Extreme cold for the Southern AZ, NM, and West Texas

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DesertZone
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Post by DesertZone » Wed Feb 02, 2011 7:39 pm

lucky1 wrote:Oh man, Aaron, me too! :shock:
How many years have your neighbors lived there?

Sure hope the next ice age isn't starting at 33 N, Arizona. :blah5:
I think they have been in that spot for 15 years or longer, but they have been in the area for a long time. :D


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Here's to all the global warming pushers, may your winters be -30 below and four feet of snow in your driveway. Because I want you happy.
-Aaron-

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Post by DesertZone » Wed Feb 02, 2011 7:47 pm

lucky1 wrote:They got snow too, didn't they?
Then there's a good cover on the palms.
Chin up!

Barb
:occasion5:
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<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... ooding.gif" alt="Click for Pearce, Arizona Forecast" border="0" height="50" width="150" /></a>
Here's to all the global warming pushers, may your winters be -30 below and four feet of snow in your driveway. Because I want you happy.
-Aaron-

lucky1
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40th anniversary of Alaska's all-time cold spell

Post by lucky1 » Thu Feb 03, 2011 7:31 am

Not that it makes us feel any better, but Alaska has records too.
An interesting read:

http://www.sitnews.us/0111News/012711/0 ... ience.html :verycold:

Yikes.
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Post by Okanagan desert-palms » Thu Feb 03, 2011 11:01 am

Aaron holy crap that`s cold for being that far south. I`m with you the W. robustas are likely toast. Older W. filifera might have a chance. Isn`t global warming nice?

John
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Post by DesertZone » Thu Feb 03, 2011 11:42 am

Okanagan desert-palms wrote:Aaron holy crap that`s cold for being that far south. I`m with you the W. robustas are likely toast. Older W. filifera might have a chance. Isn`t global warming nice?

John
My place in Arizona had a low last night of 3F/-16C. This is 8 degs colder than the old all time low of 11F/-11C and yesterday they broken a record low also. This made my normaly zone 8b property into a zone 7a. :x

It will interesting to see what lives and what died. Robustas grow so fast that they will be back in 10-20 years, but the saguaros in the area I am so worried about. What also sucks is they might look ok for years, and then rot later. :( A breif cold spell is one thing, but 2-3 nights and below freezing days cant do any good.
GW is BS!
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Here's to all the global warming pushers, may your winters be -30 below and four feet of snow in your driveway. Because I want you happy.
-Aaron-

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Post by Cowtown Palm Society » Thu Feb 03, 2011 2:51 pm

Absolutely wicked, brutal cold. There will, indeed, be some real damage in many zone-pushing type places where elaborate protection schemes, seen on PN, are less prevalent. Good example, Albuquerque, NM-next two nights will be -22c...-8f!!! :lickice: Many marginal plants will be toast in this once in, perhaps decades, event.
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Post by lucky1 » Thu Feb 03, 2011 3:16 pm

And you were probably wearing shorts yesterday, Duncan!
First chinook of 2011?

Barb
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Post by Cowtown Palm Society » Thu Feb 03, 2011 4:18 pm

Hi Barb :D !

Second Chinook, but I was in Southern California when the first one came. So sad to have missed it :lol: ! I've got some nice palm/yucca pictures from down there. Also, I uncovered my y.rostrata today. I'm very pleased with how it looks. I'll have to get some pictures up when I get a chance. Man, can't believe the cold in the States!

Duncan
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Post by lucky1 » Thu Feb 03, 2011 4:32 pm

Looking forward to seeing your new pics Duncan, and glad to hear your rostrata looks good.

It was probably colder in s.ca than the chinook you missed in Calgary :|

We have friends in San Diego, who report days are lovely, "but cool at night".
Other friends in Mexico report "man, it's cold".

Barb
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Post by DesertZone » Thu Feb 03, 2011 4:37 pm

Cowtown Palm Society wrote:Absolutely wicked, brutal cold. There will, indeed, be some real damage in many zone-pushing type places where elaborate protection schemes, seen on PN, are less prevalent. Good example, Albuquerque, NM-next two nights will be -22c...-8f!!! :lickice: Many marginal plants will be toast in this once in, perhaps decades, event.
This is going to give us an idea what can be zone pushed or not. Also will be a good place for very hardy seeds (SE-AZ, NM, West Texas) if anything lives. :shock:
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Here's to all the global warming pushers, may your winters be -30 below and four feet of snow in your driveway. Because I want you happy.
-Aaron-

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Post by DesertZone » Thu Feb 03, 2011 4:42 pm

I almost forgot that my wife's friend called her today and said it was only 7F/-14C in Tucson where she was staying. :wink:
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Here's to all the global warming pushers, may your winters be -30 below and four feet of snow in your driveway. Because I want you happy.
-Aaron-

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Post by lucky1 » Thu Feb 03, 2011 4:43 pm

Good point about the seeds, Aaron.

You know "it's a big one" when NASA records it...wow

http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/featur ... b2011.html

Barb
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Post by lucky1 » Thu Feb 03, 2011 4:47 pm

Phoenix woke up to a record low of 26.2F this morning.

Tucson was S E V E N ????? :bigsmurf:
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Post by DesertZone » Thu Feb 03, 2011 5:15 pm

lucky1 wrote:Phoenix woke up to a record low of 26.2F this morning.

Tucson was S E V E N ????? :bigsmurf:
I think offical Tucson temp was 18F/-8C, but her friend had seven wherever she is staying in Tucson. :)
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Here's to all the global warming pushers, may your winters be -30 below and four feet of snow in your driveway. Because I want you happy.
-Aaron-

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Post by lucky1 » Thu Feb 03, 2011 8:31 pm

Our friends who are in San Diego wanted to go to El Centro, 90 miles inland.
Their 5th wheel motor home was turned back on the highway due to high winds.
She said it was very cold...yup!

They're doing a travelogue: great pics of the high desert 5,000 feet to El Centro down in the valley below sea level.

http://vernoncentral.ca/city/excellent-adventure.html

Sometimes the pics go funny, just hit Refresh and they all pop up fine.

Maybe they should head to Florida.
Barb
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Tamaulipas

Post by TerdalFarm » Fri Feb 04, 2011 4:44 am

The cold has gone even into Tamaulipas, Mexico (e.g., it is 30 oF right now in Matamoros, near the Gulf).
I have a better appreciation for how Chameadorea radicalis got its cold tolerance....
--Erik

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Re: Tamaulipas

Post by DesertZone » Fri Feb 04, 2011 5:32 am

TerdalFarm wrote:The cold has gone even into Tamaulipas, Mexico (e.g., it is 30 oF right now in Matamoros, near the Gulf).
I have a better appreciation for how Chameadorea radicalis got its cold tolerance....
--Erik
So true, I also had that thought about other plants. :)
Shoshone Idaho weather
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Here's to all the global warming pushers, may your winters be -30 below and four feet of snow in your driveway. Because I want you happy.
-Aaron-

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Post by Cowtown Palm Society » Fri Feb 04, 2011 9:11 am

The Phoenix Open Golf tourney, in Scottsdale, had to cancel their practice round on Wednesday, not just for frost (which does happen occasionally at this time of year) but because the greens were frozen solid :verycold: :? ! What the heck? The tourney's director said he's never seen it in 30 years.

Barb, we were in Palm Springs from Jan 20 to 27. It was thankfully lovely: 23-27 the whole time. Family still down there reports terrible wind storms this week though :roll: !
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Post by lucky1 » Fri Feb 04, 2011 9:26 am

Mickelson may even put on a sweater... :lol:
H said Day One (Thursday) of the four-day tourney was cancelled too.
I'm stuck doing year end paperwork (yawn) so didn't turn TV on.

I usually watch golf tourneys just to see the palms.
Stunning pics at Torrey Pines tourney last weekend, but they could plant more palms :hmph:

Will see more palms when you post your Palm Springs pics.
Barb
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Post by DesertZone » Fri Feb 04, 2011 11:43 am

I hope this was the last of the very cold stuff for the south-west.
Pearce AZ, 5f/-15C
Douglas AZ -1f/-18C

And Chihuahua Mexico -1f/-18C
This was a place that bougainvillea was very common. :shock:
Shoshone Idaho weather
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Here's to all the global warming pushers, may your winters be -30 below and four feet of snow in your driveway. Because I want you happy.
-Aaron-

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Post by lucky1 » Fri Feb 04, 2011 5:02 pm

Oops, goofed on the golf tourney info.
Day One (Thurs) was apparently 4 hours only, so part of day 1 and part of day 2 played today.
So it'll finish Monday...as long as further weather delays don't occur.

And they said it would be cold there until Sunday :cry:

As Aaron said "This was a place..."
past tense.
How sad.

Barb
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Post by DesertZone » Fri Feb 04, 2011 7:32 pm

I was able to talk with my nieghbors tonight and they said they had 0F/-17.7C for a low, but got over 40F/4.5C for a high today. :) Tomorrow back to normal with a high of 61F/16C? I hope so for everyone down there and all the palms etc.... :D

I guess a couple of people have froze to death in Tucson, very sad. :( I so dislike cold weather. :x
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Here's to all the global warming pushers, may your winters be -30 below and four feet of snow in your driveway. Because I want you happy.
-Aaron-

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Post by lucky1 » Fri Feb 04, 2011 7:39 pm

How very sad to have fatalities from the cold.
Hope your neighbors are managing through it, would be hard on old folks in rural areas.

These charts for next week look really disturbing for half of the USA again:
And look how warm it is up north!

http://members3.boardhost.com/HardyPalm ... 19424.html
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Post by DesertZone » Fri Feb 04, 2011 7:52 pm

lucky1 wrote:How very sad to have fatalities from the cold.
Hope your neighbors are managing through it, would be hard on old folks in rural areas.

These charts for next week look really disturbing for half of the USA again:
And look how warm it is up north!

http://members3.boardhost.com/HardyPalm ... 19424.html
That is crazy. :?

PS My nieghbors are doing fine, but thier water is frozen. :)
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Here's to all the global warming pushers, may your winters be -30 below and four feet of snow in your driveway. Because I want you happy.
-Aaron-

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Post by TerdalFarm » Fri Feb 04, 2011 8:10 pm

Barb,
I sure don't like the -10 on that map for me! So far, we have been staying warmer than the forecasts call for. Hope that continues. I am guessing a mere 0 or so instead. I tend to be optimistic....
Aaron,
my ex-W has frozen pipes, which I like as it means I get to keep my son longer. We have lost water to the barn, though, so I spend my time running buckets from the house to the animals. About to make a couple more trips before bed. Palms are on their own, but the power is on so I am optimistic....
--Erik

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Post by DesertZone » Sat Feb 05, 2011 8:13 am

Erik,
Always good to know the power is still on. I hope the weather warms up for you. :D
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<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... ooding.gif" alt="Click for Pearce, Arizona Forecast" border="0" height="50" width="150" /></a>
Here's to all the global warming pushers, may your winters be -30 below and four feet of snow in your driveway. Because I want you happy.
-Aaron-

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Post by TerdalFarm » Sat Feb 05, 2011 8:16 am

Thanks. I'm grateful, too.
Power in Texas and northern Mexico has been hit and miss as their grid struggles to cope.
This cell phone snap shot from last night, after my last run to the horse barn with warm water, shows how I am using electricity.
And yes, I heat palms with power and my house with wood! :lol:

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/n ... site"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_r-Mv ... AG0531.jpg" height="640" width="383" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/terdalfarm ... ">February 2011</a></td></tr></table>

DesertZone
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Post by DesertZone » Sat Feb 05, 2011 8:36 am

Thats a cool pic. I bet its toasty warm in that hut. :D
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Here's to all the global warming pushers, may your winters be -30 below and four feet of snow in your driveway. Because I want you happy.
-Aaron-

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Post by DesertZone » Sat Feb 05, 2011 8:39 am

I guess the Bayfieldbunch have not left the valley yet. :shock:

A good blog from some people wintering in the valley where my place is.
Glad to see they got thier water back on. :D
http://thebayfieldbunch.com/
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Here's to all the global warming pushers, may your winters be -30 below and four feet of snow in your driveway. Because I want you happy.
-Aaron-

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Post by lucky1 » Sat Feb 05, 2011 8:46 am

Yeah, let's hope the charts are wrong.
A cold south is hard to accept as part of climate change.

Phenomenal swings in barometric pressure are believed to cause it.
But what causes the phenomenal pressure changes?...hmmm.
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Post by lucky1 » Sat Feb 05, 2011 9:00 am

Aaron, posts crossed, thanks for renewing the Bayfield link.
Man what they've gone through with the water line issues! Plus their house at home in Ontario!
Outstanding photos on their blog.

I expect our motor home friends in El Centro AZ are having the same problems.
Fortunately Hugh is a jack-of-all trades and can fix anything...if he's got the parts.
He's always got a toolbox nearby, no matter what he's doing or where he is.

I bet a lot of MH folks didn't order the "insulation package" when they bought their rigs.
Who would've thought they'd need that in AZ in February?

Stay warm buddy.
Barb
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Post by DesertZone » Thu Feb 17, 2011 6:25 pm

Shoshone Idaho weather
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... ooding.gif" alt="Click for Pearce, Arizona Forecast" border="0" height="50" width="150" /></a>
Here's to all the global warming pushers, may your winters be -30 below and four feet of snow in your driveway. Because I want you happy.
-Aaron-

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Post by lucky1 » Thu Feb 17, 2011 7:07 pm

Aaron, how sad to think those palms surrounding the stadium will likely be gone.
And Saguaros and oleander...

The first sentence in the first link says "Falling fawns..." they obviously mean FRONDS. :lol:

Somebody asked what low temps a Saguaro can take:

Excerpt from “Native Plants for Southwestern Landscapes”, July Mielke author.
Experts believe Saguaros can live to be about two hundred years old. The medium green skin covers twelve to twenty-four ribs, which expand and contract like an accordion depending on the amount of stored moisture within the plant. Stout gray spines occur in crowded clusters laong the ribs. The central spine of each cluster is 2-3 inches long, while the radial spines are generally shorter. In May and June, the tips of the arms and the main stem are crowned with funnel-shaped, 3-inch wide flowers with waxy white petals. Each flower blooms only once, opening at night and staying open into the next day. This is the state flower of Arizona. Smooth-skinned green fruits the size and shape of a chicken egg split open at maturity. The red inner pulp sometimes causes the fruits to be mistaken for flowers. The pulp, which contains tiny black seeds, is edible and very tasty.

Saguaros occur mostly below 3,500 feet in elevation, on gravelly slopes. Their distribution is limited to s. Arizona, the extreme southeastern edge of California, and Sonora, Mexico.

Culture: Saguaros require well-drained soil and full sunlight for best growth. Young nursery-grown plants will probably need protection from the sun after transplanting. You can cover the plant with a piece of woven shade cloth through its first summer. If you move a Saguaro, keep the same orientation to the south to avoid sunburn on the tender, less exposed skin. Although mature plants can be moved, transplant success decreases with age. Young plants can be watered once a month during extended drought; older, established plants can survive on rainfall alone. Saguaros, particularly seedlings and very old plants, can be severely damaged or killed below 21F. Bacterial rot can also affect Saguaros; older plants seem to be more susceptible. The rot causes the normally light green, firm tissue to become brown and mushy, oozing a black, foul-smelling liquid. By the time the problem is noticed, it usually has spread extensively through the plant, and death is imminent. Unless the dying Saguaro poses a danger to buildings, people, or other plants, you can let it decay naturally until just the woody skeleton remains. Some people like to use the skeleton as a decorative element in the landscape.

Gila woodpeckers and gilded flickers make their nesting holes in the main traunk and arms of Saguaros. Other birds such as elf owls and starlings take over the holes after the original occupants move on. Although the next building is a natural process, the Saguaros in developed communities are affected more heavily because there are fewer per area than in the natural desert. The flickers’ holes are potentially the most harmful, because they disturb water-transport tissues in the upper part of the plant. You may be able to discourage the birds’ excavations by making a life-size replica of either a Gila woodpecker or a gilded flicker and putting it on the Saguaro. These birds are territorial and may be driven away by the imposter “bird”. If the excavation has already begun, you might be able to discourage further activity by wedging a circle of hardware cloth into the opening. Do not fill the hole with any substance like concrete.
...it was sure a lot colder than 21F.

Good to see things have warmed up at your place.
Barb
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Post by DesertZone » Fri Feb 18, 2011 5:40 am

lucky1 wrote:
...it was sure a lot colder than 21F.

Good to see things have warmed up at your place.
Barb
I wonder how many in the Saguaro NP were killed, but nature has a way make things better in the long run. :D

I talked to my friends down there and they said the weather is perfect. Always good news. :P
Shoshone Idaho weather
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... ooding.gif" alt="Click for Pearce, Arizona Forecast" border="0" height="50" width="150" /></a>
Here's to all the global warming pushers, may your winters be -30 below and four feet of snow in your driveway. Because I want you happy.
-Aaron-

DesertZone
Palm Grove
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Post by DesertZone » Fri Feb 18, 2011 6:12 am

Shoshone Idaho weather
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... ooding.gif" alt="Click for Pearce, Arizona Forecast" border="0" height="50" width="150" /></a>
Here's to all the global warming pushers, may your winters be -30 below and four feet of snow in your driveway. Because I want you happy.
-Aaron-

lucky1
Arctic Palm Plantation
Posts: 11325
Joined: Sun Feb 18, 2007 7:31 pm
Location: Vernon BC, Zone 5a or 5b (close to 6A!)

Post by lucky1 » Fri Feb 18, 2011 8:32 am

Thanks for that Aaron.
Good writing, interspersed with good links.

Barb
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... anguage=EN" alt="Find more about Weather in Vernon, CA" width="160" />


If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt.

User avatar
Okanagan desert-palms
Clumping Palm
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Post by Okanagan desert-palms » Fri Feb 18, 2011 2:56 pm

After all the record cold there should be some good news. Some of those Washy`s will make it. It would be nice to get some seeds from those that survive. They will be super cold hardy. Maybe next year Aaron you could get some from your friends there?


John
Okanagan Palms and Tropicals
6b-7a

DesertZone
Palm Grove
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Post by DesertZone » Wed Feb 23, 2011 4:50 pm

Do we realy want the earth to be colder?
Here is a sad but true link
El Paso TX :cry:
http://www.kvia.com/video/26907362/index.html
Shoshone Idaho weather
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... ooding.gif" alt="Click for Pearce, Arizona Forecast" border="0" height="50" width="150" /></a>
Here's to all the global warming pushers, may your winters be -30 below and four feet of snow in your driveway. Because I want you happy.
-Aaron-

DesertZone
Palm Grove
Posts: 4416
Joined: Wed Dec 01, 2004 5:40 pm
Location: South Central Idaho 5b
Contact:

Post by DesertZone » Wed Feb 23, 2011 4:57 pm

Okanagan desert-palms wrote:After all the record cold there should be some good news. Some of those Washy`s will make it. It would be nice to get some seeds from those that survive. They will be super cold hardy. Maybe next year Aaron you could get some from your friends there?


John
I hope to make it down there this may or june I will be on the lookout for seeds. I always look for seed there but I have not found any good places for it yet (palm seed).
I hope this year to find some :wink:
Shoshone Idaho weather
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... ooding.gif" alt="Click for Pearce, Arizona Forecast" border="0" height="50" width="150" /></a>
Here's to all the global warming pushers, may your winters be -30 below and four feet of snow in your driveway. Because I want you happy.
-Aaron-

lucky1
Arctic Palm Plantation
Posts: 11325
Joined: Sun Feb 18, 2007 7:31 pm
Location: Vernon BC, Zone 5a or 5b (close to 6A!)

Post by lucky1 » Wed Feb 23, 2011 6:06 pm

El Paso TX icon_cry.gif
How sad to see the condition of those palms...

Barb
<img src="http://weathersticker.wunderground.com/ ... anguage=EN" alt="Find more about Weather in Vernon, CA" width="160" />


If you drink, don't drive. Don't even putt.

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