It's Blooming Time...And Then It's Not

Spring is beautiful. There's no denying it. It's beautiful outside in the spring. My only issue is the pollen that's bursting from almost every possible plant is trying to do me in. I've lived with it for over five decades, but on a night like tonight, the pollen's winning. I just have to ride it out.

The trouble with all the beauty, all the blossoms and blooms out there, is if you live in an area like ours, there's bound to be spring storms, sometimes they get down right harsh. In the past couple of weeks we've had thunderstorms, winds, rain, and even a skiff of snow this morning. Those delicate little blossoms just can't withstand the forces of nature.

Every year I hope they were around long enough to do the job for which they were created so the circle of life can go on.

There's a new shopping center where we live--I guess it's been around for several years now. They planted a lot of trees and they were in full bloom. It was a sight. I happened to drive through there during a wind storm. I tried videotaping it because it looked so cool having all those blossoms flying around. The video didn't catch the coolness.

We'll have to wait another eleven months or so to see the blossoms again. And they won't last long. Better photograph them when you have the chance.

This Is An Emergency Alert...Or Not

I saw a post on social media yesterday afternoon and I thought someone had made a mistake, or the post was old. Last Friday we were told storms would be rolling into the valley on Friday and Saturday. We did get the storm, but Sunday looked pretty good. So when I saw the post about severe weather heading our way, I thought it was for the night before.

Then I heard a buzzing sound coming from the TV and interrupting a somewhat important soccer match. The screen went dark and the warning came up. 

"The following is a message from the Emergency Broadcast System."

Bad weather was on its way. Based on the message we were about thirty minutes out from severe weather that had already affected several counties. I went outside and snapped a picture of the oncoming event.

Turns out, we didn't experience any severe weather, or even mild weather. For us the storm didn't materialize as expected. The mass message could have bypassed us (much like many of the soccer passes...) and we would not have had to concern ourselves with the potential threat.

I'm not dismissing the system here. I remember living in Colorado on the edge of the plains. In the spring and summer there were almost daily tornado warnings because the broadcast area where we were extended all the way to Nebraska. I know the value of having such a system in place. We were just one of the lucky ones last night.

You know, they really should engage that system when temperatures reach above 100˚ fahrenheit. Because to me, that's severe weather. Maybe I'll make that suggestion.

A Grey-Colored Sky...

My father built a house that was ahead of its time. A lot of houses built in the 1960s and early 1970s had small windows. It makes a difference if you're dealing with glass that's not energy efficient. But my dad designed his house with these huge windows facing west. And since he built his house on a hillside, the view to the west was pretty spectacular.

We were fortunate enough to build on that same hillside. We have a wall of windows as well, but ours face southwest, not due west. You see, since my father never lived to see his house completed, he didn't get a chance to watch as technology improved upon building materials. His house, in the summer was so so hot, and freezing in the winter. Sure, the view was great, but it came at a price. Spring and fall were perfect. 

So I've grown up spoiled with our western view, and last night we were given a treat. We watched as a spring storm rolled in the valley and up to our house. It was beautiful. I know the pictures don't do it justice, but here's a little of what we saw.

This storm didn't cause as much damage as the one that blew in a few days previous. I know so many people who hate rain and stormy weather. I can understand their feeling, but I think they do themselves a disservice if they don't step back and look at just how beautiful it can be.