Had I felt like getting dressed today...

Today would be a great day to sit outside and do some blogging while propping my feet up with some nice outdoor pillows, I say outdoor pillows because in this family we have a history of forgetting to take things into the garage or the house when it's about to rain so I always look for outdoor pillows that can take some rain...

My container tomato plant is about to finally produce some red tomatoes, I was beginning to wonder if I needed to just focus on some fried green tomatoes, and it's hot and humid but there is a nice breeze.

However, today was a bad day physical feeling wise and to be honest, I have not even bothered to put clothes on beyond my t-shirt and undies. The lack of motivation to donn a pair of shorts has me working here from inside using my tower rather than being out with my netbook.

:-)

Something a bit lighter, what happens when...

A good part of our nation is in a cold spell, a really cold spell, which means from whether you are sitting right now at a Maine auto insurance company office or sitting here in Toledo at your computer, chances are? It's cold, it's cold enough that any of us from a huge number of locations could go to our microwaves, heat up a cup of water so that it is very, very hot and walk out our doors to discover we can make instant snow. Videos are popping up all over YouTube of people brave enough to do this. Which means, we can watch it, and not have to venture out there ourselves to do it...




One does have to wonder though, if this is global warming, why can't we have the warm part?

:-)

The true test of my will power when it comes to walking...snow

I've been walking almost every day for some time now, I've tried this in the past and have worked my way up from two years ago thinking a mile was an accomplishment to at least two miles a day, sometimes three. The rain didn't stop me, I actually enjoy walking in the rain, but now we come to what has stopped me in the past, snow and cold weather...Why? I always fall because people out here don't salt or shovel their sidewalks. Last year I looked into getting one of the many different types of ellipticals out there so that I could still exercise. Some of them don't take up as much space as others, space is an issue here. I'd actually love to have a treadmill since that would be closer to my walking, but there really isn't any extra space here to be able to do it. My son and two of my daughters work out at a gym, but for me? Having to actually arrange being able to go to work out is something I know I wouldn't follow through on.

I'd plan to go, but something would come up. Sticking to my walking regime on some days was a challenge, but I discovered the more politically heated things got here and on my other blog, the more important it was for me to take that walk. As I sit here right now, it's snowing, not little bits of snow but those big huge fluffy snowflakes, and I shudder...

Global warming or not...weather has been devastating...

This picture of a giant wave that hit Taiwan creates an instant sobering moment of the reality of the force of nature.



Then here in the US, hundreds in Chicago were affected by the heat at the Chicago Marathon with one man dying as a result of the heat and humidity.

I know here in Toledo Friday was a record breaking day for heat, yesterday was close and it appears today broke the record that was set in 1963 of 91 degrees, it reached 92 degrees today. This of course points out that we have had record heat in October in years past since Friday's previous record was in 1951 and today's was in 1963.

As has been stated here previously, I do believe man has an impact on the environment that can affect our weather, but I also realize that weather as well as other factors that impact the weather such as Sun flares, etc., do appear to go in cycles as well.

Predicting ten hurricanes...do I hear 11?

Once again it is time for our wonderful people down at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to make their best guess estimate or what they call a "forecast" that predicts the hurricane season. What is the number for this year?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The 2007 Atlantic hurricane season will be more active than normal with 13 to 17 tropical storms, and as many as ten of them could become hurricanes, the U.S. government's top climate agency predicted on Tuesday.

Of the seven to 10 hurricanes forecast, three to five will be major ones of Category 3 or higher with winds over 110 mph (177 kmh), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in its annual forecast.

An average Atlantic hurricane season brings 11 tropical storms, of which six reach hurricane wind speed of 74 mph (119 kmh), including two major hurricanes, NOAA said. The hurricane season, which officially starts on June 1, typically peaks between August 1 and late October.

How did they do last year with their predictions?
Earlier forecasts for the season also have predicted the return of an active pattern this year, after last season when no major hurricanes hit the United States. Forecasters had expected an active 2006 season, but only 10 storms formed.