I think the fact that it is not very long (we are at mile 8 or 9 of it's 10 mile course, you can see where it dumps into the Willow River just south us), and that it is spring fed keeps it rolling all year. You can easily see on the aerial photo the biggest source (there are 3). It is the spring fed slough 3 miles directly east of us at 130th & Hwy 65. The other 2 sources disappear into the maize of field drainage channels. We are surrounded by other rivers, Kinnickinnic to the east, Apple to the north, and Willow to the west and south. I think Ten Mile Creek only drains about 15 square miles of land.

That's actually a much better quality photo than they had in the past. Following the streams course backward from our place, see how much of it is open to direct sunlight - which I think accounts for how warm it gets even by mid spring. That slough never freezes over either. We've had stretches of multiple nights at or near -30F, and it stays open and steams like mad. That's why I think it is the main cause of the stream never freezing.

Waterfowl are abundant, but because of our cat and dogs, no waterfowl nests near the house. Every year a few think about it, but then move along once they meet the residents. I also think the swift flow doesn't agree with most of them. We even had a badger dig a huge den right next to our driveway one year. We get plenty of very regular visitors though; herons, woodduck, eagles, lots of hawks, exportable quantities of geese, pheasants, etc.

There is a nice trail down the eastern bank, probably about a 3/4 mile hike. It's amazing how many little nooks and crannies there are to explore even just in such a modest little chunk of wilderness. It is a great little joint, like I said; very lucky to be looking there when we were.

At the current going rate ($30K per acre for last year's cornfield) we could never afford it now. We just happened, by accident, to fall in love with a place just beyond the edge of what was then considered prime investment property. Today, with woods and stream, cut it up into 2 acre lots and it's easily worth a million. I'm ashamed to tell people what we actually paid.

But I do have this advice for anybody who asks: Whether for investment or your own use, go to the edge of development, maybe just a bit further, and buy as much as you can afford. Smartest accident I ever had.

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Don of Borg - Cool, Calm, Collective.

"Within the next generation I believe that the world's leaders will discover that infant conditioning and narco-hypnosis are more efficient, as instruments of government, than clubs and prisons, and that the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Back on track, . . . yes another mild winter; though it was the closest we've had to a real winter in 10 years.

A couple cold snaps, with the one 2 to 3 week blast the only thing I would call COLD. And snow, we did not get squat until the 2 big dumps at the very tail end of winter.

How fast we get spoiled though. I even found myself, in the middle of that one cold spell, whining about it.

I do like some things about that bitter cold. There is a stillness and peacefulness unlike any other when it is -30F and no wind. It's kinda eerie, like the world is frozen, WHICH IT IS!

__________________
Don of Borg - Cool, Calm, Collective.

"Within the next generation I believe that the world's leaders will discover that infant conditioning and narco-hypnosis are more efficient, as instruments of government, than clubs and prisons, and that the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

So much for Spring, it's snowed for nearly 24 hours straight. We were supposed to drive to the Alps tomorrow, weather said 40 and rainy.

Oh well, Mom gets to see snow for the first time, poor Texas girl.

__________________
"I will do my best to understand and explain the universe from big to small without invoking miracles, unrepeatable events, or divine intervention. In place of those things I will use observations, mathematics, and science."


-Cross
My travel blog

Some of my Astrophotography


Those that lack education have a hard time understanding its value. - Cross

Picture posting attempt.

Attached Thumbnails

 

__________________
Don of Borg - Cool, Calm, Collective.

"Within the next generation I believe that the world's leaders will discover that infant conditioning and narco-hypnosis are more efficient, as instruments of government, than clubs and prisons, and that the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Successful. With the 50+ temps we had today, a bunch of snow has melted/evaporated. The Ides of March are finally here. I'd guess that nearly a foot and a half went away in the span of two days. o.O

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"4th Law of Modern Thermodynamics: Where Mihoshi is, Chaos Reigns." ~W. Hakubi
"Gun control is hitting your target; Recycling is reloading your brass." ~ Lex of Dirty Work.

Here in the Land of Enchanment we did not have a mild winter.

By late December we'd already broken records for snowfall.

Just at my house,I've never seen anything less than 0F here,this year I saw -10F.
We ain't had this much snow or seen these temps in 10 years.Preceded by a monsoon season that lasted for 2 months,with record rain fall.

we accidentally drove into a flooded area on our way home,it was dark.It's kinda scary when your car moves a coupla feet sideways.

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"An armed man is a citizen
An unarmed man is a subject"

Robert A. Heinlein

But I do have this advice for anybody who asks: Whether for investment or your own use, go to the edge of development, maybe just a bit further, and buy as much as you can afford. Smartest accident I ever had.

Good advice!

Argos: Well, I´ve never been exposed to that temperature. Must be weird...

I like it in the autumn when it's about -15C in the morning and warms to about 0C in the afternoon. I get lots of field work done on days like that. Colder than that is just no fun, but we love to talk about it! The coldest I've experienced is -46C, and the coldest I've done fieldwork in was -28C, but that was an emergency.

All the vehicles up here have block heaters, and you see them with electrical cords hanging out the front in the winter. I usually plug mine in when it gets below -15C. But this is the weird part: When it's really cold, the tire sidewalls don't flex very well. So when you start driving, the vehicle goes thump, thump, thump until they finally loosen up. The transmission doesn't want to shift either for at least the first km or so. It's just really hard on equipment.

I love that race car feel you get until the oil in the shocks warms up.

__________________
Don of Borg - Cool, Calm, Collective.

"Within the next generation I believe that the world's leaders will discover that infant conditioning and narco-hypnosis are more efficient, as instruments of government, than clubs and prisons, and that the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Well it´s abolutely amazing for a guy like me. I like this webcam, pointing towards downtown Fairbanks, AK. I get really startled when I see people coming and going and working in january under -40, as if it were a normal day. Down here, when temps plunge to - 8C in southern cities it´s big news in the prime time.

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If you're careful enough, nothing bad or good will ever happen to you.

People are getting soft all over though. In all my years of school, it was never cancelled because of temperature. Never ever never. If the snow accumulation was bad enough to make roads truly impassable, then that could do it, but never just because it was cold.

Nowadays, any snowfall over 2" carries the possibility of school opening late, closing early, or getting cancelled. And I believe many of them actually have policies in place to close when the temperature or wind chill hits certain levels.

__________________
Don of Borg - Cool, Calm, Collective.

"Within the next generation I believe that the world's leaders will discover that infant conditioning and narco-hypnosis are more efficient, as instruments of government, than clubs and prisons, and that the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

Yeah, but take someone out of Fairbanks and stick them on a street in Brasilia during a heatwave.

Acclimation is an amazing feat.

Well, interesting enough, I´ve heard that people in Fairbanks can experience 90F days in summer. Yeah, Brasilia can be quite hot in summer, but it is also dry. Try Manaus or Belem, where (humid) 90F is a daily reality...

__________________
If you're careful enough, nothing bad or good will ever happen to you.

try Houston in the summer it can be above 100F for the entire months of July and August plus 100% humidity. I great up like that playing outside with the other kids.


Actually we normally didn't have more than 6 weeks straight of above 100 degree days.

__________________
"I will do my best to understand and explain the universe from big to small without invoking miracles, unrepeatable events, or divine intervention. In place of those things I will use observations, mathematics, and science."


-Cross
My travel blog

Some of my Astrophotography


Those that lack education have a hard time understanding its value. - Cross

oh, and I'll take that over 115 and no humidity like Phoenix or Las Vegas. I need the humidity to survive.

__________________
"I will do my best to understand and explain the universe from big to small without invoking miracles, unrepeatable events, or divine intervention. In place of those things I will use observations, mathematics, and science."


-Cross
My travel blog

Some of my Astrophotography


Those that lack education have a hard time understanding its value. - Cross

Spring?

Yeccch!

Summer?

Double yeccch!

Come on, Autumn!

Cool for the cool.


PS: If I were rich, I'd spend September through March in the northern hemisphere and March through September in the southern hemisphere.

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A person's name, or a mark representing it, as signed personally or by deputy, as in subscribing a letter or other document.

Drawbridge may be closer to an accurate description than I would have thought. The telephone pole search has proven fruitless; and I need to do something this year as the current structure will not stand up to another spring rush.

Got an idea from a company that sells small bridges for places like golf courses and nature trails. Their method for setting boardwalks over swamps and marshy areas uses a footing similar to what's often used to hold the posts for a low level deck. A little concrete mini-footing that a 4X4 post sets in.

If I use a pair of posts on footings every 8' with well-braced crossmembers connecting the pair to each other; then run 8' rails the length of the crossing, with decking on top of that - it should work. Lots of triangulation ought to make it sturdy enough.

Just thinking out loud though, seems like there will be other challenges. How do I keep it from just rising up and floating away in the spring rush? It also will not stand up well to big chunks of moving ice. I suppose I could put the 8' sections together with huge bolts and disassemble it each fall. Way too much work though, especially once I get a bit older.

I wonder if I could take some cues from the hardware and materials used for docks (the kind people put in and out every year)?

Back to the drawing board.

__________________
Don of Borg - Cool, Calm, Collective.

"Within the next generation I believe that the world's leaders will discover that infant conditioning and narco-hypnosis are more efficient, as instruments of government, than clubs and prisons, and that the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

The only bridge I've ever had to build was out of popcicle sticks for science class in like 6th grade. So unless you and the fam. can go through a couple thousand boxes of popcicles this summer, you're beyond my expertise.

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I'm like one of those idiot savants...well, except for the savant part.

we used creosote posts and sunk them real deep. Every year we had to block them up because they sank more. That's part of the deal.

__________________
"I will do my best to understand and explain the universe from big to small without invoking miracles, unrepeatable events, or divine intervention. In place of those things I will use observations, mathematics, and science."


-Cross
My travel blog

Some of my Astrophotography


Those that lack education have a hard time understanding its value. - Cross

Doodler's Spring Report:


AAAAA-CHOOOOOOOO!!!

*sniff*