My Dogs Keep Me Sane: weather

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Showing posts with label weather. Show all posts

Showing posts with label weather. Show all posts

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

A Letter to Mother Nature

Dear Mother Nature,
Oh behalf of my own addicted to nature-photo walks-self and ALL the farming residents of this small, struggling county of Missouri... Please, if you can find it in your heart... just...
GIVE US A BREAK ALREADY!
Yours truly,
Misty Dawn

This is how Sunday looked.

Pretty, isn't is?
I thought so.
I thought it was a beautiful day.

(c) Misty DawnS

THEN - Sunday looked like this...

(c) Misty DawnS

Not so pretty, is it?
I didn't think so, but it sure became interesting when...

(c) Misty DawnS

... it started looking like THIS.
Like what?, you ask?
See those white things in the yard?
Look closely...

(c) Misty DawnS

THOSE white things...
those are hail stones.
Hail stones - some of which were BIGGER than BASEBALLS!

(c) Misty DawnS

Of course, I ran from window to window trying to get some decent photos.
Hubs and I have never seen hail this large.
When one would hit the window, it would cause me to leap backwards.
It was quite the experience.

(c) Misty DawnS

Bigger-than-Baseball-Sized Hail and a few dents in my vehicle later...
the skies went back to just looking threatening.
(unless you consider all the tornado warnings)

(c) Misty DawnS

(c) Misty DawnS

(c) Misty DawnS

And that was that.
We've had SO much rain and flooding here.
80-year-old farmers come into my work and tell me that they have never...
ever seen it like this. They tell me it flooded in 1993, but it was not a
- consistent, non-stop, can't get a break, raining every other day,
9 inches in 24-hours (on SEVERAL occasions), all the crops are destroyed, and
you can't even get into your fields let alone plant anything year like THIS year is.
And now - Hubs and I have not only seen the wettest year that anyone
around here can remember - we have also seen
ice-baseballs falling from the sky.

The score?
Mother-Nature is winning
She's like 32 (inches) or so ahead ;-)

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Wait... Who Am I Again?

I has been one heck of a long, hot, tiring, and humid day! What's that you say? It ain't over yet... geesh, thanks for reminding me!

We have no air conditioning at work. That would be OK, except for the fact that we have NO fan or anything to provide air circulation at work, and I'm stuck at this desk in this corner, where the sun beats through the window and all the heavy humid air piles up there in that corner and tries to suffocate me. Not only that... but that humid air really messes with my brain too (maybe the fact that I was yelled at three times today by some not-so-very-small-town-country-farming-like people... cuz, small-town-country-farming people aren't mean to other folk, unless it's hay season and they are totally freaked out about whether they are gonna get their hay up before it rains or not and then their baler breaks down and then... what do they do? They call the repair place and yell at the secretary... makes perfect sense, doesn't it?).

So, I left work late, went to the tire shop to have my tire with a slow leak repaired, stopped at the grocery store, got home, and as soon as I walked in the door with my arms full of grocery bags, books, and, of course, my camera, the phone was ringing. So, I answered it...

"Mower Shop. No... wait... it's not... Ummmm Hello?"

Then, I grabbed my work for the Ohio boss off the fax machine, typed it up, proof-read it, and attached it to an e-mail to send to him. I was just ready to hit send when I stopped with my finger hovering over the mouse button... "Something just isn't right here" I thought to myself. I'm rather embarrassed to admit that it took me about a whole five minutes of sitting there staring at the e-mail before I realized that what wasn't right was the fact that I was getting ready to send my completed legal work for my Ohio lawyer boss to my BBFF Tammy!!! Yeah - it has been a long day.

So, in the mailbox today, I was greeted by a very large envelope from my aunt. When I opened it, it was stuffed full of photos of little ol' me growing up. (I had asked her for some pics about a month ago, because Tammy had tagged me for a 'Through the Years' meme). My gosh she sent me a TON of pics! All the pics of me growing up that she could find, I think. PLUS... and this is a HUGE BONUS - she sent me pics of my daddy as the adorable little boy that he was!

Now that I have quickly took a stroll down memory lane, I'm not so sure that I need to bore everyone to tears with pics of Baby Misty, Toddler Misty, Young Child Misty, Adolescent Misty, and Young Woman Misty... nah, I'm thinking we don't really need to go there.

I am including one pic though... just so you can see proof... it started at a young age... and NO, I am not referring to my lack of fashion-sense!

Monday, June 30, 2008

Floods

Y'all have listened to me whine and complain about the excessive amount of rain and storms we have been getting. Y'all probably think I'm exaggerating, don't you? You probably think I'm just whining about a few storms, because I missed a few photo walks.

(c) Misty DawnS

Honest, I'm not exaggerating. I don't think we have gone a full 48 hours without rain for over two months! Our fields look like ponds. Most of the farmers have lost all the corn they planted, along with all the fertilizer a.k.a. money they put on that corn. Now, they are marking their corn as a loss, hiking up their bib-overalls, and attempting to get on with their farming lives. This means, it is time to plant beans. However, they can't get in the fields to plant, because it is too wet!

Believe it or not, we actually have not had rain since Saturday. So, if you were to come out to my neck of the woods a.k.a. The Middle of Nowhere (turn left at the cow), you would see tractors attached to mowers, discs, rakes, or balers in pretty much any field you looked at. That's where Hubs is right now, as a matter of fact. He's out trying to bale some hay before we get rain again.

(c) Misty DawnS

And, just in case, you still think I'm exaggerating, let me tell you about Friday. We left at 2 a.m. to take my step-son to the airport in Kansas City. While in the city, we visited some stores, because we don't have those things out here... stores, that is. When we walked into Best Buy, I grabbed my husband's arm, and said "Can you smell it? Can you smell the beauty of Best Buy? Oh, it's electronic Heaven!" Meanwhile, the store personnel were looking at me like they were considering calling security. But, anyway - I got a bit off topic there (that's what happens when I start thinking about electronics). The point of the story is - what should have been a 2 1/2 hour trip home turned out to be much longer, and we did not arrive home until 9 p.m. You ask 'why'? Well, since you asked - it is because we had to turn around and backtrack several times, because the nagging wife that I am did not approve to her husband driving her precious vehicle through the flooded waters which was ~~drowning~~ over the roads.
Still think I'm exaggerating? Look at this...

(c) Misty DawnS

Yes, that is a billboard... which means it should be up high in the air. I bet when they put that billboard up, they didn't realize that it would appear that the Grand River Inn was in the middle of water. How appropriate.

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Need a Boat

It has ~~rained~~ stormed ALL.Night.Long for two nights in a row now.
Not only am I personally sick of the rain for my own selfish reasons - no photo walks, there is flooding all around us.

A town nearby got nine inches of rain from Tuesday night. And, a town a little bit further got 12 inches - yes, that's a foot of rain! I don't know what everyone got from last night's storms, but I'll surely find out, since I work in a shop and farming guys like to talk weather.

My sister-in-law and her in-laws (they live on the same road) are flooded in... they can't even get out of their driveways.

I'm thinking if this keeps up, we are going to have to consider going somewhere else... I could go check out some Outer Banks rentals, but I'd much rather go back to Ohio for the reunion this weekend ;-)

Sunday, May 25, 2008

I Walked

Just when I was ready to give up on the dreams of all the walks I would go on during my three-day weekend, the sun FINALLY decided to peak out from behind the clouds... well, kind of. Anyway, you know me - I jumped on the chance and started walking. I was so thrilled with the almost 90 degree weather (yes, I like it hot) and the fact that I was finally able to be outside with the camera, that I walked. And, I walked. And, I walked. I lost myself in the feeling of being outside, listening to (and chasing) the birds, and admiring and photographing the beautiful flowers.

(c) Misty DawnS

(c) Misty DawnS

(c) Misty DawnS

Yes, I got more photos than this, but I have to save some for memes, ya know! hehe.

Now, we have severe weather in the forecast for tonight. UGH! I wish I would have know it was going to be like this. It's more of a Blockbuster coupons and movie weekend than an enjoying the outdoors weekend.

P.S. If you don't hear from me tomorrow - come to Oz looking for me... K? Then again, maybe I'd just prefer to stay there - remind me to grab my camera on the way ;-)

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Necessary Prevention

Here I sit...
and here I will remain.

Here I sit...
the beginning of my long weekend.
The weekend I SO looked forward to, because I would get to talk to my online friends, catch up on blogging, and go for photo-walks. Oh yes, I had lots and lots of photo-walks planned.

Now - here I sit...
I even repeatedly checked the weather forecasts, to ensure that I wasn't setting myself up for a letdown. Those forecasts specifically said, "a VERY slight chance of rain on Saturday...".

Here I sit...
Listening to the rain, watching my newly seeded yard flood, and attempting to calm my dogs every time it thunders (which has been often since 3 a.m.).

At 3 a.m., I was wakened by the sound of Tag and Molly slamming through the bi-fold door and into my bedroom. After their grand entrance, Tag proceeded to jump on top of the bed to be close to me, and Molly proceeded to attempt to squeeze her way under the bed. When I said I wanted to sleep in during the weekend, I was hoping for a few minutes past 3 a.m.!

(c) Misty DawnS

So, I got the dogs back where they needed to be, and I stumbled into the office to unplug the computer and peripherals. This is not a simple process. I can not simply stumble in, half-awake, and pull a plug. Nope, I've got to shut down the ancient desktop, which takes For-Ev-Er. Then I need to unplug the desktop, the monitor, the printer, the scanner, the dsl modem, the Belkin wireless router, and the fax machine. Of course, I'm need to crawl all over the room to unplug everything, after waiting forever for everything to shut down. By this time, Yeah, I'm awake.

My computer and electronics are very important to me. No, this is not just because I'm a technology addict. OK, well, maybe a little bit, but it is also because one of my jobs relies entirely on these electronics being in working order. If my computer, router, or fax machine gets fried by a power surge, not only am I out of a piece of equipment, I am also out of a job that would help pay for that piece of equipment.

(c) Misty DawnS

Yes, it seems to thunderstorm here A LOT! No, I'm not just saying that because I'm pouting right now. It's true. We aren't all that far away from Kansas, and, sometimes, I think I need to get another dog and name it Toto! If it isn't storming, it's windy. It is ALWAYS windy here!

(c) Misty DawnS

So, I think that I seriously need to do something to protect my electronics, along with the data on those electronics. I've found the perfect solution! It's a Belkin Battery Backup with Surge Protection.

I'm already a fan of Belkin products, because I love my Belkin router. So, when you add that to the fact that Buy.com has a GREAT sale price for this item, I think it is definitely the perfect solution to help me rest easier... literally.

This backup system has surge protection for EIGHT outlets - four of which also have battery backup. It also has many other awesome features, which are exactly what I need. I'm thinking this great piece of equipment is a definite must-have for anyone who lives somewhere where it storms often.

(c) Misty DawnS

As my grandma always told me, "It's better to be safe, rather than sorry."

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Talk To Ya Later

The sun is shining and the temperature is above freezing. We are under another severe weather alert for later today though. That means I need to take advantage of what Mother Nature is giving me right now - So, of course, I'm going for a walk. I'm going to lose myself in nature and photography for awhile.

Meanwhile, I'll leave you with this. This is another one of my favorite groups. I could listen to this song over and over again and never grow tired of it (actually, I could do that with many of their songs)...

Little Big Town - Boondocks

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Wordless Wednesday

(c) Misty DawnS

Have I mentioned how much I miss the warm weather? I am longing for Spring... seriously longing for the sunshine, warm weather, and being able to go for a walk without having to put on several layers of clothes. So, I post this photo, and I wish that it were a Robin sitting on that barbed wire. Then I would know that Spring was almost here. Unfortunately, I have to snap back to reality. We had a Winter storm here today. We are still under a storm warning tomorrow, and it is supposed to snow throughout Thursday. That would be why I have not been able to go out for a walk (well, that and Hubs being sick), and, yes, I'm going through serious withdrawals. Am I whining too much?

Sunday, January 27, 2008

I Need a Maid

Thank you to everyone who commented on the purple sky. That was the first sunset photo I ever took here in this state. I took it when we were visiting on vacation a few years ago. Several people still say that it is one of their favorite photos of mine, and it remains as one of the favorites on Flickr too,.

Today, is a day for catching up on the housework I've been avoiding. So far, I've done two loads of laundry, with many more to do. I've also swept the floors with a broom, because we have hardwood floors, so I can't use any vacuum cleaners on them. With the remodeling and trudging in here in work boots all the time, it is difficult to keep these floors clean, and I'm getting frustrated. I can't wait until I hit the lottery so I can get a main. Yeah, yeah, I know - probably not going to happen. Oh well, it's a nice daydream.

However, I'm excited because the temperature is almost up into the 50s today! So, when the work is done, you can bet that I am going for a walk to enjoy this weather while we have it! Here's hoping I find that bird!!!

Monday, January 21, 2008

Rough Day

This is one of those days when I feel like I need to just go back to bed. Many unexpected things occurred today, and I feel like my head is spinning. It started in the morning with my step-daughter telling me that her car was hit by some people moving into the house next door. She wasn't in the car and didn't see it happen. Luckily, another neighbor saw it happen and was able to tell her about it so she could contact the police and the insurance company. Things just escalated from there. It seemed like every time I turned around, I was getting informed about something else that stressed me out more! It is now to the point where I don't even want to hear my phone ring! If I had a Girard Perregaux watch, I'm sure it would report to me that it was time for bed. I could just go to sleep and wake up tomorrow and hopefully tomorrow will be better. Oh, and maybe I'd get to sleep through this Winter weather advisory that we are under now. This weather is getting ridiculous!

Friday, January 18, 2008

Brrrr

We have a wind chill advisory in our area for tonight and tomorrow.

AccuWeather.com keeps telling me -
"THE COMBINATION OF NORTHWEST WINDS AROUND
10 MPH AND SINGLE DIGIT TO SUB ZERO TEMPERATURES WILL RESULT IN
BITTERLY COLD WIND CHILLS FROM 15 TO 20 BELOW ZERO THROUGH MID
MORNING SATURDAY."

All I can say is brrrrr. I've already told you that I can't stand to be cold. It gets in my muscles and I start shaking and can't stop and that leads to soreness or sometimes even a flare. No flares allowed in this house!!! So, if you need me - I'll be under that pile of blankets... really, you may not see me, but I'm under there ;-) Don't worry, I can blog from there too. Sounds like a great Saturday to me - snuggled cozy under the blankies while talking to my blogging buddies.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Normalcy Will Come

Won't it???

I expected everything to 'be back to normal' by now, but it's far from it.

I pictured today being my day to catch up on all my friends' blog posts which I missed while I was away. However, that catching up is going to have to wait yet another day. I was called in to work at the insurance company again today... I'm not saying that's a bad thing (my husband just purchased hay equipment, so, according to my checkbook - any money is a good thing), I'm just saying that I keep having these delusions of getting back into the routine (Misty thrives on routine). Yet, it just isn't happening yet. Plus, I haven't had the chance to really talk with my BBFF, and that is really making me down in the dumps.

So, tomorrow... yes, tomorrow, I'm planning on a day of blog-catching-up... I hope... keeping fingers crossed. Then, tomorrow we have to go to one more Christmas get together in the evening (Yes, I know, we schedule things awfully weird). After that, I'm hoping things will be back to the routine (ahhh, my precious routine).

I haven't even had a chance to catch y'all up on everything! Geesh!

I'll leave you with this wisdom which was shared with me by an elderly gentlemen I met at the post office yesterday... He told me...
"Some of the really old farmers around here say that the first six days of the year will tell you what the first six months' weather will be like."
I found this rather interesting, and I look forward, come June, to looking back and seeing is this statement holds true.
So far, according to our weather here... we are going to have one freaking cold January and February, a little colder-than-normal March... and, if we get the weather in the forecast, we'll end up with a decent April and a much warmer than usual May and June (I like the sounds of the May and June!).
Now, six months from now, I'll have to come back and see if this is true... but, right now, I've got to go to work!

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

My Ice World

I ~~skated~~ ventured my way outside today to get some photos of my ice world to share with you.When you walk outside, the world seems void of color. Everything is white or shades of gray.
Ice... ice... everywhere... ice.
Our barbed wire fence provided for some beautiful photos though (in my opinion).
Everything seems to be frozen in time... void of color and void of movement.
The red metal fence posts truly stand out as they add a touch of color.
Even the stray strands of grass are individually encased in a new home of ice.
I bet my husband is thankful he hooked my dryer up and avoided his clothes being freeze-dried.~~Ice~~ Winter wonderland
Mokey takes a moment to say 'hello'...in between trying to get this cold stuff off her paws.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Laptop and Weather Update

Just wanted to drop in for a quick post. I'm posting as I fill in at the insurance agency. Last night, my laptop shut itself down and wouldn't reboot :-( (So, Tammy, if you were looking for me, that's why I wasn't online). Now, it will boot up for about 1/2 hour or so, until it gets hot and then it shuts itself off. So, I have booted it up long enough to make sure I have everything backed up. Other than that, I'm pouting... seriously pouting (last night, I was in tears).

I may not make it home this evening. We've had a bad snowstorm this afternoon, and everyone is saying that the roads are absolutely horrible. So, if they are too bad to drive on, my brother-in-law who lives here in this town will come and get me, and I will stay with them tonight. I REALLY don't want to do that, because I just want to be at home, but it's better to be safe than sorry, I guess.

Forgive me for not visiting your blogs - I will visit as soon as I get a chance and am able to be at a computer that won't shut down on me. I miss you guys - don't forget about me ;-)

Saturday, October 13, 2007

It's Raining - Thanks Anyway

Well, I sincerely appreciate the images that y'all gave me of the anti-raindances you performed for me. But, it seems that I am jinxed. Mother-Nature and God have decided that Misty should not have basement walls. I guess they figure it would take away all the entertainment of listening to the critters rummage through my stuff or trying to keep my Molly-Collie from self-feeding a whole half-a-bag of dog food. I swear I am going to have to put her on a diet for months now!

As I'm sure you are waiting for me to admit - my Cleveland Indians lost last night. That's OK though, because, as I ~~nagged~~repeatedly told my husband "They just had to get that crappy game out of their systems, and now they are ready to play some real baseball" (I hope I hope). Last night was pretty sad - I have no problem admitting that.

Well, the game starts in about five minutes - so - you know where to find me. Time to get myself something to snack on and set the computer next to me so my friend Bear can make sure that I keep breathing and don't seriously hurt myself.

Talk to you soon!

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