WEATHER OR NOT?

Our boat was half a mile down the canal. Someone tied it to their dock and rescued it. We thought it flooded and sank! That saved us a bundle of money!

Lucky guys! That's pretty good news. Nice to hear someone was looking out for someone else.

http://www.wunderground.com/wximage/viewsingleimage.html?mode=singleimage&handle=RockHardJeepster&number=12&worldview=1

Uploaded by: RockHardJeepster — Wednesday June 27, 2012 — Phoenix, AZ (Current Weather Conditions)
A large Dust Storm approaches Phoenix, AZ from the south on 06/27/2012. This is a view from on top of South Mountain, looking south towards the suburb of Ahwatukee.

Oh that's great news! Very cool.

Meanwhile, it's hothothot here. And sozlet's at camp, with heat advisory saying



Nothing but strenuous outdoor activity. Ugh. At least there's a lake (and she is under orders to drink about three times as much as she thinks she needs -- she always underestimates). (Not lake water.)

H . . . a . . . r . . . d not to hover with this kind of thing but of course she needs to key into self regulating.

Knowing you, you have probably mentioned her aptitude to mistake water needed in the past, and I figure you know the folks there.

Yikes (I've seen sand move here, but not quite like that.)

I don't really know the folks (it's her first year at this camp), but she and I talked about it before she left, in Serious mode, and I do think she gets it.

One awesome thing about this camp is that while they don't allow cell phones or other 2-way communication when she's there, they do post photos on a special site at intervals. So I can keep tabs that way.

Anyway, I think she'll probably be fine, but that heat advisory did make me wince.

Awww, we were sort of joking before she left about devising some sort of a code so she could communicate with me via photos -- two thumbs up = all is well, one up and one down = things are OK but could be better, two thumbs down = eek! So a photo was just posted of her group, everyone else is doing a special hand sign and she's determinedly posing with two thumbs up and a big grin.

Ok! (breathes)

Just have to quote this:



(Emphasis theirs.)

What a week to be at camp!

Hopefully will just be a lot of rain and cool things off....

I thought it looked like a hurricane:



http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/06/30/summer-strike.html

My husband said "you mean tornado?", and I said "no, hurricane." All that water plus the wind going in one direction, I think.

I was at the store, trying to get groceries ahead of the huge red blob I saw advancing on radar. The red blob sped up though, and arrived just as I was paying. Turned BLACK outside and my ears popped. I hustled out to the car in driving wind as the very first drops fell, then drove home in the hurricane, trees down everywhere. We have power but much of Columbus does not (300,000 people are without).

Last year one of our huge cottonwoods was struck by lightning, and a branch about 18 inches in diameter and about 4o feet long died. That branch hovers over a main power line. The power company didn't want anything to do with it because it was way too tricky to try to get at it. We had professional tree trimmers come and do the job a couple of weeks ago -- and man I'm glad that was done before the storm. Would've been bad news for sure.

Meanwhile, more red blobs in our future.

And meanwhile, we're getting email updates from camp that their internet is down (so the flow of pictures will stop, darn it) but everyone is safe and sound.

Wow. Glad you are all okay.

Glad you are okay, indeed. In the D.C. area down into my portion of Virginia, some 2 million folks were or are without power in the 100 degree heat since 9 pm last night. My lights flickered and the wind blew hard briefly. I was lucky, I guess. 2 deaths reported locally from falling trees.
UVA had a lot of tree damage, as did other areas, but little rain. The authorities describe the phenomenon as a "derecho." It is a windstorm ahead of rapidly advancing rain storms.

Never heard that term used for a weather phenomenon but it makes sense.

Johnboy, I'm sure you wouldn't want to be specific, but are you liking or semi liking or really not liking where you moved to? Miss the old place?

The last time in the USA, on August 4, Chicago was blasted by a derecho.

That means 'right', doesn't it? Does that follow that the winds swirl to the right? or what.

Of course I can look it up.

I love it! I moved from the "big house" at 600 R Rd (1500 sq/ft) to 602 (1000 sq ft) some 6 years ago. It was nice but the steps up to the 2nd floor became a problem - and I had to park a couple of hundred feet away. Carrying groceries etc became an issue.
I am now at the "cottage" at 590 R Rd. It's perhaps 900 sq ft.
All three residences are on my property. I just get to see the two massive oaks from a different perspective. And I get to park just ten feet from the door.

All right! So then I am happy for you.

a friend who lives just outside of D.C. has been posting photos of the aftermath in his neighbourhood

and a lovely photo of a fan blowing on the generator to keep it running ... to keep the fan and other devices running

Damn, it was hot in Cuba! Not only hot, but high humidity. Sweated all my excess weight down to zero.
Now in Mexico City, and will be home tomorrow night. My travel blog should be finished in to about ten days.