Friends,
They’re calling it a Pacific Storm. I’m sure that’s true if it snows in Hawaii…
…and just a little over 27 degrees…
Maybe they’re putting snowplows on those cute little surrey jeeps.
Aloha!
– bob
Summer. Over.
Good gravy.
The weather here in the West has taken a turn to the cold. Just above freezing temps* in Garner Valley during my commute this morning. Certain pups are huddled in a ball. The coyotes have stopped barking already this evening. Time to lay in some firewood, I guess. Full cords of citrus are on offer for a couple hundred bucks each, which sounds reasonable to me at the moment.
By the way, keep refreshing the webcam image during the day tomorrow and Friday. Here’s some hysteria from the National Weather Service to tell you why:
..STRONG SEPTEMBER STORM FRIDAY AND SATURDAY…
A STRONG PACIFIC STORM FOR SEPTEMBER IS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LATE FRIDAY AND EARLY SATURDAY. THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE WEATHER RARELY SEEN IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA IN SEPTEMBER. RAIN COULD BEGIN AS EARLY AS THURSDAY WITH SHOWERS INTO FRIDAY BUT THE HEAVIEST PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED FRIDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING.
That’s scary! Look! It’s all-caps! But wait, there’s more…
RAINFALL TOTALS WILL BE QUITE VARIABLE DUE TO THE SHOWERY NATURE OF THE RAIN. PRELIMINARY RAINFALL ESTIMATES ARE FOR ABOUT A QUARTER TO HALF AN INCH NEAR THE COAST TO ONE INCH ON THE COASTAL MOUNTAIN SLOPES AND FOOTHILLS WITH UP TO A QUARTER INCH IN THE DESERTS. THERE COULD BE LOCAL LARGER AMOUNTS OF ONE AND A HALF TO TWO AND A HALF INCHES ON THE WEST AND SOUTHWEST FACING MOUNTAIN SLOPES OR IN CONVECTION. ANY SIGNIFICANT RAIN WILL BRING THE THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING AND DEBRIS FLOW IN AND BELOW RECENT BURN AREAS.
Showery showers. That’s messed up. We’re doomed.
THE COLD AIR ALOFT WILL CAUSE ENOUGH INSTABILITY FOR A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. THE SNOW LEVEL WILL LOWER TO NEAR 6000 FEET LATE FRIDAY NIGHT.
Snow in September. Can you hardly stand it? How much fun is that?
I don’t know yet.
– bob
* SOURCE: The thirteen year-old Jeep’s overhead console display said 34 degrees.
UPDATE: The gas stove is running as a hybrid—propane and lint. The dogs are in love.
What Time Is It?: Late April Edition
Friends!
This gloable whirming thing is really getting me down. I’ve done everything—burning raw coal (from the open pit I’ve started digging in the backyard), dragging out all the old aerosol cans from the garage and taped down the nozzles, fed the dogs beans and kielbasa (a phenomenally bad idea, btw)—everything I could think of to pump more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. No luck. It’s still chilly up here.
What does a fella have to do?
Three inches of snow predicted tomorrow night. Spring, yeah sure.
Your pal,
bob
Zzzzzzz
Friends,
There’s a lot of stuff to cover since the last big post, so let’s get to it:
- Down at San Diego’s Omnipresent Charitable Organization’s Far Eastern Outpost, they finally dedicated this little pup tent they put up. It’s nine months late, way over budget, and is set up to sleep 100 people. The clergy, bosses, politicians, people with fat checkbooks, and the rest of us were there. It’s been occupying too much of my time and it’s still not ready.
- My trip to Chicago a couple weeks ago was cold, but still pretty fun. I have a bunch of pictures of the Chicago Auto Show and of those cute nieces of mine. I should post them!
- I also don’t have pictures of Senator Obama announcing his presidential candidacy that weekend. Drive three hours each way to hear any politician say anything for half a minute? Pass. Please. Now if it was Tom Vilsack…
- I have to think that the Idyllwild Chamber of Commerce must’ve been thrilled with the weather last weekend. Saturday was warm and sunny. Sunday, less warm but still very nice. Monday brought a half inch of pretty, fluffy snow that melted by noon to allow the tourists safe passage off the hill. The perfect winter display?
Will I adhere to a more regular posting schedule now that the big projects at work are (mostly) complete? Sure!
Your pal,
bob
Mr. Dog
Hey Holiday-Makers!
Here’s the promised context-free picture post, and guess which pictures turned out the best? Those with Mister Dog in them. Here’s my end of year adventure summed up with (mostly) puppy photos:
So there you go. Where’s 2007?
Your pal,
bob
It Crunches Under Foot
Dear Heavy Sock Wearers,
You may have noticed a severe lack of posts over the last few days, maybe even a week. It wasn’t for lack of trying, or even lack of things to report on—there are bits of new posts sitting on no fewer than four computers—but they were missing a vital ingredient, pictures. In what is turning into an annual event, I’m going to need to purchase a new set of rechargeable batteries for my middle-aged Canon PowerShot. As it stands now, I get five shots, then no power. The end. (you could rehabilitate those batteries like this guy did. – ed Oh, that sounds like a great idea, except for the explosion part.)
The other lame-ass excuse involves weather (when doesn’t it? – ed) and the coldness therein. 20° this morning, five inches of snow, ice on the mountain roads, AND 50 MPH winds! I’m finding it harder and harder to keep up with the wood demand in the fireplace. Mr. and Mrs. Pup are happy to encourage my stoking the fire, but it doesn’t leave too much time for anything else, like writing (it didn’t seem to bother jack london. -ed Except he died at 40.).
I actually have a few pictures on the camera that I’ll present in a nearly context-free post later today. If you’re lucky, I may actually post them in chronological order this time. Wouldn’t that be a surprise!
Your pal,
bob
P.S. My vivacious writing partner has come down with something relatively brutal, so The Question is out of the question for a while. Both of our readers will be happy to know that we’ll be back up and running some time in 2007.
Global Coldening Update
Icy.
That asphalt isn’t supposed to be white, is it? Not here in Southern California. The snow from Sunday morning stuck all day, all night, and all of today. The temps never got above thirty degrees, which is pretty odd.
The timing is fantastic for the dogs, who aren’t particularly enjoying Winter In The Pines. Like a ticking time bomb, the girly dog refuses to go out in that freezing nightmare. This is going to be real bad.
I’ll post pictures soon with the sweaters (!) and coats (!!) as soon as I get them. Hopefully, I’ll get home tomorrow when it’s still light outside.
If I don’t slide off the mountain of course.
Merrie Christmas!
– bob
OMFG! – Winter Storm Watch 2006
Okay, not really. We got a half an inch last night and some of it stuck throughout the day. Bad news: the temps stayed in the upper twenties. Good news: hey! it’s our first snow of the season! (awfully late, don’t you think? – ed Well, yeah. I blame Global Drying. After all, it’s not like it hasn’t been cold.)
So, we’re not going to die. The puddles aren’t even deep enough to get your shoes wet (speak for yourself, hiking boot boy. my ballet slippers are soaked. – ed). It’s just dreary and gray. Sounds like somebody should be settling in for an afternoon of football, eh?
Your pal,
bob