Tonight
Saturday
Rain showers likely. Cooler. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs 45 to 50. East winds 10 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph. Chance of showers 70 percent.
Saturday Night
Okay, this weather stuff may finally be getting to even me...
Friday, June 11, 2010
Oh for Pete's Sake...
This, directly from the Laramie Underground Weather site when I went to take a gander...groan!
Widespread rain showers in the evening...then occasional rain and snow showers after midnight. Colder. Locally heavy rainfall possible after midnight. No snow accumulation. Lows 35 to 40. North winds 10 to 20 mph. Chance of precipitation 80 percent.
Saturday
Rain showers likely. Cooler. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs 45 to 50. East winds 10 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph. Chance of showers 70 percent.
Rain showers likely and isolated thunderstorms in the evening...then rain and snow likely after midnight. No snow accumulation. Lows 35 to 40. East winds 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation 70 percent.
Okay, this weather stuff may finally be getting to even me...
Saturday
Rain showers likely. Cooler. Locally heavy rainfall possible. Highs 45 to 50. East winds 10 to 25 mph with gusts to 35 mph. Chance of showers 70 percent.
Okay, this weather stuff may finally be getting to even me...
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Light Show...
I’m sitting here in the dark, with all the blinds up, watching the magnificent light show that is the lightning storm over Medicine Bow National Forest just a few miles east of here.
Before the lightning, there was thunder and hail.
Now the lighting, pure bolts of static electricity, is flashing horizontal across the sky, like a giant strobe or black light, pulsating from high up in the sky.
I tried to take photos, but of course my camera—or is it the user—just isn’t up to the job.
Changing it to high sensitivity mode, I was able to get these shots, but no matter how often I tried—there’s always a few seconds delay—I wasn’t able to get any good shots of that electric bolt blazing across the sky.
I know the photos are grainy, but they just might make a nice backdrop for Halloween cards next October.
btw: I’m much happier with the Celtics this evening then I was on Tuesday.
It would be nice if they could win the whole enchilada, but I’m just happy this evening didn’t end lopsided with the Lakers heading into the fifth game with a 3-1 lead.
Makes things more interesting this way...
Before the lightning, there was thunder and hail.
Now the lighting, pure bolts of static electricity, is flashing horizontal across the sky, like a giant strobe or black light, pulsating from high up in the sky.
I tried to take photos, but of course my camera—or is it the user—just isn’t up to the job.
Changing it to high sensitivity mode, I was able to get these shots, but no matter how often I tried—there’s always a few seconds delay—I wasn’t able to get any good shots of that electric bolt blazing across the sky.
 |
| No thunder with this lighting show |
 |
| A constant parade of light |
 |
| I did manage to capture some ligthing to the left and far right |
 |
| Awesome, and very Halloweenish |
 |
| A bolt of lighting just above the middle house |
I know the photos are grainy, but they just might make a nice backdrop for Halloween cards next October.
btw: I’m much happier with the Celtics this evening then I was on Tuesday.
It would be nice if they could win the whole enchilada, but I’m just happy this evening didn’t end lopsided with the Lakers heading into the fifth game with a 3-1 lead.
Makes things more interesting this way...
Zeus bowling…
Today’s pop quiz for all you Mid-Atlantic folks:
The post "Hot, Dry and Glorious" is one I had planned to put up today and still holds true.
Anyway, like clockwork, the sky turns dark around two or three in the afternoon and then if we’re unlucky, the clouds blink and let forth their tears and Zeus, or whoever is up there, starts tossing around lightening bolts and bowling bowls.
I don’t mind the weather, except I’m told that lightening here can be pretty hazardous—open plains and all that—and I don’t like the prospect of hail damaging the paint job on my car, let alone the roof.
Someone recently told us that May 2009 was unusually rainy and therefore, the mosquitoes overstayed their annual June visit.
The cooler May and June temps thus far have kept them at bay, but I don’t know—with little rain storms here and there these past few weeks, I’m not looking forward to being outside in a few weeks.
We have been warned that the mosquitoes here are “more aggressive” than their east coast cousins.
What—are they are steroids or something?
Par for the course, the storm has since moved eastward and the western sky is now bright blue, with those white fluffy clouds I love so much and the sun is starting to shine, all in the time it has taken to pen (keyboard) this.
It ain’t over though, more storms predicted for tonight.
What do Arlington and Laramie have in common?Answer:
Not much—surprise, surprise—except for afternoon thundershowers.
The post "Hot, Dry and Glorious" is one I had planned to put up today and still holds true.
Anyway, like clockwork, the sky turns dark around two or three in the afternoon and then if we’re unlucky, the clouds blink and let forth their tears and Zeus, or whoever is up there, starts tossing around lightening bolts and bowling bowls.
I don’t mind the weather, except I’m told that lightening here can be pretty hazardous—open plains and all that—and I don’t like the prospect of hail damaging the paint job on my car, let alone the roof.
Someone recently told us that May 2009 was unusually rainy and therefore, the mosquitoes overstayed their annual June visit.
The cooler May and June temps thus far have kept them at bay, but I don’t know—with little rain storms here and there these past few weeks, I’m not looking forward to being outside in a few weeks.
We have been warned that the mosquitoes here are “more aggressive” than their east coast cousins.
What—are they are steroids or something?
Par for the course, the storm has since moved eastward and the western sky is now bright blue, with those white fluffy clouds I love so much and the sun is starting to shine, all in the time it has taken to pen (keyboard) this.
It ain’t over though, more storms predicted for tonight.
Hot, Dry and Glorious
Since I’ve gone on and on about the wind, the snow and the cold for a goodly portion these past ten months, I figure I should give equal time to these next few glorious months.
So let me tell you about this past week.
Actually, the title sums it up quite nicely.
Even with the potential and/or frequent severe storms—and possibly hail—every afternoon.
The trees are finally in full bloom and as the title so aptly states, it is positively Glorious, with a capital “G” here in little ole Laramie.
I love the feeling of zero humidity—although the locals might not agree with me on that point—and the hot, dry air with the cool Wyoming breeze.
As I’ve said, it’s Glorious!
So let me tell you about this past week.
Actually, the title sums it up quite nicely.
Even with the potential and/or frequent severe storms—and possibly hail—every afternoon.
The trees are finally in full bloom and as the title so aptly states, it is positively Glorious, with a capital “G” here in little ole Laramie.
I love the feeling of zero humidity—although the locals might not agree with me on that point—and the hot, dry air with the cool Wyoming breeze.
As I’ve said, it’s Glorious!
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Hail, but not brimstone
We didn’t expect it. The sun was shinning and the temp lovely.
When the winds picked up and the sky turned dark, I went out to take these photos.
No sooner had I stepped back in, then the hail started to fall—not rain, but hail, that only intensified as timed passed.
The street gutters turned into raging rivers…
as the wind howled, as if we were in a tunnel with a training racing through or what a Tornado might sound like.
Scary!
It didn’t last more than 10-15 minutes, but during that time we worried that either our windows, roof or doors would be damaged by the dime-sized hail.
That storm has passed, but another severe storm warming for our county has taken it’s place and the sky is turning ominous looking once again.
Sigh—
There’s never a dull moment on the Front Range—or just off the Front Range—as our area is called.
Good thing the Legal Dude and I decided to wait till another day to go hiking up at the Snowy Range.
I’ve heard the sad news from Ohio, where a tornado whipped through and left several people dead, on graduation day.
So very sad…
When the winds picked up and the sky turned dark, I went out to take these photos.
 |
| Scary, but awesome |
 |
| Feel like in some sci-fi movie... |
 |
| Fluffy clouds moving on out and the storm moving on in |
 |
| Beautiful, no? |
 |
| Moments before... |
No sooner had I stepped back in, then the hail started to fall—not rain, but hail, that only intensified as timed passed.
 |
| Hail/snow in June--they said it could happen |
 |
| Hail aftermath--love that sky! |
 |
| The storm, and the clouds, moving Eastward |
The street gutters turned into raging rivers…
 |
| Rivers, created by the falling precipitation |
as the wind howled, as if we were in a tunnel with a training racing through or what a Tornado might sound like.
Scary!
It didn’t last more than 10-15 minutes, but during that time we worried that either our windows, roof or doors would be damaged by the dime-sized hail.
 |
| Hail buildup |
 |
| Pure ice- great for building snow people |
That storm has passed, but another severe storm warming for our county has taken it’s place and the sky is turning ominous looking once again.
 |
| After the storm |
Sigh—
There’s never a dull moment on the Front Range—or just off the Front Range—as our area is called.
Good thing the Legal Dude and I decided to wait till another day to go hiking up at the Snowy Range.
I’ve heard the sad news from Ohio, where a tornado whipped through and left several people dead, on graduation day.
So very sad…
Freedom badge—a long time coming…
On Wednesday, the teenager decided to attend the last day of school..
School let out at 11 am, but he decided hang with some buds, first at the skate park, then on to the civic center to shoot hoops, over to one bud’s house, back to the park and back again to the bud’s house.
Who knows how many miles they walked, or how many university 'free ride' buses they rode.
It was after 5:30 and the Legal Dude was already home when I insisted that the teenager finally head home.
He wanted to continue to hang with his buds until a 9 pm showing of MacGruber or head back to the park around 7:30 pm.
We said he had to come home for dinner and then we would discuss the rest of the evening’s events.
He insisted he would walk home.
I didn’t know where his friend lived and when we finally managed to wrestle the address out of him (Have you tried communicating with 13 year old boys recently?) we realized it was some 3 plus miles away.
We told him to stay put, that we would drive over to pick him up. Besides, I wanted to know where his friend lives.
As we drove there, we realized that the teenager has no concept of space, time or reality.
All the way home he insisted “I could have made it home in 20 to 30 minutes or could have jumped on the University free ride bus,” which we pointed out was no longer running due to the lateness of the hour, to which he responded, “Oh, yeah,” which only confirmed his lack of good sense or judgment.
I was already ticked-off, because he had left me dangling for a good portion of the afternoon as to his whereabouts.
I need to know where the teenager is going, who he is with, what is he doing and when he gets there. Then I need to know when he leaves wherever he is, to come back home.
I also need to know that an adult is at home whenever the teens are at someone’s home.
Finally, I want to talk to the parents to make sure it is okay that for my teenager to be there.
The teenager, on the other hand, is one of those youths who firmly believe that any intervention from his parents infringes—and I do mean, “Infringes”—on his independence and freedom.
In other words, he sees no need to call to let us know the who’s, the what, the where or whys of his coming and goings.
Yeah, right—as if!
Besides, letting him hang and wander about with his friends for 6 hours is, in my book, allowing for a heck of a lot of independence.
But I know I was a big pain in the tuckus on Wednesday and that he was beyond annoyed and embarrassed by the number of text messages he received—not only from me but also from the Legal Dude.
Moreover, he insists that his friends do not have to check in with their moms.
Everyone tells us Laramie is a safe place and that for someone of the teenager's age, it's okay to be out walking across town at 8 or 9 pm.
Yeah. I get that it's much safer than Northern Virginia—I see little six and seven year olds biking and walking along the streets, with nary a parent or adult in sight, all the time.
I see kids of all ages walking all over town, heading home or to school or to the park or the civic center at all times of day.
Still—the teenager didn’t grow up here and neither did we.
We don’t know many parents of the teenager's age, or the places the teens like to hang out or anything about how it all works with a teenager biting at the bit for independence and freedom.
This is a completely new minefield for us.
Maybe letting him walk home from the Southern most tip of town to the near, Northern most tip is not such a bad idea, especially if it helps him to realize his reality is anything but, and that his 20 minutes is actually an hour, or longer.
Maybe it would teach him a lesson: that he doesn't, in fact, know as much as he thinks he does.
Maybe it would help set him on the track to earning that freedom badge he so yearns for.
School let out at 11 am, but he decided hang with some buds, first at the skate park, then on to the civic center to shoot hoops, over to one bud’s house, back to the park and back again to the bud’s house.
Who knows how many miles they walked, or how many university 'free ride' buses they rode.
It was after 5:30 and the Legal Dude was already home when I insisted that the teenager finally head home.
He wanted to continue to hang with his buds until a 9 pm showing of MacGruber or head back to the park around 7:30 pm.
We said he had to come home for dinner and then we would discuss the rest of the evening’s events.
He insisted he would walk home.
I didn’t know where his friend lived and when we finally managed to wrestle the address out of him (Have you tried communicating with 13 year old boys recently?) we realized it was some 3 plus miles away.
We told him to stay put, that we would drive over to pick him up. Besides, I wanted to know where his friend lives.
As we drove there, we realized that the teenager has no concept of space, time or reality.
All the way home he insisted “I could have made it home in 20 to 30 minutes or could have jumped on the University free ride bus,” which we pointed out was no longer running due to the lateness of the hour, to which he responded, “Oh, yeah,” which only confirmed his lack of good sense or judgment.
I was already ticked-off, because he had left me dangling for a good portion of the afternoon as to his whereabouts.
I need to know where the teenager is going, who he is with, what is he doing and when he gets there. Then I need to know when he leaves wherever he is, to come back home.
I also need to know that an adult is at home whenever the teens are at someone’s home.
Finally, I want to talk to the parents to make sure it is okay that for my teenager to be there.
The teenager, on the other hand, is one of those youths who firmly believe that any intervention from his parents infringes—and I do mean, “Infringes”—on his independence and freedom.
In other words, he sees no need to call to let us know the who’s, the what, the where or whys of his coming and goings.
Yeah, right—as if!
Besides, letting him hang and wander about with his friends for 6 hours is, in my book, allowing for a heck of a lot of independence.
But I know I was a big pain in the tuckus on Wednesday and that he was beyond annoyed and embarrassed by the number of text messages he received—not only from me but also from the Legal Dude.
Moreover, he insists that his friends do not have to check in with their moms.
Everyone tells us Laramie is a safe place and that for someone of the teenager's age, it's okay to be out walking across town at 8 or 9 pm.
Yeah. I get that it's much safer than Northern Virginia—I see little six and seven year olds biking and walking along the streets, with nary a parent or adult in sight, all the time.
I see kids of all ages walking all over town, heading home or to school or to the park or the civic center at all times of day.
Still—the teenager didn’t grow up here and neither did we.
We don’t know many parents of the teenager's age, or the places the teens like to hang out or anything about how it all works with a teenager biting at the bit for independence and freedom.
This is a completely new minefield for us.
Maybe letting him walk home from the Southern most tip of town to the near, Northern most tip is not such a bad idea, especially if it helps him to realize his reality is anything but, and that his 20 minutes is actually an hour, or longer.
Maybe it would teach him a lesson: that he doesn't, in fact, know as much as he thinks he does.
Maybe it would help set him on the track to earning that freedom badge he so yearns for.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
School’s out—for summer…
Tomorrow is the last day of school here in Albany County.
Why it’s called Albany County and not Laramie County, which is the next county over near Cheyenne, is beyond me.
Anyway, tomorrow is the teenager’s last day, although he claims he is not going.
The kids are going to Jimmy John’s, a local sandwich joint, for the morning, which is about as long as the day lasts.
The teenager wants this to be his last day, and I think we might let him have his way.
It feels a bit weird, to have school end the second day of June. The teenager’s old schools in Virginia, practically run to the end of June.
For the past several years on his last day of school, the teenager has come home to play Alice Cooper’s hit—"School’s Out"—for several hours on Guitar Hero.
It will be interesting to see if he does so this year.
If he doesn’t, I’ll be a little sad, as it’s just another indication that everything is changing and nothing will ever be the same with my little dude.
Sigh...
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