Saturday, March 26, 2011

For the Love of Storms

For some reason, I'm a day off this week. Thus, I didn't remember that today was my blog day until just now. But what's going on outside at the moment gave me the perfect topic -- storms.

As long as people are not injured and property not destroyed, I love thunderstorms. I like the rumble of the thunder, the sound of the rain on the roof, and witnessing the awesome power of nature. Man has been able to harness a lot of things, but weather will always be a force beyond us. We might harness wind and water, but there's no stopping a thunderstorm as it barrels its way through.

When I was growing up, we lived in a house that had a tin roof. That made the rain a lot louder, sometimes so loud it was difficult to talk and be heard. I used to love sitting on the front porch and listening to the rain on that roof and smelling the fresh air that accompanied a storm. Still, one of my favorite smells is a forest after a rain.

I have another confession -- though I know they are dangerous, I am fascinated by tornadoes. Now, if I were ever to see a funnel cloud in person, I might quickly lose that fascination. I've on occasion made the interior bathroom ready for diving in should a tornado drop down on my house, and still I'm fascinated. Again, it's that awesome power of nature thing. I'm intrigued by the people who are storm chasers, the ones who willingly put themselves in harm's way. Same goes for the people who fly the hurricane hunter planes. I'm not made of that stern of stuff, but it's so interesting to me that some people are. If I let myself, I could spend a lot of time watching those weather chaser shows on The Weather Channel.

What about you? Do you enjoy storms? Ever been in a tornado? Fascinated by weather chasers?

Thursday, March 24, 2011

It's an...egg?

It must be spring! The Hornby Island bald eagles are back with some happy news. Mom laid an egg the night before last, the happy parents are now taking turns incubating the egg, and web cam watchers all over the world are eagerly awaiting the hatch, and keeping fingers crossed for a second egg.


When you visit the web cam site, be sure scroll down and check the Egg Timer for the approximate hatch time.

The Hornby Eagles also have a Facebook page where you'll find photos and updates.

Happy eagle watching!

Until next time,
Lee
http://www.leemckenzie.com/