Hailstoned

Narcissistic disorder-- From the "top" on down-- the role modeled pathology of our times...

I will always go to the Box discussions for a little sanity check after all the hype, innuendo and hysteria that bounces about in certain quarters here. Doing so is like putting a kid in time out, taking a deep breath, and taking stock of things. Sometimes blending Box with the outlooks of cooler heads here gives one a pretty good assessment of what's to come.

Hachoo...

Not if the anti-science, vaccine deniers have their way...

A bit over 3" here in Monson, MA before we lost Cottontail in favor of Flopsy and Mopsy.

From atop Peaked Mountain in Monson, yesterday: A cold sweep of graupel.

I recall that here in MA-- plus skating on the Concord River-- solidly frozen but for an open channel in the fast current middle. How often does that happen these days? Needless to say, we skated the peripheries. That combination of extreme wind and cold was both long lasting and memorable.

No cure for bone spur fever.

Happiness is never having had to go through the bother and hassle of "installing" in the first place...

Just came my closest ever to a lightning bolt, and I've experienced some close ones. Was at a softball practice in Ludlow, and the tumultuous sky, darkening off to the northwest and north had my attention-- and checking the NWS saw there was a tornado warned cell to the northwest. So practice over I decided to try a little intercept for whatever might be, and was driving my appropriately named F150 Ford Lightning north along Lyons street towards Granby with the front windows open. That route affords some pretty good views off to the west, and I could see the ragged lined edge of the rain off there, but though under forbidding skies-- not a drop yet where I was. Then, I swear, not 20 or 30 feet off, directly to the right out my front side window a sizzling bolt-- bamm-- and I could feel the shock of it- or was it just the adrenaline buzz of such a close hit? Just reminder again that especially in dynamic developing situations, bolts out of the blue can and do happen. I continued on, a half mile or so further, then another close bolt, and then blotto, visibility down to near zero. As I write back home in Monson, we just had another strike not far to the south that got our dog's attention. All in all I would say aside being ground zero in the May microburst, this has been the most consequential thunderstorm event in a summer that has been woefully lacking in such.

That's a queer choir you're preaching to.

Where's there's rot there's flies you've got.

I’m in Des Moines- An extended elevated thunderstorm came through at 3:30 this morning with sporadic gale force wind gusts; looking at a pretty sizable branch down out the window. Tonight’s possible derecho may pass a little north? In the meantime another day of real heat; not unlike what’s on tap back home

Fun to be under it-- Heavy showers seemingly back building from the east (redeveloping?) this evening in Monson.

But the wait time to be in need of the facilities post consumption, is about 30 seconds.