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Many life forms that would benefit from greater intelligence, sadly, do not have it.

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Celebrate the fucking wins.

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Republicans cannot even be trusted with their own money.

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You are here: Home / Balloon Juice / Cole Says TaMara Is Fine, How About the Rest of You in the Boulder Area?

Reader Interactions

176Comments

  8. 8.

    Ken

    @WaterGirl: So this is WaterGirl relaying Cole relaying Adam relaying TaMara. I’m now thinking back to the times I’ve played “telephone” and getting nervous again.

  10. 10.

    JPL

    @debbie: Tamara had a video a few days ago, showing the ducks playing in the hose.   She was watering.

    In GA it’s been unseasonably warm, which caused thunderstorms overnight.   My son texted and said the baby’s motion toys all went off.   Weather has been crazy.

  11. 11.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    ABL appears to be okay, but then again I do not know exactly where she is located in Colorado.

  16. 16.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @WaterGirl:

    True enough. I just got a note from her and she said much the same, but added that she’s keeping a very close eye on things as authorities are evacuating towns south of Boulder.

  18. 18.

    SiubhanDuinne

    @WaterGirl:

    My son texted and said the baby’s motion toys all went off.

    That’s not spooky at all. //

    When I read that, I thought “Isn’t this a classic trope of domestic horror movies?”

  19. 19.

    SpaceUnit

    @martha:

    They weren’t predicting this, were they?  I checked the forecast yesterday and it said the winds would probably top out at about 30mph.  That’s how I remember it anyway.

  21. 21.

    WaterGirl

    “May you live in interesting times.”

    These times are certainly that.  Even without politics we need to buckle up because with climate change I think we are in for a bumpy ride.

  22. 22.

    martha

    @SpaceUnit: yesterday, no. This morning my weather app said high wind warning, but honestly I didn’t think it would be this bad. I am hoping like heck that it will start calming down as we approach sunset.

  25. 25.

    Ohio Mom

    Oh my. My cousin’s son lives somewhere around there. Up until this moment, I’ve been satisfied with “He lives near Boulder.” Now I’m thinking I need more specifics.

  31. 31.

    WaterGirl

    @martha: The year the huge tree crashed on my house, we had strong winds for about 2 months afterwards.

    There were several nights after the tree fell when the wind got up to 70 mph and I would just shake.  Not fun.

  32. 32.

    Starfish

    @Litlebritdifrnt: She is a little bit south of me. We are between the two area that are on fire, but they controlled the northern one quickly, and we are watching the southern one. The high winds are picking up again. We should have snow in a day or two that should help, but the winds hitting up to 100mph are spreading fire fast.

  34. 34.

    Ken

    @topclimber: I have no idea and would have to check the weather service records. I have noticed, though, that some of those reports (especially for flooding) now have a disclaimer that once-in-100-years events are occurring more frequently, and the weather service is considering adjustments to the classifications.

  35. 35.

    martha

    @WaterGirl: We used to live in Wisconsin and we had multiple tornado warnings and straight-line wind events and I always went to the basement to manage my anxiety. I just spent the last 3 hours in the basement (in Colorado!)  trying to work on an art project and listening to podcasts. Whew. And we’re supposed to get 6-8 inches of snow tomorrow night!!!

  37. 37.

    martha

    @topclimber: Yes, depending on where you live. The front range foothills, definitely get high winds as weather fronts move through. Some areas are more prone to it than others.

  38. 38.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    Just got this from Imani (ABL)

    “i can see the fire but they haven’t told me to evacuate or anything. i’m ok for now. thanks :)“

  39. 39.

    topclimber

    @Ken: Forgive me if this comment suddenly appears three times in a row. It seems to disappear.

    Web check finds Boulder has gone over 130 mph five times since 1969, so I guess I have my answer.

    Hello and good luck anyway to you and the others in that part of the country.

  40. 40.

    WaterGirl

    @martha: I have no basement.  The bet I have is the interior hallway where the 3 bedrooms and the bathroom all meet.  So I huddled there in a lawn chair and would read and comment on balloon juice to distract myself, as I shook!

  44. 44.

    Miss Bianca

    @martha: Hey, what’s going on with the Oak Fire? Is it still going, or is it out? The federal websites appear to be way, way behind with incident reporting.

  46. 46.

    A Ghost to Most

    The area that is burning can be hellishly windy when Chinook winds blow. This is a hellish Chinook.

  48. 48.

    Roger Moore

    @topclimber:

    Are wind gusts over 100 mph a one-in-100 or one-in-one year thing in Colorado?

    Gusts that strong are pretty common during Chinooks, especially in the Boulder area.  Boulder is basically in a wind tunnel, so the winds there are especially fierce.  Like the Santa Annas here in Southern California, the really strong winds come down from the mountains, and they’re warm and dry.  It’s perfect fire weather.

  49. 49.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    @Miss Bianca:  Yeah she moved there to be closer to her parents and her bessie legal pal (and hence her job).  I think it was supposed to be temporary and sort of stuck.  She loves it.

  51. 51.

    martha

    @Miss Bianca: Apparently (fingers crossed) it’s out. West Metro Fire had it staked out this afternoon but the last I heard it’s still out. Man, we were lucky because we live just north of the area but they got it under control pretty quickly (winds died down fortunately).

  52. 52.

    Miss Bianca

    @Starfish: Dang, well if we ever have another Colorado BJ meet-up, we have to invite her – I would love to meet her! Back in the day her blog was always one that I followed. Now I just groove along following her Twitter posts when I see them.

  54. 54.

    SpaceUnit

    Two weeks ago the winds blew out a string of Christmas lights, just beat the crap of them.  I fooled with them a bit the next day but couldn’t get them back on.  I left them up because they’re all zip-tied together with some other lights.  Today’s winds have apparently blown them back on.

    So I got that going for me.

  56. 56.

    A Ghost to Most

    Local news say things have taken a turn for the worst. The wind is stronger, and subdivisions are now burning.

  57. 57.

    martha

    @SpaceUnit: one of my stained glass pieces in the yard survived that wind event but not this one…my husband rescued it but I’ll probably have to make a new one. Too many broken pieces. Sigh.

  58. 58.

    Miss Bianca

    @SpaceUnit: Whoa. OK. That and children’s motion toys suddenly going on by themselves have got me unnerved.

    Oh, and I can now actually see the smoke from the Marshall Fire from my house. May even see the glow tonight. Oh, joy…these were *not* the New Year’s fireworks I was hoping to see! : (

  63. 63.

    Miss Bianca

    @SiubhanDuinne: So, my niece has Alexa in her house. I had only heard her and her husband invoke Alexa in the TV room, so I was a bit disconcerted when I was in my bedroom, wrestling with some computer issue that had me saying, “God damn it” out loud, only to hear a disembodied female voice say, “OK”.

    @Starfish:  Oh! Shivers.

  68. 68.

    Miss Bianca

    @SpaceUnit: miles and miles away, but still concerned, because it’s super dry here as well, very little snow pack, and the winds be screaming.

  69. 69.

    A Ghost to Most

    TV reports another fire north of Boulder, near Left Hand Canyon. Subdivisions in Louisville are burnings. Sheriff says hundreds of homes burning.

  72. 72.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @SpaceUnit: ​
     

    I’m in Denver, 5 blocks west of City Park. Yeah, the wind two weeks ago was “worse” in that it blew harder.

    It’s been surreal watching cars heading up 36 toward Boulder turn around. They’re not able to cross over to turn around mind you, they’re just turning around on the northbound lanes and staying to the right as they head south.

    I’ve got friends in Broomfield and Erie who are apparently fine.

  73. 73.

    Orchid Moon

    Live in the same community as Tamara.  We are fine.  Our son and daughter-in-law, 3 goats, 4 chickens, and 2 dogs are here with us.  They were evacuated from another wildfire north of Boulder which is stable, and may be going home tonight.  Much less damage than the awful wildfire currently decimating Louisville, and areas south of us.  So very sad.  Hopefully the wind will die down soon, and we will get some snow soon.

  76. 76.

    A Ghost to Most

    It’s much worse here today than two weeks ago ( base of North Table Mountain). It sheared off three 3.5 inch cedar fence posts in my fence today.

  78. 78.

    West of the Rockies

    @SiubhanDuinne:

    I think it’s when the kitchen furniture stacks itself and blood drips down the walls that you need to really panic.

    Toys starting by themselves is probably just an alien visitation.   ?

  79. 79.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    @JPL:  Getting better.  Doing PT right now (ugh) and the NHS is taking incredible care of me, in fact I think this is the first stretch of time where I haven’t had a Dr. appointment, scan, test, blood test, ekg etc.  Despite all that husband and I are enjoying the hell out of our retirement, trips away whenever we feel like it, pottering around the garden, I have to admit we are eating out a little more than we should but we can afford it so why the hell not?  (I think that is more a result of the fact that husband is now in charge of all the cooking!)  Thanks for asking, I appreciate it!

  80. 80.

    Sure Lurkalot

    I lived in Boulder from 73-81 and the wind there picked me off my feet more than a few times walking to classes.

    I have a college acquaintance who lives in Louisville; we shared a close friend who passed away a few years back, reconnected at his funeral and now we’re FB “friends”.  He’s a man of so many talents (musician, gardener, baker, builder). I’m very concerned about him, his wife, dogs and home but I have no way to get in touch with him.

  81. 81.

    Starfish

    I was being a little flippant about the French Revolution in the other thread, but the context is that I was watching towns nearby burn because we have about 30 inches less snow than we should this time of year, so I am very tired of people who do not want to address climate change meaningfully.

    Our governor is going to sit on his hands about climate change because the oil and gas lobby is important to the state.

  82. 82.

    West of the Rockies

    So I assume Texas and Florida and Kentucky senators will vote against any federal aid.

  83. 83.

    TriassicSands

    I lived in Boulder for twenty years and still have close friends there. But it sounds like Boulder is safe. It’s people east of the PRB who are at risk.

  84. 84.

    Starfish

    @Sure Lurkalot: They have likely been evacuated. Facebook will probably ask them to check in and let people know they are okay if they treat this like they have other disasters in the past.

  88. 88.

    hotshoe

    @Litlebritdifrnt:

    Uh-oh.

    Official advice is “if you see fire, evacuate!”

    That was Boulder OEM as of this morning.

    I’m from Cali, and I know that our people don’t always evacuate when ya can see fire up on the ridge. It’s even awesome to watch when you know it’s heading up and away, not towards ya.

    But with 100 mile hour winds, that fire could come back down faster than ya can fly away from it.

    If you can pass on a message to ABL, maybe check if she is still in place or has taken the warning to evacuate after all …

  90. 90.

    persistentillusion

    @Miss Bianca: Down here in the Springs, we got 100 mph on Dec 15, primarily impacting the Old North End.  Major mature trees downed, some with their trunk snapped about 10 ft up, more just uprooted and blown down.  It took Utilities up to 7 days to get power fully restored. It was a hot mess for a couple of days for everyone else.

  91. 91.

    Dan B

    Snowing in Seattle.  We got about four inches last night.  It’s supposed to get to 42° on Saturday and warmer (warm?) on Sunday.  My partner’s tenants want to throw a party on Saturday.  If it rains as forecast on their unplowed street it, and Omicron, will be deadly.

  92. 92.

    Miss Bianca

    @sab: We’re opting for bangers and mash tonight in *this* household. I thought about bubble and squeak, but the recipe I have calls for bacon. Which I haven’t any in the house at the moment.

  94. 94.

    Argiope

    Are very minor domestic disasters allowable on this thread?  My sib Phoenix Rising and I just simultaneously texted from across these great United States with coinciding tales of misadventure.  She’s taken a chunk out of one shin on a concrete step while trying not to crush her puppy in a spectacular battle with gravity.  Waiting to hear if she needs stitches.  I reported the breakage of a thermometer on the floor of my allotted breakthrough COVID isolation space sometime in the last 24 hours, and the lengthy cleanup process required per the EPA since I’d just found the problem.  Jackals, if you don’t have handy some shaving cream, an eyedropper, several ziplock bags, paper towels, gloves, some cardboard and…you guessed it…duct tape, you’ll need to up your prep game.  Mercury sez go big or go home.

  96. 96.

    Miss Bianca

    @persistentillusion: We got some screaming wind through here around that time too, took out one of the aspen trees in front of my theater. No power loss, tho, which is amazing. Gotta say the utility companies really upped their infrastructure game around here in the past few years – not so very long ago, either Internet or electric  (or both) would have been gone for at least a portion of that time.

  97. 97.

    Geoduck

    @Dan B: Yeah, as a western WA state resident it’s a bit surreal to read about horrible fires in Colorado and then look out the window and see snow. At least we’re not getting smacked with drought as hard as most folks. (Which is why everyone is moving here, I guess..)

  99. 99.

    Starfish

    Please do NOT give any money to the Community Foundation of Boulder for this emergency. They are begging for money already, but they only gave HALF the money for the shooting victims to the families of the people who died in the King Soopers shooting. They redirected the other funds to other projects.

    EFAA and Sister Carmen could probably use some money.

  100. 100.

    Sure Lurkalot

    I just talked with a good friend who lives in Boulder proper, smack up against the foothills. Very windy but so far all is good in the city. From my recent news feed, most of the lost homes appear to be in Superior. So horrific.

  102. 102.

    dexwood

    @Argiope:  Frank Zappa wrote about his father bringing mercury home from work and letting him play with it, how it coated the floor in his bedroom. Sorry about your sister’s accident, glad the puppy is ok.

  103. 103.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    @Steeplejack:   All sorts of stuff.  My legs basically gave up on me so walking was almost impossible, still have my wonky heart, high blood pressure and right now some blood clots, neck, lung and upper left leg, lastly balance issues.  However I am getting better and our wonderful NHS is fixing me up :)

    Oops missed responding to others but this is what is happening right now everyone.

  104. 104.

    Argiope

    @dexwood: well I think that’s a relief….Frank seems okay.  Like xraying feet for shoe sizing, playing with quicksilver was once a thing, I gather.  Puppy is fine and providing licks to her afflicted hero person who lost the fight with gravity yet kept her safe.

  106. 106.

    Steeplejack

    @Argiope:

    Bummer. Hope your sib’s injury is not serious.

    Oh, yeah, hindsight on line 2 saying you should have bought a digital thermometer.

  107. 107.

    Argiope

    @dexwood: well I think that’s a relief….Frank seems okay.  Like xraying feet for shoe sizing, playing with quicksilver was once a thing, I gather.  Puppy is providing licks to her afflicted hero person who kept her safe.

  108. 108.

    Argiope

    @Steeplejack: Duly noted. I’m getting rid of any more we have hanging around.  And by “get rid of” I do NOT mean “step on”.  Or otherwise break.

  110. 110.

    Dan B

    @Geoduck: Yes.  My partner came up from his large basement hideaway and yelled that the car was covered with snOOOOO! again!!  The Jet Stream is out of whack due to extremely rapid warming of the Arctic.  It’s sending cold to the west coast and now screaming winds to Colorado.

  111. 111.

    smith

    @Argiope: Heh. I played with mercury and had my feet x-rayed many times back in the bad old days, and somehow still  survived. Amazing the things they used to let kids do. But, if it didn’t kill you…

  113. 113.

    Litlebritdifrnt

    @sab: Good on you, let me know how it goes.

     

    @Miss Bianca:  First time I have ever heard of a recipe for Bubble and Squeak.  It is basically whatever left over potatoes you have mixed and fried with whatever left over veg you have.  I have never heard of it have bacon in it.  I suppose you could use bacon fat to fry it in, but I just use regular veg oil.  The trick is to make sure the oil is hot so that the base of the taters and veg goes brown and crispy then you flip it so the other side gets brown and crispy too (the brown and crispy bits are the best bits).   Strangely enough I saw on the TV that a restaurant opened somewhere that served nothing but variations of Bubble and Squeak.  Wonder how it did?

  115. 115.

    sab

    @smith: I remember playing with mercury as a child in the sixties. Little shits that we were, sometimes we broke the thermometer “by accident” so that we could play with it.

    My uncle used to make his own lead soldiers when he was about eight

    ETA : Jamie Oliver’s recipe has bacon in it, but all his recipes have bacon. I just used potatoes and whatever vegetables we have around. Cabbage, onion, carrots, parsnips. Wish we had leeks but we didn’t.

  116. 116.

    persistentillusion

    @Miss Bianca: I’m 2 miles south of the worst affected area and never lost power.  Utilities had come through about 6 months ago and trimmed trees aggressively, which I think helped this area remain mostly unaffected.

  118. 118.

    Starfish

    The Boulder County Fairgrounds are now full of large animals that were evacuated. Tamara may know how to donate to them, so they can feed the animals that are being housed there?

  121. 121.

    CaseyL

    @Geoduck: Yeah – that is why everyone’s moving here.  Between the abundance of water and a reasonable facsimile of a functional city/county/state government, Seattle and environs is going to be – is already – up to its gunwales in USian refugees. ?

    It’s supposed to snow tomorrow, too, where the fires are raging in Boulder County. Not soon enough for all that’s already been lost, but perhaps will save a few neighborhoods.

  122. 122.

    Miss Bianca

    @Litlebritdifrnt: I know, it’s sort of like stew or soup stock or something – but I’ve never made it before, so of course I diligently looked up recipes and well…here we are.

    Maybe the problem is that whenever I make mashed potatoes, somehow we manage to eat them all in one sitting…I could make extra for leftovers, but my self-control around mashed potatoes is pretty minimal.

  129. 129.

    lafcolleen

    Our friends live in Superior.  we got an email that they (and the cats) are out.  Luckily they have a family member on Colorado to stay with.  But twitter update says the fire has crossed Indiana at Coalton Road – so getting very close to the Walmart Super Center which is visible from my friend’s house.

  132. 132.

    realbtl

    Boulder winds are something else.  I remember riding my motorcycle Boulder to Lyons on several occasions when I had to lean about 45 degrees to go straight.  The VW van was exciting too.

  133. 133.

    Steeplejack

    This Colorado situation is reminding me (yet again) that it’s a good idea to put together a go-bag in case I need to suddenly vacate my rooms in Threadkill Lane, for whatever reason. I’ve thought about it before but haven’t “gotten around to it.” ? But that’s the thing about emergencies—they’re “unlikely” until suddenly they happen. Hell, it could be something as simple as a neighbor (or me) starting a fire that damages the building. And the go-bag wouldn’t necessarily need to be a big production. Hmm, thinking about a list . . .

  136. 136.

    Argiope

    @mrmoshpotato: I’m going to guess younger than 10 years? Made in Brazil.  Other details will remain fuzzy since the remnants are now enclosed in two ziplocks on my back porch.  Along with the gloves, shaving cream, paper towels, paintbrush…..I mean, if they still do sell them, they should probably include the whole cleanup kit.

  137. 137.

    Kent

    Wow.  I’ve been driving all day and just now checking the news about Boulder.  Scary.  I drove my oldest daughter out to Jackson WY from the Portland area and we had about 600 miles of blowing snow to drive through.  Getting some serious blizzards up this way.   She is working at the ski resort there this winter and I didn’t want her to drive out alone so I grabbed my wife’s 4×4 Highlander and drove along with her and the younger kid to make sure she made it.  Because why not do a mid-winter road trip in a blizzard? Now we are returning and staying in Idaho Falls because hotels in Jackson are ridiculously expensive.  Just finished driving through 80 miles of blowing snow.  Kind of tiresome.  We have snow tires and to sets of backup tire chains so not gonna get stuck.  But it is slow going

    Oh, and no one fucking masks up in this whole state of Idaho. No one, except for the servers at Asian restaurants.  It’s like the pandemic doesn’t exist here.

  140. 140.

    Kent

    @Steeplejack: Yes, we had a wildfire come within about 500 meters of our subdivision in Texas about 10 years ago when we lived there. Ever since then I keep the cars well stocked with emergency equipment and have a go-bag ready with everything.  Basically all our important docs.

  142. 142.

    Steeplejack

    Semi on topic (emergency preparedness), today I received a 10-pack of Air Queen KF94 masks as part of my anti-Omicron initiative. Got them based on stuff I read and (I think) some recommendations here. They’re individually wrapped, which is nice, because I’m going to give several to my Trader Joe’s friend and keep a couple in the car.

    I have to admit that I have thought about stopping our weekly pickup and takeout run because of Omicron. TJ friend is working five days a week in retail. ’Nuff said about that. I’m picking her up tomorrow, because the store is closed on New Year’s Day, so I’ll discuss it with her then.

    The Air Queen mask looked a little narrow in the package, but once unfolded and deployed it works fine, and it feels very comfortable. I could see wearing it for an extended time, although most of my use will be to go into various stores for 20 minutes or so.

    I think I will still pick up some N95 masks, if only for the sake of comparison. And, the way things are going, it looks like they’ll all be put to use.

    ETA: Here’s the link for the specific masks I got. They look legit and came with a quickness.

  143. 143.

    Jay

    @Steeplejack:

    Go Bags have been a habit for 25 years now, even though now we live 22 floors up in a concrete building surrounded by concrete, pavement and parking lots.

    Also got in the habit of a daypack, with food, water, masks, gloves, first aid kit, narcan kit, flashlight, spare glasses, some basic repair tools, that goes everywhere with me,

    Plus a RAV 4 with chairs, sleeping bags, camp stove, water, tools, basic foods, first aid kit, narcan kit, spare parts,…..

  144. 144.

    martha

    @Omnes Omnibus: Hah! What usually sends me is more my anxiety than actual threats. Except for actual tornado warnings that were supposedly going right over the house…

  145. 145.

    CaseyL

    @Kent: I took Hwy 20 (the North Cascades Highway) from east to west in the summer of 2020 – when all I had to worry about was the winding road, the gradients through the mountains, fog, rain, and some leftover snowpack.  It was white-knuckle the whole way. I canNOT imagine a drive anything like that with a driving blizzard on.  Glad you made it there and back safely!

  147. 147.

    trollhattan

    Whoa, holy crap I had no idea. Was in the Sierra foothills today marveling at how bloody soaked everything is for the first time in [checks] two years.

    Stay safe, Coloradans. Fire is hell on earth.

  149. 149.

    Kent

    @CaseyL: 3/4 of the distance is on I-84 and I-86 but even the interstates can get shut down by blizzards.  But the last 100 miles was on Highway 26 over the mountains from Idaho and up through the national forest land south of Yellowstone to get to Jackson.  That was blizzardy but also outside of cell phone range.  So kind of remote feeling.

  150. 150.

    Suzanne

    ABL just tweeted that most of her stuff is in a storage facility in Louisville. And she wrote, and I quote, “fuuuuuuuck”.

  151. 151.

    Kent

    @Mike in NC: Yep.  Dipshit in a truck stop saw me wearing a mask and said “be brave dude, be brave”

    To which I responded.  “Maybe I have Covid and I’m just trying not to spread it to you.” And made a move to take off my mask and said “but if you insist”

    He backed away quickly and said… “no, dude, that’s OK”

  153. 153.

    RevRick

    I tested positive for COVID-19 yesterday. My wife and son weren’t able to get appointments, but we know they have it too. We got it on a Christmas visit to family. All of us are fully vaxxed and boosted, including the family we visited. When epidemiologists say it’s as contagious as the measles, I can believe it.
    Fortunately, we’re only experiencing cold-like symptoms. Just got home delivery of groceries. Thank God for the mRNA vaccines.

  154. 154.

    Kent

    @RevRick: I’m a teacher so I expect it is inevitable that I will eventually get it.  My wife is a doctor so same for her.

    We are vaccinated and boosted and wear masks in public.  I don’t know what else you can do.

  155. 155.

    Miss Bianca

    @Kent: That’s the way you do it!

    I’ve been waiting for a muthafucka to try that with me, so I could do…basically what you just did.

    I must have Resting Bitch Face even with a mask on. No one has tried that shit with me yet.

  156. 156.

    Dan B

    @CaseyL: I’ve driven the North Cascades many times, including the year it opened and Winthrop was cowpokes.  The bartender, my friend, and I were the only people who’d had a bath that day.  We sent some of my parents’ friends over it on their way to the Canadian Rockies and they drove it on their way back to Seattle because it was their favorite part of the trip.  But I’ve never had bad weather.

  158. 158.

    Steeplejack

    @Kent:

    We are vaccinated and boosted and wear masks in public. I don’t know what else you can do.

    This. I have the luxury of stringent self-isolation, but not everybody does.

  160. 160.

    ColoradoGuy

    The firestorms are lot closer than I would like, about 15 miles to the southwest of us. The fire glow of burning Superior in the dark sky was quite bright a half hour ago, now it’s fading, along with the fierce winds. I’m checking the real-time radar app on the iPad every few minutes to make sure it doesn’t get any closer, as well as the Boulder County evacuation map. So far so good.

    It looks like we’ll have a narrow escape.

  161. 161.

    Ohio Mom

    @Argiope: I remember our thermometer breaking when I was a preschooler. We weren’t allowed to touch the mercury — there was a dash of a sense it was dangerous — but my mom let me and my brother push it around with a piece of cardboard for a few minutes before she put it in the garbage. A simpler time.

    I can hardly believe you were still using one though they are hard to get rid of, I had to look around for a hazardous waste collection when we went digital — close to twenty years ago.

    Hope your sister heals quickly.

  162. 162.

    RevRick

    @Kent: I can’t imagine the stress you two must go through on a daily basis. We are all humbly in our debt to you and your colleagues.

  163. 163.

    Jay

    @Dan B:

    if you are a driver, in good weather, the North Cascades roads are heaven. Tight twisty roads with climbs and descents with gorgeous scenery.

    Cruise control is not used.

  166. 166.

    Jay

    @Kent:

    social distancing and ventilation. I have 4 box fans set up in the box and one in the hood, all with 3M HEPA filters strapped on, front and rear. 1000 sq ft. The hood has a fresh air-vent from outside, ( roof) and positive flow, 800 cu/ft an hour. It’s designed for running engines indoors, in a closed space.

    Apparently cuts down airborne Covid by up to 60%.

  167. 167.

    RaflW

    @persistentillusion: I was up in Summit County then. The winds over Breckenridge’s peaks were over 80 mph. A couple of the passes in CO went over 100.

    Our  late 1980s condo was creaking like mad, but it’s just flexible. :)

  168. 168.

    MisterForkbeard

    Well, crap. That’s awful, and as a Californian I’m very sympathetic to all the Coloradans dealing with fires.

    My only real comment is… did they remember to rake their forests?

  172. 172.

    Steeplejack

    Some happy news (via @TheRealHoarse):

    Even though I only have 2 followers I just needed to type this. After 21 years of being paralyzed on the right side of face. And after 12 hour facial reanimation surgery in September, I got the best Xmas present. I smiled for the first time in 21 years!! Yeah me ?!!!

    — irish eyes (@IrishMmoh06) December 26, 2021

    Now up to 1,727 followers.

    I am overwhelmed with the responses!! I’m smiling right now!! So a little about me. I have nf2 (non cancerous tumors on nerve endings). 21 years ago I lost both my hearing and smile (paralysis on right side) due to tumors being removed. After being completely deaf for 15 years

    — irish eyes (@IrishMmoh06) December 30, 2021

  175. 175.

    jnfr

    We are on the west side of Westminster, below 128. The fires aren’t far, but didn’t approach us and we didn’t even pack a Go Bag. We do have a big reservoir to the west of us, and if a wildfire comes marching south down Wadsworth I will know Armageddon is here.

    Turns out that building masses of suburban, wood-stick houses on high dryland prairie that gets constant wind in the winter is pretty dangerous in a hot, dry world.

    Especially if they didn’t bother to bury the electric lines.

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