Summer Snowmageddon 2014 (split from Weather)

[btimbit]

Personally I absolutely love this weather. Love how crisp the air is, how easy it is to breath, the comfort of stepping into your home after playing outside. Winter is superior to summer in every way. And I know I'm the vast minority when it comes to this.

Took today and yesterday off to play in the snow with my son. Had a blast.

Just sucks that the infrastructure and trees weren't ready for it.

Originally Posted by 4X4

Maybe your girlfriend is blind. I live in the deep SW, I take Stoney all the way around the city (through the SE) to the NW every single day. And it's been snowing everywhere.

Today yes, but Monday and most of yesterday it was snowing all day where I live (near peigan trail) but just rain at work (deep sw)

[tvp2003]

Drove through Crescent Heights with all the mature trees and it was total carnage everywhere

[AC]

I'm in Shaganappi and the surrounding communities are a complete mess with all the huge trees on every street.

[4X4]

Originally Posted by btimbit

Today yes, but Monday and most of yesterday it was snowing all day where I live (near peigan trail) but just rain at work (deep sw)

Strange. There was already accumulation when I got home from work on Monday, and by the time I went to bed, there was at least 5 cm. By Tuesday morning there was 10. In the deep SW.

[taco.vidal]

For those with damage on trees on their property, what are you doing? I don't have an existing relationship with an arborist to rely on. Are you just calling up a few and see who can come out first? What sort of waits are you looking at? Have the arborists given you any info? Im wondering if they'll just clean up what is down, damaged and unsafe or if they will do a proper job of trimming the tree. I imagine that just the cleanup and making sure trees are safe would keep them busy for a while.

I haven't called anyone yet as my trees were OK this morning but I got home late tonight and they are down.

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by btimbit

Personally I absolutely love this weather. Love how crisp the air is, how easy it is to breath, the comfort of stepping into your home after playing outside. Winter is superior to summer in every way. And I know I'm the vast minority when it comes to this.

Took today and yesterday off to play in the snow with my son. Had a blast.

Just sucks that the infrastructure and trees weren't ready for it.

Well, but that's kinda the point. You can't have a day like this in the summer and not expect to pay for it.

I would agree with you that I like days like today too... in the winter. Crisp air, snow to play in, not too cold. Heck, it's great.

Just not now. Which is the whole point.

[calgarygeologist]

A bunch of my neighbors are pretty unlucky when it comes to power. They must have had a tree take down a line because half my block and the block behind them are still without power. We live on a corner lot and our power was restored just after 4pm and all our neighbors to the left have power. All the homes to to the right of us have no power. They are going on about 16 hours without power.

[FurnaceFace]

Originally Posted by AC

I'm in Shaganappi and the surrounding communities are a complete mess with all the huge trees on every street.

Ditto. Lots of trees down along 12th ave and up my street. The original owners of my house liked low maintenance and put pavers in everywhere so we are tree free other than an evergreen but the neighbours all seem to have broken limbs or full trees over. I haven't gone over to the park to see what's happened over there but if it's similar it could be ugly.

[Sliver]

I'm on hour 14 with no power. Please light a candle for me.

[btimbit]

Originally Posted by Daradon

Well, but that's kinda the point. You can't have a day like this in the summer and not expect to pay for it.

I would agree with you that I like days like today too... in the winter. Crisp air, snow to play in, not too cold. Heck, it's great.

Just not now. Which is the whole point.

Well my point was I'd be perfectly happy if it was like this all year. I really don't like summer

[Daradon]

Originally Posted by btimbit

Well my point was I'd be perfectly happy if it was like this all year. I really don't like summer

Ok fair enough.

I like balance, so a reasonable expectation of winter and summer is good. I can enjoy all seasons in their time. Especially in Calgary where our weather is more screwy than most places in the world. A tiny bit of balance isn't too much to ask I don't think.

[stampsx2]

Anybody know much about trees here? For the spread eagle tree's that are now growing out instead of up, should i tie the branches to the trunk of the tree so they grow up not out. Or should i let the tree do it's own thing?

[mikephoen]

No power at my house since about 7:00 this morning. There are 4 houses beside me on the block that don't have power, and everyone else in the area has been back on since 10:30 AM or so. I think they forgot about us.

All the broken trees are really sad. Both Riley Park and Confederation park were hit pretty hard. Tons of broken branches on all the residential streets around here too.

[calgarygeologist]

One of my lilac bushes was destroyed by the snow. If I cut off the branches at the breaks will the bush grow back over time or should I just dig it up and plant something new?

[kevman]

I'm no arborist but in my experience with Lilac bushes I'd just cut the dead limbs off at the closet node and let it regrow. Lilac's are practically weeds and with a healthy root system you'll have hundreds of new chutes in no time.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by kevman

I'm no arborist but in my experience with Lilac bushes I'd just cut the dead limbs off at the closet node and let it regrow. Lilac's are practically weeds and with a healthy root system you'll have hundreds of new chutes in no time.

That basically means cutting pretty much the whole thing right down to the ground in my case. I only have two or three branches that were not damaged. I actually pruned the lilacs heavily this spring because the previous owner of the house had done no pruning and the bushes were extremely overgrown. I had to remove two of the four bushes because they were all over the place and starting to damage the fence.

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by btimbit

Well my point was I'd be perfectly happy if it was like this all year. I really don't like summer

there is something wrong with you.....

[Knalus]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

That basically means cutting pretty much the whole thing right down to the ground in my case. I only have two or three branches that were not damaged. I actually pruned the lilacs heavily this spring because the previous owner of the house had done no pruning and the bushes were extremely overgrown. I had to remove two of the four bushes because they were all over the place and starting to damage the fence.

It's a lilac, it actually should be cut down to the ground frequently. When you cut the branches off of a lilac, you should cut them off at the base. Even if you cut off every branch, your bush next year may still bloom and be tall. It's actually kinda crazy how much and how fast a lilac can grow.

...which exhausts how much I know about trees.

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Knalus

It's a lilac, it actually should be cut down to the ground frequently. When you cut the branches off of a lilac, you should cut them off at the base. Even if you cut off every branch, your bush next year may still bloom and be tall. It's actually kinda crazy how much and how fast a lilac can grow.

...which exhausts how much I know about trees.

Good to know. Do you know if it makes any difference if I cut it down to the ground now (fall) or in the spring?

[Madman]

Originally Posted by calgarygeologist

Good to know. Do you know if it makes any difference if I cut it down to the ground now (fall) or in the spring?

If the limbs are broken already, it really won't matter.

If you are taking off in tact branches though, wait until fall.