November 1st....say it ain't so!!!!

[Mike Jackson]

Hi Forumites,
We've lived in Jackson Hole 20 years now and have seen all kinds of weather for Halloween. It was darned cold out last night and it seems to have slowed down the Trick or Treaters. The door bell only rang half a dozen times last night.

It's November 1st here now. Yikes! The early morning temperature is still 7°F outside and high today is going to be only 36°. The weather report for tonight is -3°F. Ouch!!!! The upcoming weather report calls for snow in the next couple of days, though the sky is clear this morning. Needless to say, I wasn't really ready to jump out of bed at 5:00 am this morning to try to get pre-dawn photos, especially since it still seems like I am getting up even earlier with the recent time change.

The electric heaters in our shop/garage have been blowing semi-warm air for the past week or so, too. It never really gets hot out there, but tolerable enough for making signs. Of course, it takes a little longer for the paint to dry and cure when it is colder. We had a desperation style call from a realtor last week. Apparently he had seen the long term weather forcast and was wanting to rush a 3x4 painted real estate sign we had just started. When the weather starts getting bitter cold, the first three feet of ground cover can freeze concrete hard, making digging holes a lot more difficult.

I guess I am just not ready for it to be November yet.

Mike Jackson

[Larry White]

It was 56 degrees here in Machine this morning....brrrr.

[Mike Jackson]

There was one episode of Northern Exposure where Ruth Ann and one of the other cast members were looking around in the bar for people looking a little unhealthy, smoking, drinking heavily, or eating too unhealthy of a meal. They were having to estimate the number of graves to dig for the upcoming Winter because the ground freezes too hard. They were also quizzing _ Fleshman to see if he had any "insider information" about who was a candidate to kick off during the winter.

There is always a big rush in the fall to get the foundations poured before it gets too cold here, too. All this came to mind over the weekend as the realtor called wanting to rush his sign if we could help him out. He wanted to get his posts in the ground sooner than later. We will probably warm up for a few days between now and Thanksgiving, but several days of really cold weather can begin to affect the top layer of the earth here. Early snows melt off fast because the ground teperature is still pretty warm. A few more days like this and the snow will hang around until next spring.

Even though, on the surface, this thread might sound a bit like a weather post, it is still lined with sign related information. Some parts of the country can build without much problems all 12 months of the year. The three coldest winter months can really slow down construction, but the same cold weather brings in the winter tourists who like 400 inches of snow each year.

Best regards,
Mike Jackson

[Raymond Chapman]

Mike...now see, if you had never left Moore you would be all warm and toasty right now. It's still in the 60's and 70's here in Texas. Just really nice shirt sleeve weather. And not a snow flake in sight.

Eat your heart out.

[Doug Bernhardt]

I feel for ya Mikey....yesterday was a beautiful warm day here...(truth be known, the first one in a long time) and had the shop doors open...today we had snow....just a dusting but it's here to remind us all to get ready for nothing green for another 6 months. Funny...when I was a kid I didn't mind winter at all....these days I'm thinkin' differ'nt!

[Mike Jackson]

Hi Raymond,
I guess there is a trade off. If I still lived in Moore, OK (or most of Texas), I could drive a few miles out of town and get a photo kinda like the one on top. If I drive a few miles out of Jackson, I can get images similar to the one on the bottom on a regular basis. Hmmmmm, I think I should stop complaining about a few flakes and turn up the heater.

Have a great weekend!
Mike

[carlos venson]

Hi Mike, Thanks for helping me get settled into the forum. As for the weather here in Alameda,
California, it's really cold if it gets down to 35 at night and the 50's during the day. However,
your picture shows why you or anyone would put up with the winters. I used to have my sign
shop in Redding, California were it get's cold in the winter and 115 in the summer. The land
there resembles Jackson. Great fishing and hunting. I miss everything but the heat. Carlos
[/quote]

[Raymond Chapman]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some even find the plain very exciting. Don't you get tired of looking at the same mountains, trees, and rivers?

Hey, anyone can survive in a resort area...it takes a real man to live in Texas (or Moore, Oklahoma).

I don't think my arguement has much validity. You, Darla, and the boys live in one of most beautiful spots in the world. And you don't have to worry about sweat running in your eyes (or anywhere else) in the summer.

[Mike Jackson]

Hi Raymond,
I just returned from a trip to SW Wyoming to photograph the herds of wild horses. WOW! They are absolutely beautiful. In two days, I shot roughly 1600 photos, including a few big horn sheep and a couple of eagles. Most were the wild mustangs. I had to make the trip right now because the mesa they live on is not plowed after November 1 until April 1. Luckily, the road was clear enough and I had great weather. Some of them have manes that are close to two feet long and tails that almost touch the ground. Still, they look like horses, but having the great sage plains and mountains in the background gives you a feeling they are fully wild. I am sure you have wild horses in Texas. Check 'em out if you get a chance!

Mike