What is your weather like today?

[retroHelen]

Well UK has gone from United Raindom to United Snowdom. Thousands of schools closed, many roads close their snow gates over mountain/fell passes around here. Foolish drivers burn their clutches and tire rubber driving incorrectly on the icy hill by our house, revving and braking and sliding about making a right old noise!

In all this my little lovebird Timmy decides to be very sick and we had to dig the car out of the snow and crawl down to the vet's very carefully with his cage covered in a blanket sitting on wrapped hot water bottles. Poor little mite - he's got antibiotics for a poorly gut and is very weak. We've spent today syringing drops of water and antibiotic into his beak whilst keeping the lounge warm with plenty of newly sawn wood on the stove - Birds have a higher temperature and metabolism than us and it has to be kept up and it's subzero outside! He's all droopy with tatty looking feathers and half-closed little eyes. A week of antibiotic, hopefully followed by a week of pinches of probiotic powder to get him right. Hope he pulls through!!

[retroHelen]

Despite ours and the vet's best efforts Timmy didn't make it he died early this morning. He didn't suffer long - only sick for parts of 2 days and still trotting round his cage,despite his sudden tatty feathers look until the last few hours. Bye Bye sweety tweety our tame little friend for nearly 15 years.:cry:

[nanceebgd46]

Helen,

I am so....so sorry for the loss of Timmy. Our animals help bring us such joy in this world that is mostly joyless....in these last days. I had a cat named Chloe for 16 years....I had to put here to sleep 4 yrs. ago in December. I cried so hard for days...I felt a tremendous loss...since I live along and she was such company for me.

I know both of you will really miss Timmy so much...the old saying is true....we still have our memories.

I just want to add Helen...how much I sincerely enjoy your comments, history lessons and kindnesses shown to all on the forum...thanks from me to you.

[retroHelen]

Thanks Nancee I needed that encouragement.

[rocket]

So sad Helen, wishing you many fond memories. Loosing pets can be so hard at times as their personalities can bring us so much joy and comfort it is hard to say good bye.

[catherineljpac]

HI helen,

I'm so very sorry to hear about timmy. From your previous comments I know you were very fond of your bird and I noticed everytme you made comments because my mom LOVES love birds. When you said you had a tame love bird I was amazed cause my mom has about 50 love birds but they are by no means tame. My mom lets them fly everywhere in a bedroom at her home. there was one that had let me hold him just once but I think it was mainly because his flying was all funky I think from his beak. I named him gimpy strider lol. I recall one of your comments before was when you would come on this site timmy would come cuddle on you. I have to tell my mom about your timmy. she loves to go in her bird room. we all joke around and instead of calling her the crazy cat lady we call her the crazy bird lady. We started out with 2 when I was young but I guess I realize why theyre called "love" birds. My mom was crushed when "mama" bird died cause she had sooo many babies and her babies had babies and so on and so forth. daddy is still alive and has a new mate. Well I wish you the very best so sorry to hear about timmy

[retroHelen]

Thanks Catherine. Timmy was raised by humans from the egg so he was imprinted on us as his parents. As he was a single lovebird he bonded with us instead of cage mates. At least I have fond memories of him bouncing on colourful sweety wrappers, scuttling through loo roll holders and shoving ping pong balls about like a little soccer player.

Timmy enjoying a regular shower in the kitchen sink. Sorry this is off topic. Back on topic - So frozen here that there's no chance to bury Timmy yet. It's still snowing heavily and we can't see across to Scotland or Ireland across the sea from our back windows like we usually can - very murky.Roads are treacherous in places, but my husband managed some Ministry in the town centre today to keep his mind off sad events.

[LeslieDean]

So sorry Helen to hear about the loss of Timmy. I know how badly it hurts your heart. I am wishing you better days soon and know your memories will carry you through. It makes me so happy to know that others care and love their animal kids like we do. Take care!

[JudyO]

I am so ready for spring! Tired of this cough that's hanging on after the flu. But it is a beautiful morning....the sky is pink and blue and the sun will be up in just a few minutes. It is chilly this morning, but I am optimistic it will be a very nice winter's day! Now, if work will just cooperate I might have a nice......drat.....I forgot that staff meeting this morning...sigh:ohmy:

hey, I almost forgot! Tonight is meeting night and then it's FRIDAY!!!!! YIPPEE!!!!!!!

[JudyO]

Good morning! We recently went through a round of the flu at our house and while sick, began watching Star Trek Voyager, one of the only Star Trek series I didn't get to see while it aired. The Voyager also came across the Borg (they picked up Seven of Nine there) and my son and I were talking about who might have created the Borg...I can't remember anything about their origin from ST:TNG. Can you shed some light? Thanks!!

[DLM]

I will help all you people SUFFERING from the cold to feel a little better. Our temperature in Fairbnks today is minus 50 degrees and is to be like that through Sunday and then WARM up to -25.:>< No meetings at KH in these temps.

[LeslieDean]

Dorothy--How do you stand it? It was 9 degrees here last week with a strong wind and some sleet and it was so bitterly cold to me. I can't even begin to think what -50 below would feel like. Does everyone just stay home? Does your breath freeze as soon as it leaves your body?

[catherineljpac]

Does your breath freeze as soon as it leaves your body?

that's funny

Here in Tucson out in service this morning then it starts pouring on us!

[Joey]

I will help all you people SUFFERING from the cold to feel a little better. Our temperature in Fairbnks today is minus 50 degrees and is to be like that through Sunday and then WARM up to -25.:>< No meetings at KH in these temps.

It seemed so cold in service today, and it was 21 degrees here....can't even imagine -50 or -25....we have some snow. People just looked at us through the peep holes and didn't open the door:(

I did get an RV at home...she said "I read the little yellow book every night in bed." I read her something from it,while the kids were screaming like they were trying to kill each other.I invited her to the Hall she said she just got a van and she can come , she has seen our Kingdom Hall. She's screams" Next kid that comes in here I am beating the daylights out of"....lol.....I think I will take a DVD for them to watch so we can talk.

[LeslieDean]

It was a beautiful sunny 43 degrees when I left the house this morning. It amazes me how it can be 30 degrees but if it is sunny and no wind you don't need a jacket. But if it is 50 and cloudy, dreary and windy you need to bundle up. I don't know how they figure it is 35 but feels like 17--if it feels like it then how come it is not it?? I don't know if I can convey what I am trying to say. How do they know what to say it feels like if it is actually registering a different number? Did you continue your service by another means? Letter writing? Have a great day!

[DLM]

Yes, we pretty much stay indoors if possible. Life goes on though and people still go to their jobs and school. You must be dressed for it with heavy parkas and boots. One big blessing is that we hardly ever have wind but when it is this cold we have what is called ice fog which can be so thick, you can hardly see in front of your car. All the moisture put out by cars or power plants (of which we have 4 in the area) condenses into fog. Even when you open the door to your house a big cloud of steam rolls in.Your breath makes a big cloud, too. There is a DVD called "Tougher in Alaska" and in it they show how the regular jobs are carried on. For Instance, my oldest son works for FAA and invariably when the weather is like this, equipment breaks down and they have to go out in the middle of the night to repair it. One can't stay out very long at a time so they work awhile, then warm up a bit and go back to it. It's the same with the electric Co workers or anyone with an outside job. Another thing we found out when moving to Alaska is that the temps are NOT so variable so one gets used to the cold gradually. When we lived in Colorado, it was warm one day and cold the next so that you really notice the cold alot more than we do up here. In CO If it was 0 to 10 or 20 degrees, we would be freezing because just the day before it might have 60 or70. Up here in the fall, the cold comes gradually so at 10 or 20 degrees, we just wear light jackets. When we moved up here, my husband said "I never thought I would have to take you to Alaska to get you warmed up!!!!!" The village of North Pole just southeast of here about 13 miles, it was probably 60 -65 below last night. Where we live in the hills, the temp is always 10-15 degrees warmer than the low lying areas. One thing about it, people either love it here and stay forever or they leave. We have lived here nearly 40 yrs, so I guess we must love it. Really, when we go to the Lower 48, we can hardly wait to get back! I see on the news that we now have more than 100,000 people in the borough, so lots of people have stayed. I will have to say that this is like no other place in the U.S.

[Joey]

Leslie,sorry I don't know if you mean me, Dorothy or Catherine, but I had to come home because the city library lost all power and they called my husband while we were out, he's the facilities manager there so we had to leave 1/2 hour early

Then they closed it anyway.Could have stayed out.

[LeslieDean]

It does sound lovely and watching the TV series Selling Alaska has got me sold.

Nancy, it is good to hear from you. Sorry hour plans were cut short. Enjoy the remainder of the day!

[DLM]

Leslie,,Service is either RVs, letter writing or telephone witnessing. The reason it feels colder than the thermometer says is because of the wind chill. The lower the temp, and the stronger the wind the lower the wind chill. There is a book about a winter climb of Mt. Mckinley. The title is "198 Below" or something like that. That's as far as wind chill charts go!

[DLM]

CORRECTION: The bottom of the old wind chill chart was minus 148 not minus 198. and the title of the book I mentioned is "Minus 148". Another big factor in how cold it feels is the humidity. If it's very humid, you'll freeze to death! When you see programs on TV about Alaska, you must take it with whole bunch of salt!! They only show the good and beautiful. I have not seen a TV program about AK that wasn't a bunch of____! That DVD "Tougher in AK" was true to what it like. There is also DVD called "The Alaska Pipeline" that was accurate, too. http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/windchill/

Here's what Alaskans do in the cold and this is pretty accurate:

COLD IS A RELATIVE THING. .. .

At 65 degrees above zero:

People in Florida turn on the heat.

People in Alaska plant gardens.

At 60 degrees above zero:

People in California shiver uncontrollably.

People in Alaska sunbathe.

At 50 degrees above zero:

Italian and English cars won't start.

People in Alaska drive with the windows down.

At 40 degrees above zero:

People in Georgia don coats, thermal underwear, gloves, and wool hats.

People in Alaska throw on a flannel shirt.

At 35 degrees above zero:

New York landlords finally turn up the heat.

People in Alaska have the last cookout before it gets cold.

At 20 degrees above zero:

People in Miami all die.

People in Alaska close the windows..

At zero degrees:

People in Arizona fly away to Mexico.

People in Alaska get out their winter coats.

At 10 degrees below zero:

Hollywood disintegrates.

Girl Scouts in Alaska are selling cookies door to door.

At 20 degrees below zero:

Washington, DC, runs out of hot air.

People in Alaska let the dogs sleep indoors.

At 30 degrees below zero:

Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.

Alaskans get upset because they can't start the snowmobile.

At 40 degrees below zero:

ALL atomic motion stops.

People in Alaska start saying, "Cold enough for ya?"

At 50 degrees below zero:

Hell freezes over.

Alaska public schools will open 2 hours late.

[LeslieDean]

Love that point of view! I thought it was going to read JW's are still going door to door at some point around 10 degrees...

[DLM]

[service is either RVs, letter writing or telephone witnessing.]

We only do this after it gets minus 25 or so. Our territory is mostly rural so it's not like you are out in the cold very long at a time.

[Qapla]

If it makes you guys feel any better, I was working outside today in a T-shirt - and sweating

It is 70° outside as I am typing this.

[retroHelen]

We drove to Carlisle today for my husband to give a public talk there. Fields either side of the road that were covered in snow yesterday were flooded like lakes as far as the eye could see today. Heavy rain overnight took all the snow away. There are over 100 flood alerts throughout the Country tonight again.

Acres of root crop fields are ruined, so UK will have to import food at great cost. Snag is that during the winter season we usually to get many fruits and vegetables from Africa via Port Said,Egypt and Islamists are attacking shipping there as part of the government riots in the streets. Hope we don't get food riots because of shortages and high prices here, like you see in other Countries -Though it could be inevitable:Revelation 6:5,6

[surfergirl]

Its bucketting Rain today. At least we have a Cooool! Break, >