MovingPictures

Tornado Week - near Hopewell, Kansas 2007...

This was shot the night after the Greensburg, KS tornado, pulled from video.

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Buy New and Rare Diana Cameras Here...

Please visit my eBay sales to get the latest and rarest Dianas Click Here. I have several Scarecrowman cameras, a Mr. Pink, a Tokyo Rising and a Chromiac chrome DIana F+ all for sale at the current time.

Tornado Week - Tiffin, Ohio 2002...

This tornado was shot on my birthday on November 10th, 2002, during an outbreak that killed 38 people and injured hundreds throughout the Midwest.

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Tornado Week - Attica, Kansas 2004...

One of the nicest pictorial tornadoes I have ever seen. Click on photo for larger image.

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Tornado Week - Attica, Kansas 2004...

The white spots in the photo are hailstones the size of baseballs, not dust.
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Tornado Week - Silverton, Texas 2005...

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Tornado Week - Silverton, Texas 2005...

In honor of tornado week on the Weather Channel, I will be publishing some of my tornado pictures from the years past. A bunch of my footage and photos were shown last night in the Greensburg special. Click on photo for a larger version.

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Baby Rats, Girls or Boys or Both, oh My....

Sunday my son Noah and I drove an hour and a half to pick up our new pair of baby girl rats. We are replacing Merrill, or former rat that went to that big treadmill in the sky several months ago. It took a while to locate a couple of replacements but the day finally came. Well we got the cute babies, and played with them for about a week, and found that one "Girls" plumbing, did not quite look like the others. We had a Boy and a Girl. So I called the breeder and said that I think we will need to exchange one of our rats for a girl.

We came to find out that the breeder gave us the wrong baby. She said she had two identical cream colored babies, one boy, one girl, and she grabbed the wrong one. So yesterday we drove back and swapped babies, hopefully avoiding a pregnancy disaster down the road.

Awe were driving to pick up our new girl rat, I had to explain, we were doing this so we would not have any babies in the future. His retort was "Why would a brother and sister rat want to have babies anyway." Good question. Well I had to explain that they really don't know that they are brother and sister, and eventually would have some babies. He also though that was OK, but I explained it was not, and he was lucky to have these two rats, thanks to his wonderful, loving, understanding mother.

Noah's new rat Nibbles combined with his other love Legos, see his Blog HERE.

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More Snow...

Not much to say about this snow but that I am sick of snow this Winter. This has been one of the snowiest winters on record, except for the year 1978, and I was a kid then and I remember that one!

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More Snow, Maybe...

WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 6 AM TO 6 PM EST SATURDAY
UNTIL 11:45PM EST
Urgent - Winter Weather Message National Weather Service Cleveland OH 341 PM EST Fri Feb 20 2009

Lucas-Wood-Ottawa-Sandusky- Including The Cities Of, Toledo, Bowling Green, Port Clinton, Fremont

Winter Weather Advisory In Effect From 6 AM To 6 PM EST Saturday,

The National Weather Service In Cleveland Has Issued A Winter Weather Advisory For Snow, Which Is In Effect From 6 AM To 6 PM EST Saturday.

An Alberta Clipper Low Pressure System Will Move Just North Of The Area Saturday. Snow Will Spread Into Northwest Ohio After Sunrise Saturday And Begin Tapering Off By Saturday Evening. Snowfall Should Range From 3 To 5 Inches. A Little Blow And Drifting Snow May Occur.

A Winter Weather Advisory Is Normally Issued For A Variety Of Winter Weather Conditions Such As Light Snow, Blowing Snow, Sleet, Freezing Rain And Wind Chills. While The Weather Will Be Significant, The Word Advisory Implies That Severe Winter Weather Is Not Anticipated. Stay Tuned To Noaa Weather Radio And Other Radio And Tv Stations For Further Details Or Updates.

My Footage on Weather that Changed History...

On Sunday the Weather Channel will be running a new episode of Weather that Changed History at 9 p.m. I will have a bunch of footage and stills in the production from the Greensburg EF5 tornado in 2007.

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Hazardous Weather Outlook for North Central Ohio...

Lucas- Wood- Ottawa- Sandusky- Erie OH- Lorain- Cuyahoga- Hancock- Seneca-
Huron- Medina- Summit- Portage- Trumbull- Wyandot- Crawford- Richland-
Ashland- Wayne- Stark- Mahoning- Marion- Morrow- Holmes- Knox-

4:34 PM EST Tuesday - Feb. 17, 2009
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for North Central
Ohio... Northeast Ohio and Northwest Ohio.

Day one... tonight.
No hazardous weather is expected at this time.

Days two through seven... Wednesday through Monday.
Snow is likely on Saturday. Heavy snow is not expected in most
areas but there is a chance for enough snow to shovel or plow.

Spotter information statement...
Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

Looking Forward to a Good Chase Season...

The last site I saw in the plains last year was the below photo. A nice white elephant trunk tornado in Western Texas.
From all indications people expect this year to be an active season thanks to La Nina.

I am mostly looking forward to two weeks companionship with my best friends in the world, my fellow MESO chasers. Each year we spend two fun filled weeks together in the flattest, most beautiful spot on earth, Tornado Alley. We have had a few close calls over the years, including Greensburg, Kansas in 2007 and Silverton, Texas in 2005. Each year we get a little bit wiser and wilder, with new friends joining us on the chase.

Last year we had a few newbies, Wes and Joe, who made quite an impact on the chase and will be returnng this year to join Nano, and Brian and I, all 12 veterans and Chris Howell, an 11 year vet.

I am looking forward to another wonderful year of fun, frolic and EF scales in the plains.

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Buying Baby Rats, Harder Than Buying a Used Car...

I have recently found out that buying baby rats is harder than buying a used car, believe it or not.

I recently helped my daughter Katrina buy a used car and helped my 8 year-old son replace his dearly departed pet rat Merrill, and to tell the truth, I don't want to do either again very soon.

Each endeavor had its pitfalls and drawbacks.

Rats: Noah's rat Merrill, departed us several months ago, and you would think that it would be easy to find a couple of rats to quickly replace the departed. But NO... I found out that we had to locate a breeder, and that it is better to have two rats together than one, (they live longer, yep), and that breeders do not have babies all the time, most are planned litters. Also, if you want two females, all the litters born, will be mostly male.

Used Cars: Katrina's 1996 Toyota Corolla began to depart us several months ago, as with a car of this age, things began to go wrong and replacing the car made more sense. I found out in this time of high gas prices, a small economical car was hard to find. Also, dealerships, like breeders, don't always have anything on the lot, and if they do, it is priced out of this world. Also, if you see an ad during the Superbowl, promising cars at 50% off the sticker price, they wont have any and then try to sell you a used car at new car prices.

Rats: I found that when you get a breeder that offers you some babies, it thoroughly pisses off other breeders that you put orders into. I did not have time to even cancel my orders before I was getting irate e-mails from a local breeder as he was e-mailing another breeder. I got an e-mail from that person also, albeit much more polite. We ended up getting out two babies from a breeder over an hour away, but a local breeder still talked smack about her, as she did him, no love lost between these two.

Used Cars: Most used car salesmen will talk smack about any other dealer, or salesman in the area. Their cars are always the best, even though they try to write up a deal before you see their car. "For Christ's sake, just show me the car!" And when you find a car you like, they forget to show you the Carfax report. Hmmmm.... and you find things out about the car when you take it to a friend at Expert Tire. And the salesman you have the courtesy to call-up to tell him you bought a car somewhere else, curses you as he hangs up the phone.

All in all, I am glad these two tasks are over for now and I wish long and happy lives to our two new pets and Katrina's shiny new car...Whew...

Some More Fallout From the Wind Storms...

Shot this photo today along SR 20 near Woodville, the tree is about 18 inches in diameter.

Space Weather News...

COLLIDING SATELLITES: Experts are calling it an "unprecedented event." Two large satellites have collided in Earth orbit. Kosmos 2251 crashed into Iridium 33 on Tuesday, Feb. 10th, approximately 800 km over northern Siberia; both were destroyed.  The resulting clouds of debris contain more than 500 fragments, significantly increasing the orbital debris population at altitudes where the collision occurred.  The Air Force Space Surveillance Radar is monitoring the clouds as they pass over the radar facility in Texas.  We, in turn, are monitoring signals from the radar and you may be able to hear debris "pings" by tuning in to our live audio feed. This is a story that will unfold in the days ahead as researchers study the evolution of the debris clouds and piece together the details of the collision.  Stay tuned to SpaceWeather.com for full coverage.

Some Local Flooding Photos...

Here is a SLIDESHOW of some local flooding photos here around Fremont, Ohio.

Newest Sony Technology...

50 MPH Windy Night...

Last night I went to bed and got to listen to the back end of the low pressure system come across Northern Ohio. The sounds of the powerful gusts lulled me to sleep. I checked this morning and we had gusts up to 50 mph last night. Also this morning there are all kinds of flood warnings and road closures. Fremont schools had a two hour delay.

Nice Spring Storm for a Starter...

Today we hit 60 degrees here in Ohio, after a nighttime temp that did not dip below 50. The storm was not very volatile here in Northern Ohio, but we got a ton of rain, 1.61 inches to be exact. On the way home from Toledo, we saw some nice CG lightning and a wall cloud, with what looked like a couple of funnel clouds coming off the formation. There is water lying in all of the fields around here and I am sure it will be a long time before they dry out. We also had wind gusts up to 40 mph today so far.

A flooded field at sunset with what looked like a wall cloud and funnel.

Parts of Ohio Upgraded to Moderate Risk...

DAY 1 CONVECTIVE OUTLOOK 
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
0140 PM CST WED FEB 11 2009
 
 VALID 112000Z - 121200Z
 
 THERE IS A MDT RISK OF SVR TSTMS ACROSS ERN KY...SRN OH...WRN WV...
 
 THERE IS A SLGT RISK OF SVR TSTMS SURROUNDING THE MDT RISK FROM
 WRN PA TO ERN AL...
 
 OH/TN VALLEY...
 
 INTENSE UPPER TROUGH WILL EJECT ACROSS THE OH VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON
 AS VERY STRONG H5 SPEED MAX...ON THE ORDER OF 110-120KT...LIFTS
 ACROSS TN/ERN KS INTO SRN WV. EXIT REGION OF THIS FEATURE WILL
 INDUCE VERY STRONG VERTICAL MOTION ACROSS THE OH VALLEY AHEAD OF
 COLD FRONT...AS EVIDENT BY H5 HEIGHT FALLS ON THE ORDER OF
 270-300M/12HR. NEEDLESS TO SAY THIS FOCUSED DYNAMIC SYSTEM WILL
 CONTINUE TO FORCE A NARROW LINE OF CONVECTION ALONG SURGING COLD
 FRONT...ESPECIALLY ACROSS ERN TN/KY INTO SRN OH/WV. LATEST RADAR
 DATA SUGGESTS WELL DEFINED SQUALL LINE...WITH EMBEDDED SMALL
 BOW-TYPE FEATURES...IS MOVING EAST AT ROUGHLY 40-45KT...WITH
 INDIVIDUAL CELLS RACING NEWD IN EXCESS OF 50KT. THIS ACTIVITY IS
 EVOLVING BENEATH STRONG JET CORE AND IS EXTREMELY SHEARED WITHIN
 INCREASING SWLY DEEP LAYER FLOW. THERE IS INCREASING CONCERN THAT
 VERY STRONG DAMAGING WINDS MAY BE NOTED WITH MORE ORGANIZED BOW
 SHAPED STRUCTURES. LATEST SATELLITE IMAGERY INDICATES SUBSTANTIAL
 SUNSHINE HAS DEVELOPED AHEAD OF THE LINE ACROSS SERN OH/ERN KS INTO
 WV WHERE SFC-3KM LAPSE RATES ARE APPROACHING 7C/KM. ALTHOUGH
 LIGHTNING IS NEARLY ABSENT WITH THIS LOW TOPPED CONVECTION...VERY
 STRONG WINDS MAY BE TRANSFERED TO THE SURFACE MORE EASILY AS
 BOUNDARY LAYER DEEPENS. FOR THIS REASON HAVE INCREASED THE
 PROBABILITY FOR SIGNIFICANT WIND DAMAGE WITH SQUALL LINE AS IT
 SPREADS NEWD.

Tornado Watch Until 9 p.m...

THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A TORNADO WATCH

UNTIL 9:00PM EST
Sel8 spc Ww 111901

Urgent - Immediate Broadcast Requested Tornado Watch Number 18 Nws Storm Prediction Center Norman OK 200 PM EST Wed Feb 11 2009

The Nws Storm Prediction Center Has Issued A Tornado Watch For Portions Of Southeast Indiana Eastern Kentucky Southern Ohio Eastern Tennessee Extreme Southwest Virginia Western West Virginia Including The Northern Panhandle

Effective This Wednesday Afternoon And Evening From 200 PM Until 900 PM EST.

Tornadoes... Hail To 0.5 Inch IN Diameter... Thunderstorm Wind Gusts To 70 Mph... And Dangerous Lightning Are Possible IN These Areas.

The Tornado Watch Area Is Approximately Along And 80 Statute Miles East And West Of A Line From 40 Miles North Of Zanesville Ohio To 35 Miles Southeast Of Knoxville Tennessee. For A Complete Depiction Of The Watch See The Associated Watch Outline Update (wous64 Kwns Wou8).

Remember... A Tornado Watch Means Conditions Are Favorable For Tornadoes And Severe Thunderstorms IN And Close To The Watch Area. Persons IN These Areas Should Be On The Lookout For Threatening Weather Conditions And Listen For Later Statements And Possible Warnings.

Other Watch Information... Continue... Ww 16... Ww 17...

Discussion... Line Of Low-Topped Convection Is Racing Eastward Across KY/Tn Ahead Of 130+ Knot Mid Level Jet Max. Despite Very Limited Instability... Extremely Strong Forcing And Wind Fields Will Promote A Risk Of Widespread Wind Damage Along Leading Edge Of Convection. Isolated And Brief Tornadoes Will Also Be Possible IN Bow/Lewp Structures Along Line.

Aviation... Tornadoes And A Few Severe Thunderstorms With Hail Surface And Aloft To 0.5 Inch. Extreme Turbulence And Surface Wind Gusts To 60 Knots. A Few Cumulonimbi With Maximum Tops To 350. Mean Storm Motion Vector 25045.

Tornado Watch Number 16 Issued...

TORNADO WATCH NUMBER 16
NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK
1140 AM EST WED FEB 11 2009
 
THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF 
 
SOUTHERN INDIANA
CENTRAL KENTUCKY
SOUTHWEST OHIO
MIDDLE TENNESSEE
 
EFFECTIVE THIS WEDNESDAY MORNING AND EVENING FROM 1140 AM UNTIL
600 PM EST.
 
TORNADOES...HAIL TO 1 INCH IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS
TO 70 MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS.
 
THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 65 STATUTE
MILES EAST AND WEST OF A LINE FROM 65 MILES NORTH NORTHEAST OF
LOUISVILLE KENTUCKY TO 65 MILES SOUTH SOUTHEAST OF NASHVILLE
TENNESSEE. FOR A COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE THE
ASSOCIATED WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE (WOUS64 KWNS WOU6).
 
REMEMBER...A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR
TORNADOES AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH
AREA. PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR
THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
 
DISCUSSION...NARROW LINE OF CONVECTION IS INTENSIFYING OVER WESTERN
KY/TN AS VIGOROUS UPPER TROUGH ROTATES INTO REGION. DESPITE VERY
WEAK INSTABILITY...THE THREAT OF LOCALLY DAMAGING WINDS WILL
INCREASE WITH TIME DUE TO DRYING ALOFT AND ENHANCED POTENTIAL FOR
DOWNWARD TRANSFER OF MOMENTUM. LOW AND MID LEVEL VERTICAL SHEAR
PROFILES WILL ALSO BE FAVORABLE FOR BOW/LEWP STRUCTURES ALONG THE
LINE AND AN ATTENDANT RISK OF ISOLATED TORNADOES.
 
AVIATION...TORNADOES AND A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL
SURFACE AND ALOFT TO 1 INCH. EXTREME TURBULENCE AND SURFACE WIND
GUSTS TO 60 KNOTS. A FEW CUMULONIMBI WITH MAXIMUM TOPS TO 350.
MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25040.

Ohio Hazardous Weather Outlook for Today...

Ohio will be under a slight risk for severe storms today , this includes a 5% risk
for tornadoes, please keep a radio to television near you and keep it tuned to a
news source. 

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH
317 AM EST WED FEB 11 2009

OHZ003-006>014-089-PAZ001>003-120830-
LUCAS-WOOD-OTTAWA-SANDUSKY-ERIE OH-LORAIN-CUYAHOGA-LAKE-GEAUGA-
ASHTABULA INLAND-ASHTABULA LAKESHORE-NORTHERN ERIE-SOUTHERN ERIE-
CRAWFORD PA-
317 AM EST WED FEB 11 2009

FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT...
HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM EST
THURSDAY...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH CENTRAL
OHIO...NORTHEAST OHIO...NORTHWEST OHIO AND NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA.

DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

 FLOOD WATCH.
 HIGH WIND WARNING.

DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

 HIGH WIND WARNING.

SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON OR EVENING IF
STORMS BECOME SEVERE.

High Wind Warning for Ohio...

HIGH WIND WATCH IN EFFECT FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING
THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING
Urgent - Weather Message National Weather Service Cleveland OH 310 PM EST Tue Feb 10 2009

Lucas-Wood-Ottawa-Sandusky-Erie OH-Lorain-Cuyahoga-Lake-Geauga- Ashtabula Inland-Hancock-Seneca-Huron-Medina-Summit-Portage- Trumbull-Wyandot-Crawford-Richland-Ashland-Wayne-Stark-Mahoning- Marion-Morrow-Holmes-Knox-Ashtabula Lakeshore-Northern Erie- Southern Erie-Crawford PA- Including The Cities Of, Toledo, Bowling Green, Port Clinton, Fremont, Sandusky, Lorain, Cleveland, Mentor, Chardon, Jefferson, Findlay, Tiffin, Norwalk, Medina, Akron, Ravenna, Warren, Upper Sandusky, Carey, Bucyrus, Mansfield, Ashland, Wooster, Canton, Youngstown, Marion, Mount Gilead, Millersburg, Mount Vernon, Ashtabula, Erie, Edinboro, Meadville 310 PM EST Tue Feb 10 2009

High Wind Watch In Effect From Wednesday Evening Through Thursday Morning,

The National Weather Service In Cleveland Has Issued A High Wind Watch, Which Is In Effect From Wednesday Evening Through Thursday Morning.

Low Pressure Over The Southern Plains Early Wednesday, Will Strengthen As It Moves Northeast To Lower Michigan Wednesday Evening. As The Low Moves Northeast A Cold Front Will Move East Across The Area Wednesday Evening. Strong Gusty Winds Of 50 To 60 Mph May Occur With The Passage Of The Front Wednesday Evening, And Behind It Wednesday Night As Colder Air Moves In.

A High Wind Watch Means That The Potential Exists For Strong Damaging Winds To Develop. These Strong Winds Could Bring Down Trees And Power Lines As Well As Cause Property Damage. If A High Wind Warning Is Issued, Stay Inside, And Away From Windows. Be Prepared For Trees Blocking Roadways And Power Outages. Stay Tuned To Weather Radio Or The Other Radio And Tv Stations For Further Details Or Updates.

Forecast for Northwest Ohio Today...

Today: Partly sunny, with a high near 60. Breezy, with a south wind between 16 and 20 mph.

Tonight: A chance of showers after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 48. South wind between 11 and 17 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Storms on the Way, Looks Like a Hurricane on Radar...

Click on the map for a larger image.

Here in Ohio we will get some storms tonight but they are supposed to clear out by noon tomorrow and leave us with temps near 60. The thing I find really cool is the national radar image that shows the approaching storm which looks kinda like an empty hurricane. The storm will have four corners of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana under a moderate risk for severe storms tomorrow, moving into the Ohio area on Wednesday, check back for more info.

Another Week of Warmer Temps, Goodbye Snow...

Overnight: A slight chance of rain showers before 3am, then a chance of sprinkles and flurries. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 34. West wind between 14 and 16 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Sunday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 36. West wind between 6 and 10 mph.

Sunday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 26. West wind around 5 mph becoming calm.

Monday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 47. Calm wind becoming east between 5 and 8 mph.

Monday Night: Rain likely, mainly after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37. South wind between 7 and 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.

Tuesday: A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 54. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Tuesday Night: A chance of rain. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 39. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Wednesday: Rain likely. Cloudy, with a high near 52. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Wednesday Night: Showers likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 35. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Thursday: A chance of rain and snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 37. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Thursday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 24.

Friday: Partly sunny, with a high near 38.

Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 23.

Saturday: A chance of snow. Cloudy, with a high near 31. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Warming Trend Coming, Good Riddance Snow...

It looks like we might have a well earned spring thaw the next few days. Maybe the Robin I got a photo of last week was truly a sign of Spring.

Friday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 37. SW wind between 8 and 10 mph.

Friday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33.

Saturday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 48.

Saturday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Sunday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 43.

Sunday Night: Mostly cloudy, with a low around 30.

Monday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 43.

Monday Night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 33. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Tuesday: A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 48. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

My Apple MacBook Lives...

The other day my MacBook locked up and so I attempted many times to re-start the thing and it decided it did not like something, and would not re-boot and flashed me the big old ? mark. There was not much I could do, so I took it to the Apple store in Westlake today and had one of the "Genius'" look at it. He hooked his diagnostic hard drive to it, and within 15 minutes, it was up and running. As far as I am concerned, he earned every bit of his title today. They also offered to fix the cracked case for the same price if I left it there. When I get it back in a couple of days, it should be almost like brand new. I also got the latest OS for it and a few new programs, can't wait to get it back! It has been a couple of long days without it this weekend!