“One of the longest stretches below freezing since the 1970’s”
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Yesterday I mentioned the big chill I enjoyed in Oregon in the 1970′s. It was referenced this morning on KGW as Portland is snowing in the 20′s with no warm up in sight. Here’s the video.
Pretty exciting storm with snow at the Oregon Coast even! Temperatures falling into the 20′s this morning with 1-3″ of snow right down to the Willamette Valley Floor. Snow is expected to end tonight, but the cold is just getting started!
In case you are too busy to watch the video. The weather guy is saying that temperatures should stay below freezing at least through next weekend. If that happens it will be the longest stretch of below freezing temperatures for Portland since the 1970′s.
Global Warming is out! Global Cooling is in! But you already knew that :-)
“Coldest Air Mass in Ten Years”
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That’s what the weatherman said this morning on KGW-TV. I don’t live in Portland, Oregon anymore, but I was able to watch on their web site. That’s also where I lifted the 7-Day forecast. Notice the temperature below freezing ALL week! Rare in Portland indeed. The Great Northwest is soooo pretty when it’s covered in snow! I guess some of the motorists would disagree :-)
When I was growing up in Canby we had a couple of big snows, but only a couple. There were also a couple of brutal arctic outbreaks. One I remember vividly was when I was in grade school. Back in the 70′s when people were talking about the next ice age and how the weather was so weird, maybe the Russians were controlling it. (I’m serious!)
My brother and I had to go out each morning and again in the afternoon and bust up the frozen water in the horse trough. It was 5″ thick each time! I remember, I would dunk the hammer in the water and hang it on the fence and watch it freeze! It was AWESOME! This outbreak must have lasted a week. Unfortunately, there was no moisture. Actually it was quite sunny. So, no snow :-(
I miss Oregon sometimes. Especially when they are expecting cold and snow right down to the Willamette Valley floor! Y’all make sure you send some pictures!
Yet Again!
Tedious. Another evening ANOTHER AWESOME SUNSET!!! Arizona has every place I’ve been to beat by quite a long ways when it comes to sunset awesomeness! Better than Roswell. Better than Lubbock. Better than Odessa. Better than Oregon. (although Oregon has best lots of other stuff!) Even better than San Diego at the beach! It really boggles the mind.
Two things. First, I noticed that my camera adds some color to the sunsets. Usually it’s a nice effect, but I would rather capture the actual real colors. Maybe that’s the difference between a $199 camera and a $1,199 camera :-) I suppose even a $500 camera might do the trick. Great. Something else I need!
Next was catching the hummingbird in flight. They are sooooo cute! I stood just a few feet away and waited with my camera. A couple of times I didn’t have it raised to eye level. Even when I moved to raise the camera (s)he didn’t fly away every time. A couple of times, but not every time. After I got a few pictures and knew I had what I wanted the next time (s)he came around, I just watched. Standing three feet away looking at this tiny wonder while (s)he sipped away on some sugar water. Pretty remarkable. Did I mention the sunset going on the whole time wasn’t too shabby?!
There really is a God and He really is good!
I LOVE the Rain!
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If you love it so much, why don’t you Marry it?” Well maybe I will!
Soaked. Kinda rare here in the desert, but not unheard of. It POURED overnight with the promise of more rain this afternoon and evening. The airport picked up a record for the date and it’s not even 7am yet! Over an inch and a quarter. Assuming we had more on this end of town (it looked like it on the radar) we are at about 4″ of rain since Saturday!
I’m supposed to drive to Yuma tonight to see my Dad and my sister and her kids who are visiting from Oregon. Depending on the weather, I may wait until tomorrow morning.
In the meantime, just enjoy the coolness of the clouds and the rain. We didn’t even get up to 90 yesterday!
Yummy!
Call me crazy (I’ll wait… OK) but I LOVE Cod Liver Oil. Maybe it’s because my parents never resorted to using it as a punishment. (Thank You Parents!) It’s true. Cod Liver Oil is muy muy muy good for you! Chalk full of vitamin D (why is something “chalk full”? What does that even mean???) and Omega 3s. Mmmmmm Omega 3s.
Another reason that I love Cod Liver Oil? When I have my tablespoon full every morning, it reminds me of the ocean! The pungent fish smell (and taste) take me back to Ocean Beach in San Diego catching rock crabs trying not to get pinched. Or walking along the Oregon Coast, stopping for salt water taffy. (don’t misunderstand me. I’m NOT saying Cod Liver Oil tastes like salt water taffy)
It may be just me, but Cod Liver Oil is nutritious AND delicious!
Favorie Christmas’ – Comet
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It was in the ’70′s, I know that. It was a really cold Christmas morning. We lived on Seven Oaks Lane, about four miles outside of Canby. I’m not sure of the year, but I do remember that they were building more houses and extending the street. I was probably in 5th or 6th grade since I was really interested in astronomy by then.
I’m think I might have got a telescope that Christmas. What I do remember most was the neat time I spent with Dad.
There was a comet that was supposed to be visible in the west. I don’t remember the name, but if you hang on a second, I’ll Google it. Hang on…
I can’t find it. I remember it started with a K. It was some long Russian word, I think. Hang on. I’m gonna Google some more…
I found it! Comet Kohoutek. Visible Christmas of 1973. That would make this story the second year we lived on Seven Oaks Lane. (That puts me in 5th grade) Glad we got that settled! What did we do before the Internets?!
So, Dad and I went outside Christmas morning before the Sun came up to see if we can see this comet. (we never did) We were on the west side of what would later be Edna’s house. We were on the west side to see if we could spot the comet, plus there was a bitter east wind blowing! It was cold :-)
But the best thing about the whole thing? Was spending the time with Dad. I don’t remember what we were talking about. Astronomy maybe. I just remember hanging out with him on the west side of a house under construction on a cold Christmas morning. It was the best! Thanx Dad!
Favorite Christmas’ – Ultimate Christams Tree
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It was our first Christmas as a “blended” family. Dad had married Janet the September before and we were all still getting used to each other. Janet and her two son and one daughter, plus a foster child, had all moved in with Chris, Dad and I. We lived in one of the newer (at the time) housing developments in Canby. This house had vaulted ceilings. Pretty high at the top. Over 20 feet maybe? 18 at least. Also, at the time, there was a Christmas Tree Farm on the edge of our neighborhood. I’m not sure how far. Not more than a half mile, if that.
So, ALL of us walk to the Christmas Tree Farm to find a tree. We agree on a big, fat, tall, ten foot douglas fir. Beautiful! But we didn’t know how beautiful until later. We cut ‘er down and all of us found a part of the tree to carry, and we carried it the half mile home.! We got it set up, and decorated. It was AWESOME! To this day, the standard that all other Christmas Trees are measured against.
It was fat, but tall. VERY full. Very fun to decorate! Not only was it the bestest, beautifullest tree ever, but it was an early bonding experience for a blending family.
Favorite Christmas’ – Sizzlers!
Not exactly what we got, but close. This is on auction on eBay! How tempting is that?!
Sizzlers were Hot Wheels that you charged up for a minute and a half and they raced around a “Fat Track” for 5 minutes, or so. Way cool! It was all Chris and I wanted for Christmas.
So, Christmas morning we got up way early (of course). It was at least 5am, maybe earlier. At 8, who knew it was your Mom and Dad who stayed up late to set up that stuff! So, I remember walking quietly on the hard wood floors. Chris was behind me as we peered around the corner into the living room. There it was. All set up. SIZZLERS FAT TRACK!!! Awesome!
I don’t remember if we got everyone up then or waited. But it wasn’t long before we were charging up our new cars and racing them around the track. Way too cool. Then, our “cousins” came down from Washington and they brought the Fat Track they got for Christmas! We combined ‘em for this elaborate course and raced and raced and raced. Cousin Tony got a great car. His seemed to run an extra two or three minutes after ours would give out. It was probably the best Christmas as far as getting exactly what I wanted. I realize now how much joy that must have given my Dad.
Luke 11:13
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”Matthew 7:11
“If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!
What a Rip
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Thursday night college football in Tucson, Arizona. Number 2 Oregon and the under .500 Arizona Wildcats on national TV. Four other number 2 teams had fallen to unranked teams already this year, and yes, it happened again. In the first quarter, after already scoring a touchdown and looking very impressive, Dennis Dixon tried to make a hard cut and crumpled on the turf. Game over, season over, national championship hopes. over. MRI shows torn ACL. Dixon is done for the year, and probably the Ducks too. It was good run! My heart and prayers go out to Dennis. It takes awhile to get over that kind of disappointment.
I have a nice zipper on my right knee thanx to a torn ACL. My story is a bit less dramatic! Sure, I was a football star in Jr, High :-) and a track star in high school too. Unfortunately, I didn’t stay in shape much past my early 20′s. So, when I was approaching 40 and playing basketball with my friends at work, it probably was predictable what would happen! When I was a teen, I had ups! At 5’4″ I could leap to near the rim. I was quick too. (just ask me, I’ll tell you) I used to lay back until they passed to my guy, and then steal it. This would continue until the other team figured out that I was pretty much gonna steal it every time they passed it to my guy, so they would stop :-)
Fast forward to my Saturday game with my friends, most 10 or more years younger than I was. I could still steal the ball, although not every time. As for ups, well. no. Too chubby! It’s amazing how hard it is to get an extra 30 pounds off the ground. It led to my downfall. I had the ball, and was driving to the basket at the free throw line. I jumped too high and finger rolled the ball in the bucket. Yes, I scored, but when I landed, my knee rocked. I knew immediately, my day was done. “See you guys later!” I was outta there. It was a Saturday, but I had to go into work. About an hour after my injury, I was hobbling around the newsroom and my knee was seriously swollen.
Did I see a doctor? Of course not! That’s why God gives men wives, to tell them to go to the doctor. I had no wife and little sense. I toughed it out and eventually, my knee felt better. Since I wasn’t that physically active, I was able to do just fine for a couple of years. However, it still would bug me. I noticed my knee was “loose.” My phone would ring and I’d feel my leg flopping around as I jogged down the hall to answer it, for example.
FINALLY, two years later I got the MRI. Torn meniscus and possible torn ACL. Doc went in with the scope to fix the meniscus and check the ACL. If it was indeed torn, they’d open up my knee and finish the job. Yeah. I have a zipper on my knee. It’s much better now! I can run, but since I’m still chubby, I don’t do much jumping :-) My knee will pop now and then, so it’s not 100%, maybe 90. I’ll take it.
The scar looks pretty cool too!
I Lost My Nerve
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Root canal this morning. Not nearly as bad as an experience as Oregon losing to Arizona last night. That should be another post, but suffice it to say, I was bummed. Oregon would have had little problem had Dixon not been hurt. It was sad to see the young man’s dreams of the Heisman Trophy and the National Championship fade on the same play. My heart and prayers go out to him.
OK, root canal. My appointment was for 7:30 a.m. Pretty cool. Less traffic and the dentist is way on the south side. See, my other dentist closer to my house apartment referred me to a specialist to do my needed root canal through a crown. Problem with that is on my dental plan, specialists are just a 20% discount. Probably $800 for a root canal! I’m sorry, but I’d have to say pull the tooth. However, if I could find a “regular” dentist to do it, it would be just $220, and I had almost that much left to use in my flex account anyway. So. I’m on my way this morning to see the dentist in the plan! If you don’ live in Tucson, then you don’t know about the construction on I-10. It’s supposed to go THREE YEARS! The have all the off ramps blocked and traffic down to two lanes through much of town. It’s gonna be great when it’s done! However now it’s slow going at times, especially during rush and/or if there’s an accident. So, I hit the road at 7:00 a.m. hoping the traffic is light enough to not be a problem. I am praying off and on the whole way, and it was smooth! I hit almost every green light! Traffic on I-10 was steady, but not slowed. I made the trip from Oracle and McGee to Mission south of Ajo in 32 minutes! Pretty amazing :-)
So, I’m in the dentist chair fairly fast. The dental assistant was very cool and the dentist did a great job! We all talked about the game last night and the 70′s music playing from the satellite. I was really amazed at the zero pain. I mean ZERO pain! I was out of there in less than two hours. Root canal through the crown. Filled back up. Done. I even feel like I made a couple of new friends!
If only last nights game was so painless.
