Item #1: Nice weather
The weather contrasts this week have been interesting. Here on the Naneum Fan we started with cool and wet, although western Washington has had high winds and rain. About 500,000 were without electricity. The peaks of the Cascades have gotten snow.
Scott’s Weather Blog
Meanwhile, in Europe, cold weather and snow have been a bigger burden. Madrid had issues.
Snow and cold
In a mountain location the temperature dropped to -35.8°C., about -32°F.
Our airport – KELN – reported a high of 52° at mid-afternoon Friday, clear sky, and brief gusts of wind. The nicest day this year.
Item #2: Other winter photos
Item #3: Need for a short piece of pipe
The photo (left) is of the tire change kit that comes with Subarus. The spare is a temporary (go slow) item, but works.
A digression: The piece with the small circle just below mid-photo is a threaded steel deal that can be used when in need of a short pull. My Crosstrek has a pop-out square piece of plastic in both the front and back of the plastic body (right photo – rear of car). Plastic is a key issue, because a chain or strap hooked under the car will put pressure on the plastic and cause damage. Thus, one can pop the square and screw in the O-hook, attach a tow line, and pull hard. The threads go into the steel frame. Neat.
The shiny item on the left of the photo with the dog-leg toward the up-end is the wrench to remove the lug nuts. Great. Except it is quite short. It is so short that I could not get even one of the nuts to come loose with my no-longer great strength. I had to invoke brute force. That is, I had to position the wrench in a way that I could give it a good kick. Had I not had on thick soled work boots, I’d have been down in the Yakima River looking for a large rock.
So – wanted: a 2ft. section of pipe that will provide the leverage to break the lug nuts loose. Subaru owners, be aware.
Item #4: New grocery items
Both of these items pose questions. How do you package 99 cans? Packaging and packing are complex issues. Just think of an item of odd shape that comes in a cardboard box. There are folds, tabs, fillers, and empty space. So, 9 x 11 works. How are they in there?
I do like the idea of “boneless” potatoes. I never buy a whole chicken because of all the bones and other waste. A boneless potato is so much nicer then those with bones. How do they do that?
Item #5: Deliberate, or not?
And that, for this week, is the not so nasty news.
John