First Snowfall of the Season at My American Home!

[Goritoes]

You need to have AWD/4WD with winter tires at minimum to drive in any snow above 4 inches

Anything above that you may even need chains for your tires
Rare wheel drive are the worst cars for snow (for light vechiles)..i would prefer a front wheel drive for snow they have better traction

Yeah you are right, but this was first time i saw Snow fall, so I get a bit over-excited but we were fine until we get into parking lot of mall, I did not estimate the level of snow and got stuck, then from the parking lot to the road was a little up hill with more snow, that's where I was stuck for an hour an half.

 

[Meengla]

Well I would expect seeing coyotes wouldn't be unusual where you live but up here in Massachusetts you can see them walking in cites..nevermind the suburbs or the woods. They range the entire state...even harassing the tourists on the Cape Cod beaches.

WTF..Hey wait that isn't a dog..and this is a city street.

Catching them walking around in broad daylight like this is very unusual. The ones i see have unusually longer legs (deep snow adaption maybe) and that is the quick tipoff it isn't a dog. Raccoons are everywhere.

I think you get more coyotes and raccoons than my area. Here population density is lower and so opportunities for scavenging from household trash are lower. I think raccoons in urban areas live longer than in the wild and are also smarter than rural/wild areas in dodging traffic; in urban areas, raccoons have figured out the traffic down to a science! And, yes, that coyote in your pic is bold to be out in broad day light.

You need to have AWD/4WD with winter tires at minimum to drive in any snow above 4 inches

Anything above that you may even need chains for your tires
Rare wheel drive are the worst cars for snow (for light vechiles)..i would prefer a front wheel drive for snow they have better traction

If you are like me then even 0.4 inch of snow is scaring! I almost never had to drive in snow/ice--we don't get much anyway--and so yesterday when I drove out to get a haircut the little bit of ice on shaded patches of the road was enough to scare the daylight out of me. I don't know how people cope with large amount of ice/snow up north!!

 

[ziaulislam]

Yeah you are right, but this was first time i saw Snow fall, so I get a bit over-excited but we were fine until we get into parking lot of mall, I did not estimate the level of snow and got stuck, then from the parking lot to the road was a little up hill with more snow, that's where I was stuck for an hour an half.

Uphill is no no

Dont underestimate snow

You have to pay someone to clean/salt your driveway

I think you get more coyotes and raccoons than my area. Here population density is lower and so opportunities for scavenging from household trash are lower. I think raccoons in urban areas live longer than in the wild and are also smarter than rural/wild areas in dodging traffic; in urban areas, raccoons have figured out the traffic down to a science! And, yes, that coyote in your pic is bold to be out in broad day light.



If you are like me then even 0.4 inch of snow is scaring! I almost never had to drive in snow/ice--we don't get much anyway--and so yesterday when I drove out to get a haircut the little bit of ice on shaded patches of the road was enough to scare the daylight out of me. I don't know how people cope with large amount of ice/snow up north!!

I have to drive..as cardiologist i am on call and unforutantely most heart attack happen when people shovel snow

 

[Meengla]

Uphill is no no
Dont underestimate snow
You have to pay someone to clean/salt your driveway
I have to drive..as cardiologist i am on call and unforutantely most heart attack happen when people shovel snow

Yes, uphill in snow/ice in a small car is a no-no unless you know what are doing. Some years ago my tiny Toyota Yaris got stuck barely a mile from our house on a tiny patch of ice climbing up a hill. To the people up north that would look like no big deal to climb but to me it was a nightmare! AAA wouldn't come forever and vehicles were piling up behind me--probably full of terrified/clueless people like me! It was getting dark. My fear was trying to breakout would make the car slide off the road and fall a good 15+ feet. Eventually some Good Samaritans (Mexican young men) from vehicles behind me helped push the car off the ice and we came back home. And oh, we called the police to tell them we are stuck and we have blocked the road. They just said something like 'Thank you'. Hahaha! To this day, including in this snowfall, we NEVER take the hilly road and instead take longer route to go to places.
Cardiologists? Looking at your posts, I would guess an economist!

 

[ziaulislam]

Yes, uphill in snow/ice in a small car is a no-no unless you know what are doing. Some years ago my tiny Toyota Yaris got stuck barely a mile from our house on a tiny patch of ice climbing up a hill. To the people up north that would look like no big deal to climb but to me it was a nightmare! AAA wouldn't come forever and vehicles were piling up behind me--probably full of terrified/clueless people like me! It was getting dark. My fear was trying to breakout would make the car slide off the road and fall a good 15+ feet. Eventually some Good Samaritans (Mexican young men) from vehicles behind me helped push the car off the ice and we came back home. And oh, we called the police to tell them we are stuck and we have blocked the road. They just said something like 'Thank you'. Hahaha! To this day, including in this snowfall, we NEVER take the hilly road and instead take longer route to go to places.
Cardiologists? Looking at your posts, I would guess an economist!

I have masters in statistics and masters in clinical research did it as a side hobby and as necessity for research

 

[Zapper]

You guys literally shovel snow or some machine? My house is still surrounded by snow/ice. About 80% of the property is thickly wooded and so not much sun shines to melt the snow for days. Wife had to take off Monday and today she went to work at 9:30 AM. She had to park her car near the street because the loooooong driveway is very shaded and iced over. The street outside our house is very treacherous/icy for a mile before some more major road starts. Nobody here ever puts salt/sand to help the roads--low priority. I was tense all this morning until she reached office.

Very nice pictures mate! What made you take the plunge and move to a rural area? Since you're working remote, you most probably might be working in the tech industry or similar like most desis in the US. Since you mentioned your wife goes to work, is she a medical practitioner since docs get paid way more in flyover states and rural towns here in the US given the # of docs/10000 people is extremely low...this is probably some of the very few reasons I've seen desis moving to rural places with the other being owning businesses like motels, gas stations which Gujaratis are mostly into

 

[nang2]

Cardiologists? Looking at your posts, I would guess an economist!

Everyone, even a cardiologist, can be an economist. But not every economist can be a cardiologist.

 

[Meengla]

Very nice pictures mate! What made you take the plunge and move to a rural area? Since you're working remote, you most probably might be working in the tech industry or similar like most desis in the US. Since you mentioned your wife goes to work, is she a medical practitioner since docs get paid way more in flyover states and rural towns here in the US given the # of docs/10000 people is extremely low...this is probably some of the very few reasons I've seen desis moving to rural places with the other being owning businesses like motels, gas stations which Gujaratis are mostly into

I don't like cities much. Never did. Noise, violence, pollution, road rage, crimes. Who cares about some fancy Italian foods or concerts or sporting events enough to live in such environment. If I want to go to a city then a drive to the city is always available as an option. Yes, I am in I.T and been working from home for over 6 years--way before Covid gave such opportunity to others, which I little bit resent--I had to work hard for my WFH but many given on a platter because of Covid. <Half Joking!>
Wife is indeed in a medical profession but a fairly low paying job. I wish I could teach her coding --the job market is hot. But virtually impossible in her case--doesn't even know Microsoft Office enough. Oh well.
Maybe @ziaulislam read your post and locate to 'the country' to not only enjoy lower stress life but also make more $$ as a physician!

 

[nang2]

I don't like cities much. Never did. Noise, violence, pollution, road rage, crimes. Who cares about some fancy Italian foods or concerts or sporting events enough to live in such environment. If I want to go to a city then a drive to the city is always available as an option. Yes, I am in I.T and been working from home for over 6 years--way before Covid gave such opportunity to others, which I little bit resent--I had to work hard for my WFH but many given on a platter because of Covid. <Half Joking!>
Wife is indeed in a medical profession but a fairly low paying job. I wish I could teach her coding --the job market is hot. But virtually impossible in her case--doesn't even know Microsoft Office enough. Oh well.
Maybe @ziaulislam read your post and locate to 'the country' to not only enjoy lower stress life but also make more $$ as a physician!

I would say for an independent mind, country life is always an ideal setting. But for folks who like to depend on others, economically and emotionally, as well as like others to depend on them, city life would be more attractive.

 

[lastofthepatriots]

I went to buy halal food at Greenville on Sunday, took the wrong turn at Haywood mall and got my car Stuck in the snow for 3 hours... thank god some white guy and his wife saw me and my wife struggling with our car and they help us, if not we would have ended up calling 911. Just in case anyone wondering I have a 2015 infinity Q50 Hybrid, that rear wheel drive has no traction in snow at all.

living in an area where it snows without 4 wheel drive is foolish. Buy a Subaru.

 

[SQ8]

living in an area where it snows without 4 wheel drive is foolish. Buy a Subaru.

Be a lesbian… not my joke
https://www.theatlantic.com/busines...-came-to-be-seen-as-cars-for-lesbians/488042/

 

[Zapper]

I don't like cities much. Never did. Noise, violence, pollution, road rage, crimes. Who cares about some fancy Italian foods or concerts or sporting events enough to live in such environment. If I want to go to a city then a drive to the city is always available as an option. Yes, I am in I.T and been working from home for over 6 years--way before Covid gave such opportunity to others, which I little bit resent--I had to work hard for my WFH but many given on a platter because of Covid. <Half Joking!>
Wife is indeed in a medical profession but a fairly low paying job. I wish I could teach her coding --the job market is hot. But virtually impossible in her case--doesn't even know Microsoft Office enough. Oh well.
Maybe @ziaulislam read your post and locate to 'the country' to not only enjoy lower stress life but also make more $$ as a physician!

If you're wife is already in the medical profession, maybe an aligned gig like RN or PA would be a more feasible option and they'd make decent buck in rural areas (CRNAs' make upwards of $250k in rural WV)...I believe this is way better than making them learn coding from scratch, particularly if they're not interested in leaving the med field

btw how far is a decent mid-sized city from your place? I contemplated on moving to Montana or neighboring states until the pandemic ends given my interest in hiking and camping but internet availability and time-zone differences made me rethink

 

[Meengla]

Be a lesbian… not my joke
https://www.theatlantic.com/busines...-came-to-be-seen-as-cars-for-lesbians/488042/

Hahaha! I was thinking about buying Subaru many years ago but they were too pricey. I hear they last forever. But in my location, it snows 1-2 times a year and I have seen some years without any appreciable snow. Subaru not necessary.

If you're wife is already in the medical profession, maybe an aligned gig like RN or PA would be a more feasible option and they'd make decent buck in rural areas (CRNAs' make upwards of $250k in rural WV)...I believe this is way better than making them learn coding from scratch, particularly if they're not interested in leaving the med field

btw how far is a decent mid-sized city from your place? I contemplated on moving to Montana or neighboring states until the pandemic ends given my interest in hiking and camping but internet availability and time-zone differences made me rethink

Good suggestion about the RN job. I had suggested that years ago but wife not interested. We are fine. Having no kids or health issues and no mortgage and living in low cost areas help a lot.
Nearest mid-size city for me would be 45 minute drive. But there ARE small towns/unincorporated communities around. And to be honest, I very carefully chose not to go total rural: Indeed there are hundreds of thickly wooded acres around our house--the neighbor-friend alone has 49 acres with hardly anyone ever there-- and it is super quiet and feels so isolated BUT there are small communities around--enough for grocery shopping, medical care, restaurants. Ours is best of both worlds! We have some friends who are truly rural and I would hate their situation: Dark, wooded places no street lights, no major stores or restaurants nearby AND very limited internet options.

Montana would be lovely--in warmer weather!

 

[lastofthepatriots]

Be a lesbian… not my joke
https://www.theatlantic.com/busines...-came-to-be-seen-as-cars-for-lesbians/488042/

I'm sure you've never driven the legacy? It's a beautiful car that handles pretty good, especially in the snow and sleet.

 

[SQ8]

I'm sure you've never driven the legacy? It's a beautiful car that handles pretty good, especially in the snow and sleet.

View attachment 809979

Yes - rental from indy to O hare.