Weather

I've always loved the saying...


Whether the weather is hot or whether the weather is cold, we'll weather the weather, no matter the weather, whether we'd like to or not.


I love it for several reasons. One is, it's true. Another is, it's hard to say after two or three tries in a row. I know that's an odd reason for liking it, but that's me....odd.


I didn't really lie when I said I'd start blogging again. I'm just not blogging on a regular basis again...yet. I'm working on it though.


On that note, I thought I'd share some weather pictures I've taken lately. I hope you like them. I'll see you again as soon as the weather permits ;)

Oh my aching head

The skies have been yellow here recently. Along with the car, the bbq pit, the dog, the grandchildren...basically everything that is outside. It's pollen and it's everywhere. 

I was reading a story that's headline was Achoo! Pollen at its worst in years in many areas. Yes it is.

I was shaking my head in agreement as I read along. Finding myself seeing our yard in the descriptions they gave. Finding myself seeing my head, nose and throat in those descriptions too. It's pretty bad. 

Here's part of the story from Yahoo News:

The words "pollen" and "allergy" are among the top 10 trending topics on Twitter in several U.S. cities. Everywhere, it seems, is covered in a fine yellow dust that irritates our lives. Experts say it's the worst they've seen in years in many areas.

"It's wicked bad this year," said Dr. Mona Mangat, an allergy specialist in St. Petersburg, Fla., who can't recall a worse year in the six she's worked there. "We're just overwhelmed with patients right now. We're double- and triple-booked with new patients, trying to work people in because we know how much people are suffering."

This year is especially bad in the Southeast, weather experts say, likely due to winter's unseasonably cold weather.

"That may have helped delay some of the plants from blooming as early as they may have wanted to," said John Feerick, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather. "It's the fact that everything is coming out all at once."

Do you see the words I made bold? ESPECIALLY BAD IN THE SOUTHEAST. You don't have to tell me that. We live in Georgia. That's on the Southeast coast just in case you didn't know that. 

I went to pollen.com for an allergy forecast to see how much longer it's going to be like this. This is what I found when I clicked on Georgia and then entered our zip code:

 

Lovely. I guess I better buy some more Benedryl.

Scary weather..

I realize that a lot of news lately has been about the weather. I also realize that I haven't been talking about it. At all. That's because I'm scared of it. 


Have you ever read a scary book and put it down when you got scared or watched a scary movie and hid your eyes during the scariest parts? That's kind of how I feel about all these weather related disasters/natural disasters lately. And by lately I mean over the last few years.

I guess my weather fears started several years ago when I lived in Oklahoma and had to deal with tornadoes. And then ice storms. They weren't fun at all. Thinking about those times makes my mind wander to Hurricane Katrina and then Ike (which we rode out in a mobile home). 

Now there are earthquakes that are wiping out countries and spawning tsunamis. If that doesn't scare you then something is wrong. Or maybe something is just wrong with me. I'm scared half to death.

So if you've been wondering why I've been avoiding the subject of Haiti or Chile, that's the reason. I'm scared. 

My prayers go out to all the people affected by the recent disasters and I'm so sorry for them and wish I could help in some way. I really do. 

This is probably the most I'm going to say about these things because.....you got it....I'm scared. Stay safe everyone. I'm going to look at the snow some more. Since it decided to snow here yesterday. Here in Georgia. Because the weather is whacked everywhere. Have I mentioned? Scary.

How badly would you like it to rain?

How's the weather in your part of the world? I know where we just moved from in South Texas it hasn't rained in a little over 2 months. We were under a burn ban and didn't even get to shoot fireworks on the 4th of July. I thought we had it pretty bad until I read a story this morning...

In Patna, India they are having the worst start of their monsoon season in eight decades. Farmers there are so desperate for rain that they've decided to combat it in a very unusual (at least to me) way: by having their unmarried daughters plow their fields naked while chanting ancient hymns. They believe that this will embarrass the weather gods into sending rain. I'm not kidding.

Upendra Kumar, a village council official, said "They (villagers) believe their acts would get the weather gods badly embarrassed, who in turn would ensure bumper crops by sending rains. This is the most trusted social custom in the area and the villagers have vowed to continue this practice until it rains very heavily."

I don't know about you but that would be one time that I'd be very happy to be married. (Of course I'm always happy to be married but you know what I mean :-D) The only upside I can see is that they wait until after sunset to start. To me that's just crazy but then I stop and think about it and I remember that Native Americans do rain dances so maybe it's not so different. Except they're not dancing. And they're naked. Hopefully they'll get rain soon and those poor girls can put some clothes on!

Deep freeze can lead to serious issues

The bitter cold that is sweeping across the North and Mideast sections of the country can be very dangerous. Frostbite and hypothermia are real dangers that can be life threatening.

Frostbite can occur in 15 minutes or less. It causes a loss of feeling in your extremities (fingers, toes, ears, nose) and can lead to the loss of limbs. The affected area appears white or pale, sometimes even gray. When the temperature is at or below zero, your blood vessels that are closest to the skin constrict causing the blood flow to dramatically slow in these areas and the tissue freezes.

Hypothermia develops when your body temperature drops below 95 degrees. There are three stages to hypothermia. In the first stage your hands become numb, you experience mild to strong shivering and your breathing becomes quick and shallow. In the second stage, shivering becomes stronger, your muscles no longer cooperate with what you want them to do and your skin turns pale. And in the third and final stage, your body shuts down. Shivering usually stops, thinking is impaired and your muscle coordination is gone. You have noticeable trouble walking or performing simple tasks (such as picking up and holding a cup). Death will occur if medical help is not obtained.

If you or someone you love are experiencing any of the above signs, seek medical attention immediately. In these extreme temperatures that our country is experiencing numerous issues can develop quickly.

Helpful links:

National Weather Service's Warnings

The CDC's article Extreme Cold: A Prevention Guide to Promote Your Personal Health and Safety

Government agencies that can help