@WALLY155587
“… I remembered about the dash dimmer switch, somehow it had gotten turned down to low.”
In my Cherokee the dash dimmer switch is right next to the button to open the rear hatch. I’ve been in the dark more than once because of this (and many more times for all kinds of reasons).
@Marnet - In California there are sections of 2 lane highway that are posted for mandatory headlights (not DRLs). They tend to be high speed with twisty bits. We still lose folks regularly on these roads, mostly due to John Barleycorn.
Interestingly enough, I asked a highway patrolman if disabling the CHMSLs (Center High-Mounted Stop Lights) was a thing as that seems to me to be the most common brake light failure I’ve noticed. He advise he hadn’t heard of it, and if it was, it was illegal as he said any lights that came on the car must always be operable. Which raised another question (after I went on my way): what about DRLs? Like all new cars now my Jeep has a number of programable options, including one to disable the DRLs. That just doesn’t make any sense, even to have that as an option.
@Dakotaboy As I recall from driving Hwy 101 from Crescent City south to the bay area, I’m assuming that the section that runs literally on hillsides directly along the coastline is one of those twisty roads requiring headlights.
I also turned off Hwy 395, don’t recall just where, to drive up into the Inyo Mountains to see bristlecone pines. That was the hairpin twistiest road I’ve ever driven dipping into lots of dry arroyos. I only got a couple of miles when I noticed that there was a heavy thunderstorm up in the mountains. I managed to find a spot I dared turn around in the road and high tailed it back to the highway. I had no idea how quickly rainwater would make it down the arroyos to flash flood across the twisty road.
Hope it improves, caller to talk radio today told of 2hr waits to even get into the parking lot so her family’s living on peanut butter cups and crackers that were purchased from a drugstore. I work in a grocery store and it can get really crazy when it snows.
Well that would be a bummer so the fireplace would be out. Still have the generator and kero heater. I’m not a prepper by far but I do try to have a reasonable stock of things like fuel and cash. More so since March. Still it wouldn’t take long to have a problem. Let’s not interfere with the capitalistic system and let the businesses do what they do best. Texas would not be a good place to be selling electric cars me thinks. These reformers need to calm down a little before great damage is done. IMHO.
I’ll add, my in-laws were on the farm in South Dakota and in those days ice and wind and snow could take down large areas of power poles. It would not be uncommon to go a week before power could be restored. They had kerosene lamps and an oil heater plus their own water supply and of course food. It was not comfortable but they could ride it out. I was only there once when it happened and was happy to head east to civilization again the next day as soon as the roads allowed. It was a learning experience being from a more settled environment.
Not a power loss but relatives in Vermillion South Dakota had entire window’s fall into their 3rd story bonus room where several relatives were bunking for christmas a couple years ago. I believe there were 50-70mph winds that night. My aunt’s now in a care facility there but hopes to move back to the nearby townhome she bought.
Yeah, you’ll find those wonderful roads all over the place. When circumstances allow, one of my hobbies is to take a day trip to a county fair somewhere in the region. I live in Sacramento but have been to fairs from Susanville to Modesto, Napa to Grass Valley. A friend and I once went to a fair that took us on Hwy. 37 to Marin Co. We left early, so we didn’t notice the traffic, but on the way back got caught in a HUGE traffic jam (turns out I failed to note that NASCAR was at Sonoma that weekend). We turned off and headed into the hills and ended up on a road where, after crossing a one-lane bridge, I literally had to stop to make a very sharp 90 deg. turn with a 30 deg. uphill grade because the road at that point was barely wide enough for 2 cars to pass each other.
Me too, pal, and a lot of other people have been too. I use joking as a pressure relief. I’ll try to make it obvious with an appropriate emoji if the joke involves someone on the board.