I'm not playing OFF ever again!

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

UK_Widowmaker...By appointment to her Majesty the Queen, purveyor of the Ridiculous, banal and totally untrue statement

 

God, I'm So bored being stuck in the House cos of the damn snow!!!

Edited December 4, 2010 by UK_Widowmaker

[RAF_Louvert 101]

.

 

 

 

 

I dub thee "Sir Liar Through-Isteeth, Duke of Whattaspiv".

 

 

.

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

[Hasse Wind 46]

Looks like Britannia has been defeated by General Winter.

 

Below is a typical pic of a typical winter with a typically low temperature from here:

 

[RAF_Louvert 101]

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That is very pretty HW, and reminds me of northeastern Minnesota in the winter. However, I live on the prairies of west central Minnesota and they tend to look more like this for five months of the year:

 

 

I swear to God, everything goes all film noir here come late November.

 

.

[Hasse Wind 46]

That's plenty of snow.

 

How long are the days there in winter? Up here in the Arctic the darkest weeks of the year are upon us now - in the northernmost areas you can only see a glimpse of the sun when you climb to a high hill or tunturi, but even in more southern regions the sun stays extremely low on the horizon, and daylight lasts only for a few hours.

 

For me the snow and the cold are not too much of an issue, but the lack of daylight can be somewhat depressing in the long run. It does make one really appreciate the long summer days and nights when there is no darkness at all.

[RAF_Louvert 101]

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Hasse Wind, I can only imagine what so little actual daylight must be like for you Sir. Our shortest day here is about 7 1/2 hours, but it is often quite cloudy in the winter so we don't actually get to see the sun. But at least it's up there.

 

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[Hasse Wind 46]

We actually have a word for the depression caused to some people by the constant lack of daylight in winter; kaamosmasennus. It affects about 3-5 % of the population. Light treatment and vitamin D help against it.

 

But the darkness affects everybody somehow. Maybe that is why we like to drink so much.

[von Baur 54]

Wow, HW. The fartest north I ever went (for more than a couple of weeks) was a three-year stint at Elmendorf AFB, Anchorage, Alaska. I think the latitude was in the low 60* range...as was the high temp in the summer, sometimes. I remember the sun finally peeking over the eastern hills at about 9:30 or 10:00 in the morning and it being pitch black again by 3:30 in the afternoon. I worked in a secured facility, meaning no windows, and other than lunch and the occassional errand never saw the sun on weekdays. They told us about sunlamps and vitamind-D at the in-comers briefing. I also remember the reverse when, at the height of summer and with the help of Daylight Savings Time, old Sol would barely dip below the horizon at about 11:00 or 11:30 and be starting to break again by 2:00AM. It never got so dark as to require headlights from early June to mid July.

[Von Paulus 8]

And I only saw snow once in my life.

[Hasse Wind 46]

And I only saw snow once in my life.

 

The snowstorms and cold weather that has been ravaging much of Europe for the past few weeks have spared Portugal? You lucky bastards in your sunshine.

[Olham 164]

Snow as high as in your places, Lou and Hasse Wind, is rare here. But winter depression

is something I know. What I didn't know is, that vitamin D might help. I'll get me some.

Here are pics from Ostfrieland, where I was born; the Brandenburger Tor, Berlin;

and the "Weihnachtsmarkt" on Alexanderplatz.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 4, 2010 by Olham

[Hasse Wind 46]

Beautiful pics, Olham. I really like those reflections in the water. Enjoy the winter weather down there.

 

Sunlight (UVB radiation) causes skin to produce vitamin D. In winter there is much less sunlight (or practically none at all, depending on the latitude), so there will be less vitamin D produced. Therefore you should compensate and get it more from food or pills. Fish, liver and liver oils, eggs and some mushrooms are good natural sources of vitamin D.

[Von Paulus 8]

The snowstorms and cold weather that has been ravaging much of Europe for the past few weeks have spared Portugal? You lucky bastards in your sunshine.

No, it didn't spare all Portugal. But in almost half of the country never snows. But we are having some low temperatures, in the place where I live between 4ºC and 10ºC. I'm freezing.

[Olham 164]

Fish, liver and liver oils, eggs and some mushrooms are good natural sources of vitamin D.

Hey, that's funny! Cause just two days ago felt a crave for trout caviar, when I passed the fish department

in my favourite shop. I bought it and ate it all in one go. We should listen to our body - it can speak!

 

Von Paulus: But we are having some low temperatures, in the place where I live between 4ºC and 10ºC. I'm freezing.

 

I will adore you, when I find the time, von Paulus. At 4°, I have still done signwriting outdoors! Tch - Portugese people!

Edited December 4, 2010 by Olham

[Von Paulus 8]

I will adore you, when I find the time, von Paulus. At 4°, I have still done signwriting outdoors! Tch - Portugese people!

:yes:

Remember that this cold is different. It's not a dry cold, which is more bearable. I'm a 15 minute on foot from the Atlantic Ocean.

Besides most of our houses are build thinking on hot weather and not in cold weather.

Edited December 4, 2010 by Von Paulus

[UK_Widowmaker 571]

I might try the Vitamin D...I get quite depressed in the winter

[tranquillo 10]

Not sure what it's called elsewhere but in the UK we refer to it as SAD - Seasonal Effected Disorder.

The lack of sunlight not only effects our production of vitamin D but also means a reduction in Serotonin which is largely responsible for the depression.

I have treated many people with SAD and have found that Light Boxes can help. They are not cheap but very effective.

You don't have to suffer, people.

P.S. No, I don't work for a Light Box company

 

Also try to avoid taking antidepressants - that's a downward spiral IMO.

Edited December 4, 2010 by tranquillo

[RAF_Louvert 101]

.

 

I think I take too much stuff for granted. I assumed most folks knew about popping Vitamin D during the winter months to compensate for the lack of sunlight. I've been doing it for many years. But then, my mother was the senior editor for Postgraduate Medicine, so I suppose she had the inside track and shared a lot of things I take as rote, medically speaking anyway.

 

.

[Hasse Wind 46]

Recently vitamin D has received quite a lot of attention from scientists. All vitamins are important, but this one might be even more important for us than has been previously understood. Apparently it's quite common to receive less vitamin D than the body needs for optimal performance, even in regions with more sunlight than up here north. Serious deficiency is easier to notice of course, because it causes serious symptoms, but lesser cases can be more difficult to notice.

[carrick58 23]

I spent time in Germany and 2 1/2 yrs in Fairbanks, Alaska which is why I am here kudos. :sohappy: Beach is within 60 miles of house.

Edited December 4, 2010 by carrick58

[Slartibartfast 153]

Here in lovely warm Vienna where the Temp has not gone above 0c all day I found a wonderful way to cheer and warm myself up... Gluhwein and watching the girls and talking to some of them to practice my German, well thats my excuse... roll on Summer... :drinks:

 

Oh and to you Mr Widowmaker old chap tsk tsk remember the Snipe... The Snipe

Edited December 4, 2010 by Slartibartfast

[Javito1986 14]

We just got our first big snowfall of the season here in Madison Wisconsin. Pretty outside, I'm going to go out very soon to clear the driveway & sidewalk. It tends to snow pretty heavily in this corner of the earth. My political sociology professor, who's traveled all over the world on various diplomatic activities, says that northern Wisconsin in the winter looks identical to Finland. Which I suppose makes sense since we're at about the same latitude as the Fins...

[RAF_Louvert 101]

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Javito, you might want to ask Santa for a globe of the Earth for Christmas. Wisconsin isn't even close to the same latitude as Finland, unless if by "about the same" you mean that they both share the same hemisphere.

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited December 4, 2010 by RAF_Louvert

[Bullethead 12]

Down here in the swamp, it's gotten below freezing (by an RCH, but it counts) only 3 nights this year, 2 of them last month. Today, it never got below 50^F and I was walking around my yard at 1800 this evening in shorts and sandals. But things are changing rapidly, the temps swinging back and forth from a bit cold to balmy every couple of days and giving everybody the flu. In another couple weeks, we'll settle in for our periodically cold rainy season.

 

Nevertheless, house fire season has started. Most buildings around here, especially the low-income types, might as well be tents. Relatively cool in summer even without A/C, they're fridges even in our relatively mild winters, and lack enough heating to make them otherwise. In addition, folks around here aren't very bright so, rather than wear winter clothing indoors, they crank up their improvised heating appliances so they can keep on wearing shorts and going barefoot. Space heaters placed next to beds, piles of clothing on the floor, and sofas. Ovens going full blast with the doors open, etc.

 

3 only slightly freezing nights, 2 house fires so far. I prevented a 3rd (for the moment) when I went to a ramshackle trailer for a diabetic emergency and noticed a plastic garbage bag full mostly of paper actually leaning against the open door of the oven. It's going to be a long excuse for a winter .

 

Idjits roasting in a trailer fire

Burnt flesh tingling up your nose

Yuletide carols being sung by sirens

Herniating yourself dragging hose