sparquelito Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 Okay, so the weather has been unusually cold this week, and we have been iced-in since Monday. (It snowed and sleeted like crazy Sunday night and Monday morning, and a coat of ice has had all the schools and most businesses closed down every since then, due to iced over roads and streets.) Madison County has no snow plows, and very limited de-icing capabilities. That's how rare we even get snow and ice conditions here. So everybody's been hunkering down at home. Local law enforcement advised NO DRIVING unless in an Emergency. No worries for me. I stocked up at the grocery store and the beer store on Sunday, and we haven't really wanted for anything the past few days. Well. Except for the opportunity to walk the dogs. The ice on the driveway, sidewalks, streets and roads has been treacherous. Tried to walk them a bit yesterday, and both the dogs and myself were slip-sliding everywhere. Went out in the evening yesterday to feed the birds and raccoons on the other side of my creek, and slipped and busted my *** but good. The low temp went down to zero-ish last night, and the high today is in the 20's. So mid-day today, I had a brilliant idea. I took the sports insoles out of my Avia running shoes (okay, my summer lawn mowing shoes). I screwed exterior screws thru the soles from the insole area down thru the bottom of the shoes. Snipped the long sharp ends off with bolt cutters, down to about a quarter inch length. Lined the insole with duct tape, and re-installed the sports cushion insoles. Voila. Improvised ice cleat shoes! Walked the dogs in my woods, got them good and worn out, and everybody had a real good time. Gotta love it. 😉 1 1 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil OKeefe Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 Clever! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheepdog1969 Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 (edited) 11 hours ago, sparquelito said: Madison County has no snow plows, and very limited de-icing capabilities. That's how rare we even get snow and ice conditions here. So, as some of you may know, my daughter was accepted into the University of Alabama's Aero Space engineering honors program. She will begin college in the fall of '24. Due to the sub zero temps here on Tuesday, there was no school. At 8am Tuesday she came out of her room cracking up. She had just received an email from UA that informed students that classes in Tuscaloosa were canceled on Tuesday due to the cold weather. Between her fits of laughter, she told me that the air temps were 27 degrees F in Tuscaloosa Tuesday morning. "That's still "shorts" weather here", she said. In comparison, it was around -7 degrees F here Tuesday morning with -30 F wind chills, or lower. Schools were open here Wednesday, and the air temps were around 3 degrees F @ 6:30am, with sub zero wind chills, (not to mention the 14+ inches of snow and icy roads barely effected by road salt.) PS - Most sane and experienced folks up here have at least one pair of ice cleats in their possession.  Personally, I have a pair of Neos "overshoes", (used to protect leather dress shoes from the elements), that have removable "studs/cleats" that screw in/out of the sole. All of my family members have a pair of packable cleats in their winter vehicle emergency kit. They cost just over $5, and go over your shoes. They are available at Walmart. An once of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Edited January 18 by Sheepdog1969 clarification 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheepdog1969 Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 11 hours ago, sparquelito said: Voila. Improvised ice cleat shoes! Nice engineering brother. Just a word of warning; Although ice cleats work great on ice and hard packed snow, do NOT wear them on linoleum or other very smooth surfaces. Cleats on those surfaces behave as if said surfaces were ice!! I have watched dozens of folks slip and fall hard when they transition from icy outside conditions into a store, business, etc., while wearing them. Just letting you know! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparquelito Posted January 18 Author Share Posted January 18 Thanks, Sheepdog 1969. I put them on and take them back off outside in the garage, on a carpeted surface. My wife would lose her mind if I tried to walk into the house in these shoes!! 😒  1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 (edited) You live in Alabama. Its the South. On 1/18/2024 at 4:12 AM, Sheepdog1969 said: So, as some of you may know, my daughter was accepted into the University of Alabama's Aero Space engineering honors program. She will begin college in the fall of '24. Due to the sub zero temps here on Tuesday, there was no school. At 8am Tuesday she came out of her room cracking up. She had just received an email from UA that informed students that classes in Tuscaloosa were canceled on Tuesday due to the cold weather. Between her fits of laughter, she told me that the air temps were 27 degrees F in Tuscaloosa Tuesday morning. "That's still "shorts" weather here", she said. In comparison, it was around -7 degrees F here Tuesday morning with -30 F wind chills, or lower. Schools were open here Wednesday, and the air temps were around 3 degrees F @ 6:30am, with sub zero wind chills, (not to mention the 14+ inches of snow and icy roads barely effected by road salt.) PS - Most sane and experienced folks up here have at least one pair of ice cleats in their possession.  Personally, I have a pair of Neos "overshoes", (used to protect leather dress shoes from the elements), that have removable "studs/cleats" that screw in/out of the sole. All of my family members have a pair of packable cleats in their winter vehicle emergency kit. They cost just over $5, and go over your shoes. They are available at Walmart. An once of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I think the whole problem is he can't get there to get the shoe attachments. You think ADOT is equipped to deal with snow? Edited January 19 by Sgt. Pepper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 My son wore something like that when he was working in Kodiak, Which is STILL warmer than southern Illinois... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notes_Norton Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 I grew up in South Florida. The first time I ever drove in the snow, I was 19 years old, on the road with a rock band, and we were booked in the upper peninsula of Michigan. That stuff is way more slippery than I ever imagined it to be. I'm back in FL and there ain't no way I'm moving up there. As far as I'm concerned ice and snow should only be in two places, (1) the upper section of your refrigerator and (2) your cold drink. Be careful and be safe up there.  Notes ♫ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheepdog1969 Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 (edited) On 1/19/2024 at 6:50 AM, Sgt. Pepper said: You live in Alabama. Its the South. I think the whole problem is he can't get there to get the shoe attachments. You think ADOT is equipped to deal with snow? #1, I seriously doubt that a Walmart anywhere in Alabama would even stock them, nor would I assume that they would stock Driveway Salt or Snow shovels. #2, Our resourceful brother from Alabama MacGyvered a solid solution, and is far to intelligent to risk driving anywhere in those extreme conditions. Based on what he created, combined with the rarity of icing events there, I wasn't suggesting he needed to buy those strap on cleats. I was merely providing info for other folks reading his post/thread that may not have known about these inexpensive and compact cleats. #3, I bet ADOT doesn't posses any snow plows or Calcium Chloride/extreme low temperature rated ice melt, (or even plain road salt), let alone dump trucks with spreader attachments needed to apply said. Why spend tax dollars on equipment and material that may be needed less that 1% of the time. Heck, Cincinnati doesn't have that kind equipment either, and 1/2" of snow will shut down the city. Southern Snow days are rare, uniquely fun, but soon melted away by Mother Nature. Born a Rust Belt Hillbilly myself, I am quite aware of what it's like to live where 40 degrees F is considered "freezing". All my kin, save for 3 of us, live below the northern most point of Kentucky. I'm not sure if it's stupidity or stubbornness that makes northerners assume that shutting down most everything for a few days would result in apocalyptical chaos.  -35 degree F temps and 12" plus snow accumulation tends to keep the government worshiping rioters and protesters off the streets, don't ya know. My comments were not meant to disparage, demean, or insult anyone. I am only attempting to pass on a bit of the wisdom that was passed on to me by experienced elders. The value of shared knowledge detailing success is less valuable than shared knowledge detailing failure. Edited January 20 by Sheepdog1969 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 3 hours ago, Sheepdog1969 said: I'm not sure if it's stupidity or stubbornness that makes northerners assume that shutting down most everything for a few days would result in apocalyptical chaos.  Que? Damn near the whole world did that in 2020 remember. Or are you in a COVID fog? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted January 21 Share Posted January 21 22 hours ago, Sheepdog1969 said:  Our resourceful brother from Alabama MacGyvered a solid solution,  Love it. We had another phrase back in the day, but as teenagers in the Arizona desert we would ride dirt bikes as far as we could go, even carrying spare gas at times. We had old used bikes modded to ride dirt, we were the rat bikers. When we broke down in 110 degree heat we would "MacGyver' all kinds of solutions. Pliers, duct tape, bailing wire and a pocket knife and we would figure out a way to get them home. It made us better men. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparquelito Posted January 21 Author Share Posted January 21 3 minutes ago, Murph said:  Love it. We had another phrase back in the day, but as teenagers in the Arizona desert we would ride dirt bikes as far as we could go, even carrying spare gas at times. We had old used bikes modded to ride dirt, we were the rat bikers. When we broke down in 110 degree heat we would "MacGyver' all kinds of solutions. Pliers, duct tape, bailing wire and a pocket knife and we would figure out a way to get them home. It made us better men. THAT sounds like a great time. You had an exceptional time of it, and great rat-boy friends to share in the adventures. Memories for a lifetime, I am sure! 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparquelito Posted January 21 Author Share Posted January 21 I ordered these rigs today. Amazon distribution center a few miles from here, so they'll be here tomorrow. No use having them this week (the big thaw is beginning already), but I want to have them for the future ice and snow ugliness. 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheepdog1969 Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 4 hours ago, sparquelito said: I ordered these rigs today. Those are nice! I really dig the top strap. Good choice. Be safe brother. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheepdog1969 Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 On 1/20/2024 at 10:34 AM, Sgt. Pepper said: Que? Damn near the whole world did that in 2020 remember. Or are you in a COVID fog? Not sure what happened around you, but most all of the local businesses never closed in my area during the COVID drama. Heck, Lake Geneva, WI, which is twenty minutes from me and quite a large tourist destination, NEVER stopped rolling. Bars, restaurants, shops, hotels, etc., were "business as usual", (not even mask requirements). We vacationed in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming during that time, AND ALL REMAINED OPEN, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 8 hours ago, Sheepdog1969 said: Not sure what happened around you, but most all of the local businesses never closed in my area during the COVID drama. Heck, Lake Geneva, WI, which is twenty minutes from me and quite a large tourist destination, NEVER stopped rolling. Bars, restaurants, shops, hotels, etc., were "business as usual", (not even mask requirements). We vacationed in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming during that time, AND ALL REMAINED OPEN, You were lucky Covid just passed you by. The rest of the world endured it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 22 Share Posted January 22 13 hours ago, sparquelito said: I ordered these rigs today. Amazon distribution center a few miles from here, so they'll be here tomorrow. No use having them this week (the big thaw is beginning already), but I want to have them for the future ice and snow ugliness. 🙂 And now you will never need them ever again. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparquelito Posted January 22 Author Share Posted January 22 4 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said: And now you will never need them ever again. Probably. But it's like my 17,500 W generator. I feel better knowing I have it if I need it. 😀 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OrdinaryNimda Posted January 27 Share Posted January 27 The global warming these days! 🙄 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jifov38653 Posted February 7 Share Posted February 7 On 1/17/2024 at 11:50 PM, sparquelito said: Okay, so the weather has been unusually cold this week, and we have been iced-in since Monday. (It snowed and sleeted like crazy Sunday night and Monday morning, and a coat of ice has had all the schools and most businesses closed down every since then, due to iced over roads and streets.) Madison County has no snow plows, and very limited de-icing capabilities. That's how rare we even get snow and ice conditions here. So everybody's been hunkering down at home. Local law enforcement advised NO DRIVING unless in an Emergency. No worries for me. I stocked up at the grocery store and the beer store on Sunday, and we haven't really wanted for anything the past few days. Well. Except for the opportunity to walk the dogs. The ice on the driveway, sidewalks, streets and roads has been treacherous. Tried to walk them a bit yesterday, and both the dogs and myself were slip-sliding everywhere. Went out in the evening yesterday to feed the birds and raccoons on the other side of my creek, and slipped and busted my *** but good. The low temp went down to zero-ish last night, and the high today is in the 20's. So mid-day today, I had a brilliant idea. I took the sports insoles out of my Avia running shoes (okay, my summer lawn mowing shoes). I screwed exterior screws thru the soles from the insole area down thru the bottom of the shoes. Snipped the long sharp ends off with bolt cutters, down to about a quarter inch length. Lined the insole with duct tape, and re-installed the sports cushion insoles. Voila. Improvised ice cleat shoes! Walked the dogs in my woods, got them good and worn out, and everybody had a real good time. Gotta love it. 😉 Sounds like you found a clever solution to tackle the icy conditions! Improvising ice cleat shoes from your running shoes was a stroke of genius. It's important to stay safe, especially when the weather throws a curveball like this. Walking the dogs in the woods must have been a relief for both you and them after being cooped up indoors. Stay warm and keep those improvised cleats handy for your next adventure! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparquelito Posted February 7 Author Share Posted February 7 4 hours ago, jifov38653 said: Sounds like you found a clever solution to tackle the icy conditions! Improvising ice cleat shoes from your running shoes was a stroke of genius. It's important to stay safe, especially when the weather throws a curveball like this. Walking the dogs in the woods must have been a relief for both you and them after being cooped up indoors. Stay warm and keep those improvised cleats handy for your next adventure! Thanks, jifov38653, The snow, icy woods walking was a lot of fun (and cardio) for all of us. I returned the running shoes back to normal configuration, and have since acquired proper slip-on ice cleats. For myself and the wife. And as Sarge indicated earlier, I'll probably never need them. But it's good to have them in my closet, ready to go!! 🙂  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sissom Posted June 19 Share Posted June 19 (edited) On 1/17/2024 at 11:50 PM, sparquelito said: Okay, so the weather has been unusually cold this week, and we have been iced-in since Monday. (It snowed and sleeted like crazy Sunday night and Monday morning, and a coat of ice has had all the schools and most businesses closed down every since then, due to iced over roads and streets.) Madison County has no snow plows, and very limited de-icing capabilities. That's how rare we even get snow and ice conditions here. So everybody's been hunkering down at home. Local law enforcement advised NO DRIVING unless in an Emergency. No worries for me. I stocked up at the grocery store and the beer store on Sunday, and we haven't really wanted for anything the past few days. Well. Except for the opportunity to walk the dogs. The ice on the driveway, sidewalks, streets and roads has been treacherous. Tried to walk them a bit yesterday, and both the dogs and myself were slip-sliding everywhere. Went out in the evening yesterday to feed the birds and raccoons on the other side of my creek, and slipped and busted my *** but good. The low temp went down to zero-ish last night, and the high today is in the 20's. So mid-day today, I had a brilliant idea. I took the sports insoles out of my Avia running shoes (okay, my summer lawn mowing shoes). I screwed exterior screws thru the soles from the insole area down thru the bottom of the shoes. Snipped the long sharp ends off with bolt cutters, down to about a quarter inch length. Lined the insole with duct tape, and re-installed the sports cushion insoles. When people are stuck indoors, their minds wander, leading to innovative ideas and projects. This phenomenon demonstrates the human spirit's resilience and ingenuity in the face of adversity. For those needing assistance with their writing projects, https://chat.openai.com/g/g-a0ULgFcuZ-essay-helper connects them with an essay helper. Just as cabin fever can lead to unique inventions, essay helpers provide creative solutions and support for academic writing. Voila. Improvised ice cleat shoes! Walked the dogs in my woods, got them good and worn out, and everybody had a real good time. Gotta love it. 😉 smart decision Edited June 19 by Sissom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub-T-123 Posted June 20 Share Posted June 20 Chat bot, apply boomer filter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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