even if there is only an inch. I guess they don't have enough soft bristled push brooms on extendable handles to clean the panels off Still, if they could clean off even part of the panels they will start to generate and heat up enough to slide the snow off. Someone send some sun and above freezing temps to TX so the snow will slide!

 

[Baymule]

@Bunnylady that article nailed it. We’re sitting here in a double wide all electric mobile home. This place is unsustainable without power. I have ALWAYS had a back up system but not here. No fireplace, no wood burning heater, not even a gas heater. Nothing. I won’t do this again.

 

[Baymule]

@promiseacres get a hair dryer and melt the frozen away. Here in Texas, houses are often set on blocks, pipes Judy lay on ground under the older houses. It’s all about the summer heat, not winter cold. LOL. I have crawled under old houses with hair dryer and extension cord run out a window to thaw out frozen water pipes. Not much fun, but I was the only one dumb enough to do it. LOL LOL

 

[Palomino]

27 this morning. Supposed to snow again today, but not much accumulation. Power is staying on longer! In our area, nothing has been done for the snow. Not even the interstate or state highway is plowed. The only tracks are made by cars that have already been out. In town not a parking lot or sidewalk is shoveled. Guess it is just going to have to melt!

This place is unsustainable without power. I have ALWAYS had a back up system but not here. No fireplace, no wood burning heater, not even a gas heater. Nothing. I won’t do this again.

Our house is the same way! We do have a fireplace, but no firewood!

 

[Baymule]

We will start to thaw Saturday, but roads will still be bad. Sunday is the end of freezing temperatures. I’m sure tired of this stuff.

Hey @Palomino we have a lightning killed massive oak tree that needs to come down. It’s dry and ready to burn. Y’all come get it and have all the firewood you want! Hahaha!

Bruce shotgun houses are rooms in a row. Each one opens the door into the next room, no hallways. Just long and narrow, usually 3/4 small rooms long.

Dog run houses have living area and sleeping area separated by open ended wide hallway.

Gonna have to climb ladder to get to TV satellite on roof and knock snow out of dish. This ought to be fun.

Y’all have a great day!

 

[Palomino]

Hey @Palomino we have a lightning killed massive oak tree that needs to come down. It’s dry and ready to burn. Y’all come get it and have all the firewood you want! Hahaha!

Oh we've got plenty of those too! But no chainsaw, for now. Definitely going to get one though.

 

[Bruce]

Here in Texas, houses are often set on blocks, pipes Judy lay on ground under the older houses.

Don't people notice that the "cold" water is awful hot in the summer? Bury those things a few feet down and solve 2 problems at once!

Not even the interstate or state highway is plowed.

Probably for the best, otherwise people will think they can go drive on them. Don't need any more highway deaths down there.

Bruce shotgun houses are rooms in a row. Each one opens the door into the next room, no hallways. Just long and narrow, usually 3/4 small rooms long.

Well THAT is a little difficult from the privacy point of view!