18°f/about -8°C, clear, then clouds in the afternoon. High of 54°.
Did you know ow tgat according to old folklore, birds were believed to begin mating on Valentine's Day? We have been hearing birdsong around here again, which is lovely to our ears. Does that mean they're beginning the mating season, or that they are just happy to see lots of seed in the feeders?
At least we are going into a warming trend this week, which is another happy thing. Temps in the 60s? Yes please. Maybe the rest of the ice and snow will finally disappear.
I was listening to the radio this morning as I cleaned silver. The NPR show This Old House was on, and they were discussing the building materials of the future. One of the hosts lost his home in a California wildfire, and he was looking at ideas for rebuilding, on the same spot.
While they visited some of the unique homes being built on the ashes of the old, including one like our Sarah's cabin, built out of steel storage containers, my mind was stuck on one thing: why? Why would you rebuild in what they acknowledged is a "fire zone"? Isn't that the same as building in a flood zone? Even with new, fire-resistant materials, it seems to me to be an exercise in futility. Because if there was another fire, would you want to have to live through your neighborhood burning a second time?
One of the materials discussed was a type of super-laminated wood called CLT. Google AI says "CLT chars on the outside during a fire, creating a protective insulating layer that prevents the inner wood from burning. These structures are durable, sustainable, and capable of withstanding intense heat." Okay, but going back to a home charred on the outside? Wouldn't be my cup of tea.
It was an interesting show, delving into pre-fab houses and the difficulties of meeting thousands of different building codes across the country. I was impressed with the forward thinkers of the industry, striving hard to make housing affordable and quickly built. By the time the show was over, the pile of silver in front of me was polished. I looked around at my 50-year-old house, which would probably go up like tinder in a fire, and wondered, would I rebuild here if it burned? And if I did, what kind of house would I want?
When our next door neighbors' house burned, they bought a modular house, and put it back in the same place as their old home. (At least we are not in a fire or flood zone!) Perhaps we humans, like the wild things, want to go back to the same nest/den/cave where we have always found security and comfort.
I haven't heard any birds singing but there was a Northern Flicker beating out a tattoo on a metal pole presumably advertising for a mate and also a pair of Mallards mating at the lake. Signs of Spring!!
ReplyDeleteYay! We have more baby bunnies, so yet another sign!
DeleteIn this country, building on flood plains is rife. I cannot understand how planning permission is granted for such construction - it's crazy.
ReplyDeleteI certainly would not want to rebuild in the same place after a disaster like a wildfire or flood.
Agreed. There is so much land here in the US, why take that chance?
Delete...people tend to gravitate to areas that appear to like heaven, but can hell at times.
ReplyDeleteYes, tbat is so, Tom
DeleteI don't think I would want to go back to the same place if it were in a fire or flood zone. But I've never lived in a place like that, so I don't really know. It must be hard to pick up and leave to start over someplace new if you have lived you have lived a long time in some place.
ReplyDeleteWe're hearing birds singing, too, and the finches are starting to have their more vibrant mating colors.
After helping clean up after a few floods, i know I would never live in a flood zone, no matter how lovely it is
DeleteLiving in place, whether from a sense of security of surroundings, or perhaps familiarity of the view outside, I can understand. And economically, the land is still yours, even if flood or fire prone. But building better is certainly a good idea. One family here put their house up a story on a set of stilts, then framed them in...so it looks like a two-story house...in our recently flooded area. All the other houses in the neighborhood that survived look short in comparison.
ReplyDeleteI know that here in WV, many just can't afford to move, and their places are pretty much unsellable. So they don't have much choice, unfortunately. Still, I think I would find a way!
DeleteI wish the people rebuilding had been asked about their reasons, because now I'm wondering about it in a way that means I'll be thinking about this for a long time!
ReplyDeleteThey did talk about that briefly, Quinn, mostly just because they liked the area and felt connected to their little lots.
DeleteIt is surprising how people want to return to the same place. I don’t think our birds will be quite as joyful as yours, but I can tell you that the sun is shining this morning, but Alexa tells me that the temperatures are still well below freezing today.
ReplyDeleteStill so cold up there. We will see 60s this week.
DeleteI can stay in my home because my oldest son lives with me and so he helps me handle the chores that are getting too difficult for me to do. But I do think a lot about where I might live next. I have a 2 story home so if I cannot do stairs at some point, then what?? Not the same as having a home destroyed but still a worry about where to live...
ReplyDeleteIt is good that your son lives with you! We manage all rights, but at 74, the future does seem uncertain. How long will we be able to maintain this place, and deal with winters here? There is so much grass to be mowed, a concern for summers as we age. No easy answers
DeleteI don't know if my comment posted. It just disappeared.
ReplyDeleteSandra, it didn't post. How odd! Several people have com ented lately that their comment just vanished.
DeleteWe've got a warming trend this week too, though for us that means reaching 2°C or 35°F!
ReplyDeleteWe have the same warming trend coming this week. I have thought I would rebuild something on our farm if our old house was destroyed. However, we don't live in any type of flood/fire area.
ReplyDeleteWe were in my home, a one-room-apartment, and floods were predicted at Ingo´s home again, an hours´drive from me. He said (he had secured PC etc) - "if the water comes in again, we find a way to live in Braunschweig together!" - I crossed fingers and toes. The water came in so high, it flooded the bathtub. Rest is history.
ReplyDeleteFortunately we live on higher ground but still have warnings about floods in the area. We are going to have higher temperatures too this week, just over the 60 mark. Very happy at that and looking forward to going out for a walk at one of our parks tomorrow. Our other places will be too muddy to walk. That's interesting about the comment mention. I've looked back on mine and found that commenters messages have disappeared and yet my answer is still there. Another blogger glitch?
ReplyDelete