The Skies Stormed...

...away today, torrents of rain coming down as I have not seen in at least a week. It's not unusual to have summer storms in this neck of outermetrsloburbia but it is a bit bit much seeing them this bad twice within a week. It just rained almost as bad as today this past Wednesday. Today, despite the weather, or oblivious to the pending high chance of downpours, I took a drive to a not all that local reptile speciality pet shop today and got stuck in the middle of one heck of a thunder storm, in fact several of them. The roads were flooding and people were driving slow (for a change) except of course for a few idiots in their SUVs who probably believed were invincible in a 4W drive. I guess they just don't realize that an SUV can have trouble breaking in the rain just like any other vehicle. Then there was the Latin Somebody Or Other MC group riding their bikes in the rain. That was just a sight to see, but at least they pulled over under an overpass when it got really bad. Oh well, enough on other people in the rain, back to my mission.

The trusty Corolla handled nimbly despite the rain, and I arrived at the pet shop in one piece. I got just a bit damp running from the car to the door, just a bit though because thankfully the rain had let up just before I arrived there. While there I made a quick purchase of a thousand 1/4" crickets. It was well worth the drive if only because they are so deliciously good when baked into a freshly homemade pie crust. (Of course that's not what I do with em, after all the baby bearded dragons need to eat.) Then I headed to a local pet shop and picked up some other things for my other critters and headed home. While getting out of and into my car there, I had to virtually wade through a puddle that actually came up over the tops of my feet. I got pretty soggy from the ankles down, but somehow the rest of me stayed pretty dry - I guess because I had a small umbrella in the back seat. I forgot about it at the first shop (did not really need it there as there was a short break between downpour), but remembered it at the second one where it was indeed needed as the rain was coming down hard again. It did its job well for such a tiny umbrella as it is. Funny how I did not see one other person with an umbrella as they either ran through the parking lot toward a store or toward their cars all the while getting absolutely soaked. What is it with people? For me, I can say: What a trip. As it turned out, with those storm cells raging on and off, a trip that usually takes about 45 minutes to an hour took me about 1 3/4 hours, but I survived.

Of course, once I got home, the fact that is was wet outside did not phase my wife one bit with regard to her wanting me to BBQ. Truly, she would have given me a break and she would have cooked the chicken and steak in the oven if I had wanted her to, but I decided what the heck I was wet already, and we were both looking forward to some hunks of charred meat. So I took the matches from her (the electric starter on the grill must have been wet because it was not starting anything), and I also grabbed grabbed a bier, then I fired up the grill. I stayed pretty dry by standing in the garage a few feet from the grill as the food cooked, and I just came out to check on it and turn it as need be. I have to admit it was darned good, probably better than any cricket pie would ever taste; and I did not get all that wet since the rains had let up pretty much by then. As for the crickets, the baby bearded dragons sure made those crickets look tasty as they gobbled em down (no not all of em at one feeding, they will last about a week or two). For some reason, unfathomable to me, they seemingly did not care one little bit that the crickets were and kicking as opposed to barbecued or baked into a pie crust. Nope they did not seem to mind at all.

All the best,
Glenn B

For Around Here It Snowed A Lot...

...but looks like a little, I guess because it started to rain a few hours ago. When I got up at o515 hours this morning the snow had to have been about 4 inches deep, and everything around my house was completely covered even the pine tree in the pic to the right. (The pic was taken hours later after it had rained for awhile and lots of the snow had melted.). It was coming down hard too, straight down no wind, not even much of a breeze. I took one look and figured it was steady and hard enough to mean that there would be at least several more inches on the ground before it stopped. So since I was already up at that ungodly hour, I decided to take shovel in hand and get to it. I don't have all that much to shovel, but I make sure I do a good job and get as much as I can off the sidewalk, driveway, front and side walkways, stoops, and side patio. Took me a while, so thank goodness it was cold enough for the snow to be on the lighter side. Once I was done with my property, I did the side of my neighbors house. Shovelling that is probably as much as all of my property combined. I was going to do the sidewalk along the front of his house too, but the old back injury started to pain me, so I figured it was time for a break. I went inside, and took a rest.

After a few more hours or so I headed back out to shovel some more. How nice, someone had been out there and done most of it for me a second time, so it left me with only an inch or two of snow on my sidewalk. I got to it, got that off, and then hit my neighbor's house and got all of his done (someone had also done his and he only had about an inch on the ground). Looking at it all I realized there must have been 7 to 9 inches on the ground where no one had shoveled. I also realized something else, it was raining, probably had been for a while, a steady light rain or drizzle. The little bit of snow that was left was heavy. Ouch there went the back again. I called my boss and banged in sick. Heck it was noon already by the time I got back inside to call! Whoops.

Later on I decided to go out and take another look, and try to see how deep the snow was in a few places where no one had shoveled. I dipped a ruler a few times, and each time it came up between 6 to 7 inches. Since that it had warmed up a bit and rained for several hours already a lot of the snow had already melted. I suppose my earlier guess of an overall snowfall of 7-9 inches was correct. I'll have to see what I can get out of the weatherman later on this evening.

Tonight promises more snow, or at least the weatherman promises more. More on the way for tomorrow too. I only hope the wet ground does not freeze hard, and then get snowed on. That makes for difficult shoveling, slippery footing, and treacherous driving conditions. As for right now, the rain has stopped, the temp seems steady, and it looks like a winter wonderland outside. So am I out there having snowball fights, building snowmen, or sleigh riding - heck no. I am inside where I can enjoy the warmth, have a cold one, and let the Aleve do its wonders for my aching back. With any luck my son will be home before anymore white stuff covers the ground, and it will be his turn to shovel next.

All the best,

Glenn B