So, we were supposed to have some rain from a tropical wave today. We've been told for days that Labor Day wouldn't really be a good beach day. So much for the wave. TS Gordon just formed this morning at the southern end of My Fair State. The northern Gulf folks are the ones who will get the worst of it, though.
A week from today will mark one year from when Irma tracked right over my house. There are still a lot of folks with blue roofs and damage.
We don't like tropical systems. We don't like them, Sam I Am.
All we've had so far are off and on gentle rains and some breezes. A normal summertime thunderstorm is much, much worse! (Tropical systems tend not to have lightening and thunder!)
Who else remembers a song called "Everything is bigger down in Texas" (can't find a YouTube link to it or mention of it in Wikipedia or elsewhere)? There's a line that goes:
"Those 150-mile-an-hour hurricanes that sweep the trees?
Why, we call that a refreshing breeze?"
I also love thunderstorms! It does cool things down, but when the sun comes back out all that water turns to sticky steam. Air you can wear!
Alas, we do get a lot of lightening during a storm. I know folks who have been struck (including me and Daughter-Unit in my car), and people have been killed. When thunder roars, go indoors is something we live by!
When my kitties were still alive, we'd often sit by the window and just enjoy the lightening show and rain. Sometimes a bolt comes down right by the house. The thunder will make me jump, then!
Oh, and I meant to say that a normal thunderstorm can be more destructive than the tropical storm we had yesterday. I was happy to hear that there was no damage in our area yesterday, but we have had a lot of destruction over the last few weeks from strong Tstorms.
And my previous post should read lightning! Even though lightning does lighten the sky at night! Oops!!
We had a spectacular and rather damaging thunderstorm a couple of weeks ago - trees brought down, cars damaged, that sort of thing.
We also had a few quite good flashes and rumblements last night, and they seem to have had the desired effect, as it's a much nicer, fresher sort of day today.
Self-preservation should stop me from entering into a discussion of spelling with an American, but here in the Old Country 'lightning ' is correct. Indeed, the hero of the Cars films (definitely American!) is Lightning McQueen
Yes.. Lightning flashes occur in thunder storms. To lighten may mean the coming of light, eg dawn after night. It may also mean to lessen, to lighten a load means to make it smaller in some way.
noun: lightning
1. the occurrence of a natural electrical discharge of very short duration and high voltage between a cloud and the ground or within a cloud, accompanied by a bright flash and typically also thunder.
"a tremendous flash of lightning"
literary
a flash or discharge of lightning.
plural noun: lightnings
"the sky was a mass of black cloud out of which lightnings flashed"
adjective: lightning
1. very quick.
"a lightning cure for his hangover"
Origin
Middle English: special use of lightening (verbal noun from lighten.
The form lightning is historically a contracted form of lightening (it was at one time spelled light'ning) but the two forms are now two distinct words. In the sense thunder and lightning and lightning speed, the spelling is always lightning, while in the sense ‘make or become lighter’ the spelling is always lightening
I blame Shakespeare and his iambic pentameter, personally.
I remember, when I was a little girl, my mother quoting a rhyme from her own childhood: “June - too soon, July - stand by, August - come they must, September -remember, October - all over.” I'm always surprised by people who think it's a good idea to book trips to Charleston in the early fall.
When we lived in Newfoundland I always thought the cruise-ship season was a few weeks too late, as it tended to (at least partially) coincide with the Atlantic hurricane season, which on several occasions meant that ships destined for St. John's* had to give it a miss because of bad weather and go straight to Halifax, New York or wherever.
It didn't affect me, but I felt sorry for the shop and restaurant owners whose livelihood it did affect.
* several of which would have been in my home-town of Kirkwall a few weeks before.
If it's any comfort, my brother, who lives in Anchorage, looked into the alleged financial benefits of hosting cruises, and found that restaurants did very little extra business (because cruise passengers, having paid for all their meals aboard ship, were unlikely to dine ashore), and even souvenir shops didn't have a lot of extra business. Meanwhile, residents have to deal with ship-related pollution, crowds, and crowd-related bad behavior.
(I liked Kirkwall, particularly St. Magnus and the Highland Park distillery.)
I have friends vacationing at Blowing Rock right now. I'm hoping Florence doesn't make a bee line there, but if she does, hopefully she'll run out of steam!
I like your little rhyme, Ross! I wish it were true! Maybe we need to teach it to the weather systems!
I remember 2005 and what a horrible year that was for storms. 28 storms, from June 8th through January 6!!! We ran out of alphabet and had to use Greek letters!!
Around here, a person could tell the difference between Charley in 2004 and Wilma in 2005 by which direction the telephone poles were leaning.
... (I liked Kirkwall, particularly St. Magnus and the Highland Park distillery.)
You've got Taste!
You make a good point though - I know people in Orkney who reckon the huge cruise traffic is as much a curse as a blessing. Some of the really big ones can come close to doubling the population of the town for the duration, and you know how narrow the streets are - I've seen a picture of Bridge Street (the one that leads from the harbour to the main street) absolutely solid with people.
The first time I went to Orkney, it was with three friends, and we did it on our own, staying at the excellent Foveran House. The second time, it was two of us, on a Viking (small ship - it was the best way to get to one of the ancestral places in the Shetlands) cruise. We made it to the Ring of Brodgar and other Neolithic sites both times. (But I bought a small bottle of Highland Park to accompany us on the rest of the cruise, because I do have Taste!) I will never take another big ship cruise; they're just not for me.
I've never been on a cruise of any sort, and to be honest, they don't really appeal that much - unless possibly if they were going up the coast of Norway - but even then I think I'd rather go to the places I wanted to see either by train or hiring a car.
The picture ads for cruises turn me off completely. Deck above deck of portholes. The number of people aboard must be very large. I like people, but the sheer numbers in this situation would be overwhelming.
I haven't been on a cruise for many, many years, but the one I did go on (the Rotterdam from New York to Bermuda and the Bahamas and back) I found to be boring. Yes, the food was great, but there was nothing to do. What adventure I found for myself was found by befriending one or two fellow passengers who caught my interest and making the best of my time with them.
I expect things have changed over the years, but I'd be surprised to discover that they are materially different.
I didn't like cruises until I took the Viking ocean cruise. I really wanted to get to Shetland, and a cruise is the best way to do that; it went from there up the coast of Norway, which is beautiful. Viking has relatively small ships, no casinos, and lecturers on subjects of interest - everything from the history of the next stop to (in this case) the geology of the North Sea. You're not nickeled-and-dimed with surprise charges; internet access is included, and lunch and dinner include house wines and beers. There are several restaurants, and the seating is not assigned. I will not get on another floating city, but this was pretty nice.
I’ve been on one cruise in my life. There was a cool little jazz combo on deck and I never get tired of watching the ocean, so I’d do it again in a minute.
I’ve been on one cruise in my life. There was a cool little jazz combo on deck and I never get tired of watching the ocean, so I’d do it again in a minute.
I crossed the Atlantic on a freighter and loved it. There were about ten other passengers, all interesting people. There was a library, but no other provision for entertainment. I spent many hours watching the waves, standing right at the bow.
I know we have several Shipmates who will be affected one way or another by Hurricane Florence. I hope they will all let us know how they're doing when they can.
Served my half-day of jury duty today. Arizona has a "one day, one case" policy. If you're not seated on a jury after one day of service, you're excused. If you're seated for a case, you're excused at the end of the case.
I was called for a child pornography trial. The judge asked if the nature of the charge was such that we could not render a fair verdict, and about half of us said yes. Excused. Bye-bye.
I know we have several Shipmates who will be affected one way or another by Hurricane Florence. I hope they will all let us know how they're doing when they can.
Earlier forecasts had Florence making landfall near the Virginia-North Carolina border. Now they're predicting it will hit further south. However, once it goes inland, it is supposed to turn north and go up the Appalachians. At that point there won't be much wind, but the rain may be horrendous.
Like Climacus, I would be walking out too, Miss Amanda. They wouldn't like the blazing laser beams that would be shooting out of my eyes at the evil perps.
Florence is a monster. They just said on the news that it is as big as North Carolina and South Carolina combined. Even though it's been downgraded to an upper end Cat 2, those winds can still cause a lot of damage. The storm surge and rainfall amounts can combine to make this a very lethal storm.
I know; you all have heard all this so many times. It's just that memories of our hurricane last year create feelings of stress in me for our East Coast friends.
I saw that on the news this morning. Wow! It's scary to see the magical graphic, but amazing to see what smart people with computers can do! As a favorite person on TV suggested, we should all have one of those special gray circles to stand on that water apparently can't cover!!
I have heard from my cousin in the Outer Banks, who says that they're just fine; Florence hit further south. Now I'm worrying more about my godmother's daughter in the historic district of New Bern, NC, which has been absolutely clobbered.
Prayers continue to ascend for all in the path of natural disasters, and all others in need.
Comments
A week from today will mark one year from when Irma tracked right over my house. There are still a lot of folks with blue roofs and damage.
We don't like tropical systems. We don't like them, Sam I Am.
I don't want to be near any storm big enough to get a name.
"Those 150-mile-an-hour hurricanes that sweep the trees?
Why, we call that a refreshing breeze?"
Good luck with your search
Alas, we do get a lot of lightening during a storm. I know folks who have been struck (including me and Daughter-Unit in my car), and people have been killed. When thunder roars, go indoors is something we live by!
When my kitties were still alive, we'd often sit by the window and just enjoy the lightening show and rain. Sometimes a bolt comes down right by the house. The thunder will make me jump, then!
And my previous post should read lightning! Even though lightning does lighten the sky at night! Oops!!
We also had a few quite good flashes and rumblements last night, and they seem to have had the desired effect, as it's a much nicer, fresher sort of day today.
No excuse not to cut the grass now ...
Or am I just wrong or archaic?
MMM
http://www.elearnenglishlanguage.com/blog/english-mistakes/lightening-vs-lightning/
I like the archaic thought though! Not sure how to check.
MMM
To me, 'Lo it lightens' means that dawn is coming.
It is too rash, too unadvised, too sudden,
Too like the lightning, which doth cease to be
Ere one can say “It lightens.”
Much as I love Mr. Shakespeare, he should never be used as a reference for proper spelling. He didn't even spell his own name consistently.
(In this case, "lightening" would add an extra syllable which would have messed up his iambic pentameter.)
...whatever his real name was...
It seems to me that there should be an apostrophe in there: "light'ning."
Mrs S, spelling bore
But I bow to the greater knowledge of others regarding spelling.
MMM
and from Oxford Dictionaries online I blame Shakespeare and his iambic pentameter, personally.
In other news, how are those of you in the path of Tropical Storm Gordon making out?
It didn't affect me, but I felt sorry for the shop and restaurant owners whose livelihood it did affect.
* several of which would have been in my home-town of Kirkwall a few weeks before.
(I liked Kirkwall, particularly St. Magnus and the Highland Park distillery.)
I like your little rhyme, Ross! I wish it were true!
I remember 2005 and what a horrible year that was for storms. 28 storms, from June 8th through January 6!!! We ran out of alphabet and had to use Greek letters!!
Around here, a person could tell the difference between Charley in 2004 and Wilma in 2005 by which direction the telephone poles were leaning.
You make a good point though - I know people in Orkney who reckon the huge cruise traffic is as much a curse as a blessing. Some of the really big ones can come close to doubling the population of the town for the duration, and you know how narrow the streets are - I've seen a picture of Bridge Street (the one that leads from the harbour to the main street) absolutely solid with people.
I expect things have changed over the years, but I'd be surprised to discover that they are materially different.
I crossed the Atlantic on a freighter and loved it. There were about ten other passengers, all interesting people. There was a library, but no other provision for entertainment. I spent many hours watching the waves, standing right at the bow.
I was called for a child pornography trial. The judge asked if the nature of the charge was such that we could not render a fair verdict, and about half of us said yes. Excused. Bye-bye.
Yes, and stay safe. Seems like a monster.
Florence is a monster. They just said on the news that it is as big as North Carolina and South Carolina combined. Even though it's been downgraded to an upper end Cat 2, those winds can still cause a lot of damage. The storm surge and rainfall amounts can combine to make this a very lethal storm.
I know; you all have heard all this so many times. It's just that memories of our hurricane last year create feelings of stress in me for our East Coast friends.
🙏
🙏
Prayers continue to ascend for all in the path of natural disasters, and all others in need.