NOTE : POSTS WILL BE LATER TODAY

I have an appointment with the Doctor this (Thursday) morning. I am not sure when I'll get back, as he may send me to see a specialist or get some x-rays (or whatever).Be sure to check out the section on the right side of this page called "Stuff I Read". There are some real good blogs listed that are run by some real good people. If you stop by one of them, tell 'em "FishFearMe" (that's me) sent you. Thanks!

Toby

Colorado Chronicles : Denver's 2009 Summer Storm

Almost a year ago to the day, the Metro Denver area suffered the second costliest storm in the history of the state of Colorado. The video and slideshow here give you an idea of what the residents in the path of the storm saw as they emerged from their homes in its aftermath. The weather system that spawned the storm brought with it golf ball sized hail and 60 mph winds that uprooted trees, snapped power poles and two tornadoes. The final tally of the damage? $350 million dollars. Coupled with a storm in June, 2009, the total damage to the Mile High City and suburbs was a staggering one-half billion dollars. Seeing bad weather creeping over the Rockies in the distance is a unique experience. Probably similar to seeing an approaching dust storm in West Texas. Once, I was fishing about 30 miles north of Denver when I saw a storm coming over the mountains to the west. Menacing dark gray and black clouds in the distance rolling over and down the hills, soon to swallow them up like a cheap hamburger were headed my way. I fished for a few more minutes with my eyes glued to the approaching rain, when I felt the hair on my arms stand up. I dropped my graphite fishing rod like a bad habit. Lightning and graphite! I was a human lightning rod! Adios fish! About ten minutes later, it came a frog strangler. My advice to you is : if you see dark clouds pouring over the Rockies...leave the graphite at home.

Maine Minutiae : Heat Waves ?

Yup. Heat waves in Maine. My friends in Texas might get a chuckle out of those words - "heat waves in Maine". Although nothing up here will ever approach the magnitude of the Summer of 1980 in Texas, it still gets pretty warm up here in our neck of the woods. Just last week, we had actual summer temperatures in Maine. Keep in mind, that the average high/low for Augusta this time of year is 81/60, and the majority of homes up here have no central a/c. The highest temperature ever recorded in Maine was 105 degrees at North Bridgeton, July 10, nineteen eleven ! According to weather.com, the record high for Augusta is 100 on August 5, 1955. Conersely, the record low for Augusta is 33 BELOW zero on December 19, 1975, exactly one week after my wife was born. Coincidence? Back to summer...as I type this, it is 73 degrees at 12:45 pm. Did I mention that it's summer time here? We'll probably hit 90 another time or two before autumn pays a visit, but that's one of the perks of living in the Pine Tree State...warm, wet, (think April, Texans) short summers. Sure, the winters can be brutal, but I have two little girls and a wife to snuggle with to keep me warm when it's freeze-your-ass-off cold. Therefore, I have no complaints.

Texas Tidbits : 1957 Dallas Tornado

April 2,1957. I was six and a half months old that day living in Fort Worth doing whatever six and month old kids do. A mere 32 miles away, Mothers all over Dallas were seeking shelter and safety for their own children as an F3 tornado bore down on the Big D. Soon ten people would be dead, 200 others injured and $4 million (1957 dollars) property damage was done. In the photo above, if you look at the top right-hand corner, you can see the Pegasus, which means to me that you are looking west as the twister approaches downtown Dallas. As a little boy I remember my parents and other grown ups talking about this event. Texas is certainly no stranger to tornadoes, but they normally strike in the far reaches of the state, not Dallas or, as in 2003 in downtown Fort Worth. However, as is often the case in tragic stories like this, something good comes the despair. My friend and fellow Class of '75, Nimitz High graduate, Kim Skeene Henning was born the day the tornado hit Dallas. Kim writes this interesting observation : "I always think of Mark Twain being born w/ Haley's comet and then dying when he saw it again... not saying I want to die in a tornado, but being born in such a great natural event makes me think of that." Nicely said, Kim. Nicely said.