It is now official. 18-19 is the 2nd snowiest winter here since records been kept. 55.4 inches seasonal average 26.1. Seems like it was colder too. Just watched the news Michigan had 17 feet what a wimp I am
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Tom along about July or August the powers that be will start telling us that the winter of 18 / 19 was the warmest winter on record and I won’t believe it any more than the last time they said it either.
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The 20 hottest years ever seen - globally have been in the last 22 or 24. That’s more than coincidence. We’ve had the coldest winter on the Canadian prairies in 80 years, because the arctic can’t hold the jet stream. It’s warmer to the north pole than continental areas. Which stands to reason if the ocean is warming and not covered in multi year ice. Land does get darned cold when the sun can’t balance the warmth. I also saw the highest temp I’ve ever seen here last summer, 43C. Australia has just been through the most punishing heat wave in history. Parts of Europe are already seeing record temps. Things will continue to burn this summer, and ever crazier storms, no worries, it’s our new normal. For now.
Here’s an interesting weather record of the last 100 years. I see a trend. And its probably too late, we are now on for a ride, no matter how regretful we may become.
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The continental US really only covers 2% of the surface of the earth. I did a search and could not actually come up with a list of the warmest winters in just the United States, but I am curious how closely it matches the global trend. As Garry points out, If you look at the entire globe the rise is pretty apparent (but there are some anomalous spots). Also, the change is small, once you average it all out over such a large area. Of course, it doesnt take all that much of a change to affect global climate. I seem to recall reading that the average temperature during the last ice age was only about 10 degrees F cooler than today. That wouldnt make much of a difference if you lived in the tropics, but I think it got pretty brisk in the midwest 
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Our secret is out! Well except for the part where you can make your own charcoal.
https://simpledeodorizingideas.com/home/air-trap.php?affId=38ECDD15&c1=us&c2=mousetrap&fbclid=IwAR2QWEv36L-lSp_0WwbpypW7tZCnkireqFS7R6TELQ5ov4EKLOC4Tw96p0I&sxid=7020b40sm224
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As I understand the weather this year is; the gobble situation may have not changed in totally. But for us in Canada and the northern US ( Great lakes area) , the polar vortex (?) which is normally centered over the north poll, has moved off center and the center is down in Canada some place. The periphery of this vortex extends down to or below the great lakes. I assume that on the other side of the earth the periphery moved north giving them warmer weather. Net result is the globule temperature averages out to “normal” That’s may story and I’m sticking to it. TomC
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Global warming discussion? Come on guys, we’ve been around this one.
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Dont worry Chris, l have just the thing to pull the topic out the rabbit hole 
A while back l mentioned this local delicasy, but hadnt had any pictures. Today l made buisness with the “inventor” him self, he happens to allso be a fowl breeder and l bought a peahen from him. This is it
Those are puffed/fryed pig skins. Generously salted, make a fantastic marridge with a pint of beer or two.
Many people, includeing me, have tryed to make them but they never come out so perfect, white and crunchy as his. Needless to say he guards the recepie wery carefulĺy.
Ha, while mom and dad feast on the faty colagen rich delicasy, son decided to turn to the garden for a snack. For some reason he is not much of a meat lover.
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I didn’t realize we were talking about “Climate Warming” We have just gone through a rather hard winter season and I thought we were sharing experiences — the southern folks have had storms and floods and up north it has been cold and snow. Now we are all hopefully coming into a “Spring” season at different times and different rates. The topic of this thread was after all, Life goes on-Winter 2018.
Kristijan; I love those pork rinds or a they were called when I was young, Cracklns. The ones when I was a kid varied a great deal in their texture-- some were kind of like a thick potato chip and some were so hard we just through them out because we couldn’t bite them. Ours were quite greasy. Now days we buy them from the store and like you said, they are puffed up and very easy to chew, making them much more desirable. We probably have two bags in the pantry right now TomC
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We would cook corn bread with cracklns in and call it crackln bread .
Hard to beat
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Wayne What do you do just crumble up some of those cracklins and mix them in ? If so about how much ,that sounds so good.I would like io try it.
Hello Larry .
It has been a while that we had a hog killen but if I remember correctly about a hand full of crushed cracklns to a pone of corn bread .
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Andrew, that is great news about the mold vs bamboo charcoal. I have a log house in Bend, Oregon that I rarely occupy. It had a problem with fine grey mold during the winter if I didn’t heat it. Since it is closed up, it just couldn’t breathe.
I bought an ozone generator. The warnings said to NOT be in the house while it was activated. I took this as a good sign. Ozone is an unstable variety of oxygen. It is always looking for something to combine with / oxidise. It has about the same result as a fire. It’s great for a whole-house problem.
It is also used to remove smoke and odor from contaminated objects.
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I agree, ozone is sort of the javex of oxygen varieties. Another solution could be a heat recovery ventilator, but that would require solar heating or some other means to reduce the interior relative humidity.
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I expect turnip will work great for kimchi. Add some cabbage family member, turnip leaves, or pak choy, garlic and spring or bouncing onions, and ginger, anchovy, shrimp, dried seaweed if it’s available, and there you go. Although the principle is the same as sauerkraut, lactic acid fermentation, you should be able to go so many ways. Seaweed, or Chinese bean paste, or tomato paste is necessary for the “umami” - (savory) flavour. (A real thing, btw, one of the basic senses.)
Salted, wilted veggies, after about 3 hours, soaked in water with 1/2 cup kosher salt.
The arrangement…
White parts cut off green onions, and showing the assortment to be peeled and blended…
Salted, wilted vegetables, with blended sauce added, wetted with pear juice, and anchovies, cayenne pepper to taste.
Mix set in a pot, to undergo lactic acid fermentation.
In 2 - 3 days it will be the most tasty and healthful side dish, or basis for a soup. My only regret is that I wasrt aware of this sooner.
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Thanks Wayne I’m going to try some.I made some with hot peppers once it was pretty good.
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Activated carbon , as from the gasifier dump, works wonders. And when its saturated , you can used it as fuel…
I have some in the fridge to preserve the vegetables and it adsorbs any smell to…
Put some fresh bamboo charcoal in your drinking water and enjoy…
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Looks tasty Garry! Why dont you use the white part of spring onions?
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I would, but for some reason the Korean recipes say not to use the white part. I will next time, I can’t see what it would hurt.
And yes, tasty it is… 
369/5000
this technique of soaking charcoal in water is also used to make a well polished to make it clean, in a burlap bag, we put a certain volume of charcoal with stones for its immersion in the water from the well, the charcoal absorbs the poluant, after a certain time, the bag is removed with its rope, and the well is clean.
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