A Southerner and a Texan

[hensylee]

My sister, born in Miami and her husband, from Dallas are moving to Webster, N.Y. this month. Understand it's near or part of Rochester on the lake (Ontario?). Neither of them have lived in this much cold or yankeedom before - so what can they expect? Besides frozen you know whats. Seems Webster is a small town and they have purchased a home there. Are looking forward to all the new things they can do that they can't do in the south and SW US. They can go to MY favorite place, Boston!!! cause it can't be far.

 

[Granbonny]

Snow shovel?

Snow shovel?

Ann, Know you cannot buy a snow shovel in Fla. but maybe the biggest shovel you can find at local Ace Hardware. They will need it..to shovel their way out of the front door when the snow flies..Have a friend that lived there for 5 years with 4 small kids at the time. She said it was terrible in winter. bonnie

 

[Nancy]

Oh you wimpy Southerners! Variety is the spice of life and in upstate New York, that's especially true weatherwise. The Rochester area is one of the colder areas.

You'll need the following:

Hooded lined winter coat, zip out lining is good, mittens, a nice warm knitted hat, a warm scarf, snow boots (nothing sweet looking, go for the snowmobile type with some tread on the bottom), all weather tires or snow tires, heavy duty antifreeze in the car, winter window wipers, a snow shovel and snow blower (nothing wimpy, get the biggest one affordable), salt or ice melter, a sack of sand for the car trunk, in case you get stuck, a roof rake leaf rake, leaf blower. Have the furnace serviced and check the furnace filter. Get a humidifier. Lock your doors and stay inside from now on. LOL

Here's a link for average temps.

http://www.wunderground.com/NORMS/D...Name=Webster&StateCode=NY&Units=none&IATA=ROC

Boston is going to be around 8 and a half to 9 hours away from Rochester.

 

[hensylee]

Tks - sending this right along this morning

 

[Granbonny]

Wimpy???

Wimpy???

O.K. Nance, You are invited down to spend a week with Ann and myself next July-August for a week. Enjoy one of our HOT, HUMID, weeks..We'll find a nice shade tree, and have a cool glass of Lemonade..then you can high-tail it back to cool New York..I think we came thru your hometown when we came out of Vermont into New York on way back to sunny south last Sept. Bonnie

 

[Nancy]

Hensylee-

I forgot to add that in the Rochester area a 4 wheel drive vehicle would probably be almost a must, they get a lot of snow, even more than we do.

My daughter lives in Tampa. I've been there when it's very, very hot. But you know the funny thing is that it's starting to get very warm here in the NE during sonme of the summer months, up to 98 and 100 degrees.

My daughter misses the Fall and even snow.

Bonnie, if you came down what we call the Northway (Rt. 87) to the New York Thruway you probably did come very close.

 

[lynk]

Hi - I've spent many years in the Rochester area. You're sister and bro-in-law will survive, Hensylee! and it will be a nice place for you to visit. The countryside is lovely. There are nice parks, museums etc. and the finger lakes are nearby. Toronto is a great city and only 3 hours away. The Adirondacks are 4hrs. Boston(my original hometown) is as Nancy said an 8 - 9 hr. drive, but it is an easy drive -- no traffic until the Boston area. Another nice thing about Roch. is that compared to many other cities there isn't much traffic and it is easy to get around.
Nancy just about summed up the winter survival gear. On the plus side - Webster is east of the city. The east area gets less snow and more sun. But then again Webster is on the lake and there is a lake effect.......Snow seldom stops you in Rochester anyway, as the streets get plowed right away.
Another big plus is that your sister is moving into Wegman's territory. That is a very big plus. At least one of our vcr people lives in the Rochester area, maybe she'll see your post. Lynk

 

[hensylee]

Now, Bonnie, you can sit under that umbrella or a magnolia tree with a lemonade if you want, but if we are doing it at MY place, we're sittin inside in the air conditioning - with a white russian.

Lynk - I am looking forward to visiting my family in N. Y. Have not been there and always wanted to see Canada (maybe get some prescriptions while there - LOL) Love seeing US origins. New York City is great to visit - once - and everybody ought to get to go there, but it's northward that sounds so inviting.

The real estate told Nan that Webster is on the side of the lake that is a bit less cold (what diff is 5 or 10 degrees? Once it reaches that cold level, it's cold). They know they are in for a different life. And from the looks of the map, looks like it might be cold before they get there.

 

[Nancy]

Well, we've had our first frost warning. It didn't pan out yet, but it's coming any day. Our heat is on and I'm wearing a light jacket or sweater when outside. I made my first pass with the leaf vacuum and wood chipper. Our tree surgeon is coming soon to trim some of the bigger dead branches before the ice and snow breaks them off at the wrong time.

 

[Sunshine susan]

To Nancy...

To Nancy...

You said your daughter lives in Tampa? I live in St. Petersburg, just across the Howard Franklin bridge! I also work in downtown Tampa in one of the bank towers. Such a small world! And as to weather, we hope every year to dodge the hurricanes! Susan

 

[nano49]

Nan
Hi, I'm Hensylee's sister who is moving to the Rochester, NY area. All of your suggestions have been very helpful. We are looking forward to seeing lots of new things -- Niagara Falls, the Eastman House, the Liberty Bell, Gettysburg, lots of snow of course -- and the season change. I hear the leaves are just about at peak color, is that right? We will hit the road on 10/21 and expect it will take three days.

Thanks again for the help -- my husband is looking into buying a new 4W drive truck, per your suggestion. We're also looking at snowblowers -- and what's a leaf vacuum? I guess it's like a vacuum cleaner for your lawn, right? Can you also suck up grass clippings? Wow -- another Northernism -- somthing I've never heard of!

 

[Nancy]

Hi Nan-

Welcome to New York. The Rochester area is a really beautiful part of New York. I did some summer intern work there many, many years ago and I had an aunt and uncle who lived there. The fall color is just starting here. Should be at peak or so in about one to two weeks, and then the leaves will fall. Actually some of them have come down already, plus a lot of pine needles and acorns. We had some freezing weather last night 32 or below.

I have a chipper-vac combo because we have lots and lots of trees. There are always branches coming down. The vacuum will take care of anything on the ground except the acorns. One of you engineers out there, please invent something for them. They're too heavy for the vacuum, and escape the rake. Walking on them is like walking on ball bearings. They get inbedded into the lawn and nothing will grow through them. The squirrels can't eat them all, and in the spring, I have about a million oak tree seedlings which have to be pulled. Oak seedlings develop a root about a foot into the ground the first few weeks.

If the ground doesn't freeze hard, there will still be time to plant some spring bulbs such as crocus, tulips, hyacinths and daffodils. Plus you can plant foxgloves in the late fall which are really nice in the shade.

The winter driving will be a challenge. Just keep it slow and put it into 4 wheel drive or a lower gear for slippery conditions.

My daughter is coming for a little visit tomorrow from Tampa. She'll be happy to see the leaves. I hope she has some warm clothing.

 

[hensylee]

Good pic, Nan - hey ya'll this is my little sister - I used to look just like her (except I was a brunette). She's way younger than me.

 

[hensylee]

Update on little sister. They are making new discoveries all the time as the following will show:

Since we've been in New York, I've learned things are different here. There are whole stores dedicated to selling CHEESE, BREAD or SOUP; Hot soup is sold at McDonald's; they have learned about sweet iced tea and I actually found Quaker Grits at the grocery store; but no Ranch Style beans or tortillas. We still haven't found a decent Mexican restaurant here and it costs BIG BUCKS to park in the downtown parking lots (like $72/mo since the last rate raise which was last month. We're expecting another one after January 1st). But all in all, the snow is lovely (we got well over a foot on Christmas Day, no lie) and the people are great -- yeah, they talk funny, but you get used to it.

Before you know it, the southerner and the Texan will be yankees for sure. Especially if they can learn to 'talk funny'. LOL

 

[Vicki448]

Surely it's not too late for them to change their mind!!!!! But, life should be full of adventures and this will certainly be one for the books. I hope they love it!

 

[hensylee]

NEWS FLASH! NEWS FLASH! The Texan and the Southerner will be coming up my drive late today - on their way back to Texas. They bought a house and moved to NY because of his promised job - wonderful one. He was to head up the company's drafting dept but the job never materialized. He was paid timely, went to the office every day, but the promised job never appeared. He was doing some good stuff but not what he was hired for. Then the winter didn't help any, as y'all up there know about the winter thingy this year - they would have eventually adjusted, tho. They lost trees and limbs and power went off. Shocking for them, but they had a fireplace and got by, just like the rest of you. They went to Niagara Falls the first weekend that was nice and had a lovely time. OUr parents had been there when she was little, filled our heads with lovely things when they came back, so all of us always wanted to go there - she got to do it for us. On their way home they have made a bypass to Gettysburg - I have been there; we are interested in history so now she has her own views, not just mine. This chapter will be closed for them now and they will be on to other things. Tony has drafting jobs waiting for him in Texas, so he can pick up where he left off.

And Nan will be here to hug me tomorrow when I go off to see the kidney man. Maybe that's the best part.

End of "The Southerner and the Texan".

 

[Georgia]

See, I told you

See, I told you

that combined, all of our prayers and thoughts would approach what you send us! It's neat that your sis is coming - and what timing!!! My my my - almost makes you think God was listening . . . Oh, that's right, He always is.

Have a good visit.

 

[Lorraine]

Ann,

This is wonderful news! Your sister will be with you! GOD is listening and supporting you the best way he possibly could.

Our PRAYER RING will be surrounding you as you go see the kidney man tomorrow!

 

[EVELYN]

Well said, Lorraine.....it will DEFINITELY BE SURROUNDING MISS ANN!!! We are thinking of you, Henslyee!!!

Ev

 

[Nancy]

I'm so happy that your dear sister will be there for you tomorrow. You also have your cyber sisters and brothers going with you in spirit.

God Bless.