A little SNOW country #humor

| January 22, 2017

Really just a filler post since we were in snow country this weekend for my mother-in-laws funeral. The “more realistic than we care to admit” chart is just a bit of humor that will likely have you nodding your head no matter where you live. Winter weather reactions definitely differs depending where you are located.

Quick snowfall test video from Panasonic Lumix GX8

| January 5, 2017

A little snow arrived today (maybe 2-3″), so while waiting for the follow-up call on our new furnaces in the afternoon, I shot a 10 second video and encoded with Handbrake to cellphone size for web streaming. Quality is still decent, but not the HD video that the Lumix GX8 is capable of.  

Scavenger from one furnace to keep another furnace going

| December 20, 2016

A chill is in the air, but likely that has more to do with our 21 year old 80,000 BTU furnace acting up. We have three furnaces so I’m hoping it is the "pressure switch" once again; it does seem to be the weak links on modern high-efficiency furnaces (or could be all furnaces for […]

The snow is starting … says the Raspberry Pi GarageCam

| December 13, 2016

Morning … Afternoon…

Weather wise, October weekends do not get much better

| October 30, 2016

What a great autumn weekend in Cincinnati. We had a gorgeous sky last night although the panorama photo mode on my "aging" iPhone 5s doesn’t do it justice.   Saturday was spend enjoying the outdoors as besides mowing the backyard, I "chipped away" at my wood pile by splitting and ended up cutting a few […]

What was Hurricame Matthew coming ashore like?

| October 8, 2016

Watching Hurricane Matthew and Cleveland Indians

| October 7, 2016

Hurricane Matthew is blasting up Florida’s Atlantic coast at this early morning moment. I’ve been back and forth between baseball and the Weather Channel which spent much of the night broadcasting from all places, Fort Pierce, FL. I exchanged text messages at midnight with our friends riding out the storm there and will stay up […]

Hurricane Matthew projections are not good for Encore

| October 5, 2016

Perhaps I’m being a bit to self-focused in worrying about “just a sailboat” when millions of lives are going to be impacted by Hurricane Matthew? I think it is time for the final preparation … pray for safety for those in the path of this storm (and Encore). EDIT: A buddy of mine was asking […]

Hurricanes Matthew prep a priority for Florida and Encore

| October 4, 2016

The Category 4 Hurricane Matthew is wreaking havoc on Haiti with 145 mph wind and up to 40 inches of rain, I’m keeping a close eye on new projections that put this powerful storm way too close to Encore.   Thankfully my good friend Mark called me last night and offered to add a couple of […]

Keeping a close eye on Hurricane Matthew – 10/02/2016 1

| October 2, 2016

Jamaica prepares for the strongest Atlantic hurricane since 2007

| October 1, 2016

Hurricane Matthew grew into a powerful Category 5 storm late Friday building strength as it crossed the Caribbean Sea and heading north. Jamaica is preparing to get the brunt of a projected landfall on Monday but the first effects will be felt as early as Saturday. The U.S. National Hurricane Center has described Matthew as […]

Ominous skies as storm roll through

| August 29, 2016

It is not all that unusual to have storms roll though on hot summer afternoon/evenings, but the dark skies with wind and lightning keeps me attentive to the weather after recent damage in Indiana as well as Ohio (or a Lightening Bolt Killing 323 Reindeer in Norway!) We had a hot weekend with temperatures in the […]

Keeping an eye on tropical disturbances

| August 22, 2016

As Looney Tunes Sylvester the cat would say, "sufferin’ succotash"

| July 24, 2016

It is a hot one all over the Midwestern United States this weekend … and here in Cincinnati, we’re roasting with the best of them … although I’m doing a pretty good job of staying cool.

Video: Heavy rains in Australia wash away a marina

| June 7, 2016

This makes me a sick to my stomach as I’m thinking about our Encore sitting in a marina as hurricane and tropical storm season move closer to peak months.

A preview of Tropical Things to come?

| May 23, 2016

Some of us are paying attention to the beginning of Hurricane Season … as are the folks who live in Florida. It is suppose to be a bit more active this year, I’m just hoping the weather experts are wrong. The official start of the 2016 hurricane season is June 1, but the atmosphere is […]

Busy week, a little catch-up and weather

| May 12, 2016

Short on blog posting time after a bit of travel this past week, so just a spring weather photo while driving Ohio highways. Thankfully we have avoided most of the damaging storms hitting the midwest. Heavy rains, dark skies and a bit of lightening has been the norm … I really need to get the […]

Spring weather is fickle — cold and snow or sunny and warm

| April 17, 2016

What a difference a week can make come April here in Cincinnati. Last Saturday we woke up to snow (backyard photo below) and this weekend after cutting grass Friday night has the grass green and tulips blooming yesterday morning.  Instead of shoveling snow that means yardwork and time to think about spring cleanup. Also wanted […]

Mt Washington New Hampshire -231 mph record wind in 1934

| April 12, 2016

Did you know that "on this day" in 1934 in a small weather station (chained to the ground) atop of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire measured record setting winds speeds of 231 mph? Wow! That record held until Cyclone Olivia was recorded at 253 mph wind gusts on Barrow Island in Australia in 1996. I’m […]

Catch up post: Evening thunderstorms aboard Encore

| April 2, 2016

We had a few wicked thunderstorms last week while in Florida and enjoyed watching this one “from a distance” in the cockpit of Encore (also a very short clip of Katelyn and Drew heading off to explore distant shores in the Zodiac – below the break).   —

Lost a few shingles due to high winds and a new roof

| February 25, 2016

With the early springtime weather we have been having this February, and a new roof towards the end of last year, we lost a few shingles.  It isn’t really a surprise since asphalt shingle need some hot sunny days in order to flex into position and tack themselves to each other. The recent winds came […]

First nasty winter drive of 2016 was not too bad

| January 14, 2016

This weeks trip back and forth from SW Ohio to NE Ohio was the first with slippery road and winter snow in 2016. There are sure to be a few more winter days this year, but glad to already be into mid-January. This drive was also the first winter driving for the BMW X5 35d. […]

Cincinnati is not going to see a White Christmas for 2015

| December 20, 2015

The warm weather has fooled this Lilac branch

| December 12, 2015

As I was getting the paper this morning … in a tee-shirt in December … I noticed one branch of our struggling Lilac was confused as to the season. Hard to believe we’re getting ready for Christmas when temperatures are in the 60s.

Are you looking forward to a 2016 winter?

| December 9, 2015

For the most part this is really all about testing the latest updates to the new Digital Ocean micro cloud server while attempting to run WordPress 4.4. I’m also using an alternate server for image hosting so that I can continue to post with the long in the tooth and no longer updated Microsoft LiveWriter […]

Sorting through old business files this autumn evening

| October 27, 2015

Great memories of busy days logging the register cash deposits from the walk-in trade back in my Cuyahoga Falls office. It seems like a lifetime ago … and yes, I do kind of miss it. Keeping the business growing was challenging as the digital age matured, but those early days gave me a sense of […]

Hurricane Patricia at category 5 will be devastating

| October 23, 2015

Hurricane Patricia is well above the category 5 level on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane scale with maximum winds of 185 MPH. It cannot be overstated how much danger this storm poses to communities on Mexico’s west coast, including Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, and the numerous small towns between the two. At its current speed, it is not only […]

The U.S. eastern seaboard keeps a leery eye on Joaquin

| October 2, 2015

Projection are currently up and down the east coast of the United States (and offshore) for Hurricane Joaquin’s path, but most models have it turning north and gaining speed. As of posting this on October 1st, the storm is a category 4 and pounding the Bahamas with rain. It is moving slow and expected to […]

A day with doctors and shoulder surgery follow-up

| September 29, 2015

It was the first day of rain and ugly weather that we’ve had here in Cincinnati for a while as we have had a near perfect end to summer and beginning of fall … so, it was not all that bad of a day for doctor appointments. First, I had my annual physical knowing that […]

The weather in Cincinnati this past weekend was spectacular

| September 21, 2015

It was a beautiful late summer (barely) weekend to hang out around home. Brenda continued her rehab exercises while planning a mid-October return to work, while I enjoyed working around the yard. We both took one more swim in the pool for 2015, watched the Bengals win and enjoyed a gorgeous Sunday evening with a […]

What are the odds of my boat getting hit by lightning?

| August 31, 2015

Archiving an educational post on lightning and boating. Although there may not be one perfect way to protect yourself or your boat when thunderstorms appear, putting the odds in your favor does make sense. According to Boat U.S. “The feature reports that in any one year the odds of your boat being struck by lightning […]

Cautious mariners use the Danger Rule when watching Erika

| August 28, 2015

Most people watching tropical weather are focused on the eye of the storm … for good reason, but as a sail enthusiast, I tend to refer to the Mariner 1-2-3 rule when watching storm. This Danger Rule or Area applies the 34-knots of wind criteria as a way to keep boaters out of the worst […]

What’s the probability of a little wind in Florida from Erika?

| August 27, 2015

Looks probable. Should have removed the Bimini on Encore this summer … thankfully the sails are down and stowed safely away. Lines are doubled, but no longer as new and stretchy as they once were. Hm … as my buddy Mark would say, “that why we pay for insurance.”

This Delta plane gets struck by lightning

| August 26, 2015

A passenger who was waiting for a storm to pass to board his flight caught the exact moment when a lightning bolt struck a Delta airliner. Source: Watch this Delta airliner get struck by a lightning bolt!

Tropical Storm Erika is poised to grow by this weekend

| August 26, 2015

It is the time of year when the tropical weather in the Atlantic tracks across the Caribbean Sea and Leeward Islands. These tropical storms can grow into hurricanes and blast the US east coast or continue on into the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The previous tropical storm turn hurricane for a very […]

Tropical Storm Danny is in no hurry to head west

| August 20, 2015

Those watching the Atlantic and Caribbean this time of year are keeping their eye on Tropical Storm Danny as it slowly spins towards the Leeward Islands. So far the hurricane season in the Atlantic has been gentle … but that’s not necessarily true for those in the Pacific. I’ll be keeping my eye on tropical […]

A pre official hurricane season storm would be named Ana

| May 6, 2015

I usually don’t start monitoring the Atlantic hurricane season until it “officially begins June 1,” but this year there is a early “sub-tropical” depression ignoring the calendar. There’s a 40 percent chance the Atlantic may churn out the season’s first storm along the U.S. East Coast by May 10, according to the National Hurricane Center […]

SpaceX Dragon CRS-6 launch postponed due to weather

| April 13, 2015

It was interesting while it lasted … the launch of the SpaceX Dragon CRS-6 Falcon9 was scrubbed this afternoon and scheduled for tomorrow, April 14 at 4:10PM; weather could be a problem again. My daughter Katelyn and her husband Drew were at Kennedy Space Center (photo below) to watch it on their 2nd wedding anniversary […]

Impressive sky after the thunderstorms passes tonight

| April 8, 2015

The spring thunderstorms are right on time now that we’re into April and decided to give the new LIVE broadcasting app called Periscope a try. Unfortunately capturing lightning on an iPhone is not as easy as one would think. Below is a file save from the short live broadcast stream.

No swimming in the pool yet as there is still snow in the forecast

| March 20, 2015

One of our resident and noisy Mallard ducks woke me up early this morning. He thinks it is time for us to uncover the pool so he can take his partner for a swim as in years past (Link one and two). It’s still early since snow is still being seen across our latitude.

Tropical Cyclone Pam devastates the Vanuatu

| March 14, 2015

The official death toll for Cyclone Pam stands at eight – but up to 44 are thought to be dead after the super storm ripped through several South Pacific island nations. The category 5 storm struck Vanuatu and has caused damage in Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, Fiji, and New Caledonia. Aid officials say the storm is […]

March marched in like a lion with weather and health concerns

| March 7, 2015

A catch up post since hear in Cincinnati we have had a much snowier February and early March than usual … although a change is coming, so I hear? Sharing a few medical concerns: Activities this first week of March have revolved around medical care for a few in my family. Most pressing concerns are […]

Clearing snow again and again this February weekend

| February 22, 2015

  As predicted, we pick up our share of snow in the Cincinnati area on Saturday. I was hoping to make it through the winter without having to put the chains and snowblower on the old John Deere, but realized Friday night that it was not to be. Thankfully all operated as it was suppose […]

Music and weather: Dave Loggins 1974 – Please Come to Boston

| February 20, 2015

This content is restricted.

An update on my dad and checking the weather

| February 16, 2015

On a personal update, my Dad is doing a better with a bit of supervision and improved eating and sleeping habits … thanks to my brother Ron and his wife Claire. The last couple weeks instead of living alone at home, they have moved him in with them temporarily (we’ll see?) in order to get […]

Sailboats are a great place to relax, even when not sailing

| November 26, 2014

Took this photo while enjoying a warm and quiet evening relaxing in the cockpit before heading for home and back to less attractive weather, but it will soon be Thanksgiving and a time to be “thankful.”  I’ll need to keep reminding myself that when the snow starts to fly! On the positive side, having a […]

Encore weekend, LED Navigation lights and Solar Nicro Vents

| November 24, 2014

A little damp where I’m at, but at least it was far warmer than points north this past weekend. I’m sure glad not to still be closing up my mother-in-laws farmhouse in western New York … whew, just missed traveling in the “Snowvember.” One of the projects I worked on was installing new LED navigation […]

So much for cheering on global warming. Winter has arrived.

| November 17, 2014

I was hoping the global warming climate change gurus were right … and that at least those of use living in the midwest would have a little longer autumns and milder winters. Just joking, if you are planning to remind me just how serious an issue climate change is. Nevertheless, winter weather has arrived in […]

The cold weather is going to continue for mid- November 2014

| November 16, 2014

Checking the cold forecast for the week as I watch our fluffy snow coming down this afternoon deciding to either lazily settle back to watch some Sunday afternoon football … or get ambitious an go cut down the final dead tree? This one has  fallen and is precariously leaning on another tree. What to do, […]

Most of the country is feeling an early autumn deep freeze

| November 14, 2014

It’s official … the weather has turned cold in much of the country… Taylor in Williston, ND is below zero already; Katelyn and Drew in Minnesota are near the single digits (photo from Katelyn’s Juke) and here in Cincinnati I’m showing about about 19 degrees early Friday morning. I know it happens every year (2010), […]

Snow and cold in the upper midwest, but still mild in Cincinnati

| November 10, 2014

One of the highlights for parents who have “some” technological prowess is that we can stay in touch with our children no matter where they are living and working. Between instant cellphone, emails and text messages with our kids, Taylor, Katelyn and Drew, we also enjoy sharing photos and Facetime calls even for small things. […]

TechFriday: MeteoEarth website, mobile app and weather

| October 10, 2014

Sort of a timely website find if you are an amateur meteorologist or just enjoy watching and learning about weather. Check out MeteoEarth.com or their MeteroEarth smartphone app for $2.99. (explainer video) There are some pretty powerful features and the real time software offers stunning visual views of weather happenings — like the current Typhoon […]

Keeping my eye on Tropical Storm Cristobal

| August 24, 2014

It looks like all the weather models are keeping tropical storm Cristobal offshore which is both good for Encore as well as my travel plans … although those in, or going to, Bermuda may want to be prepared for some wind and rain. Testing the updated WordPress iPhone app for this post.

Highways can only handle so much rain … be careful

| August 13, 2014

Unbelievable rainfall causing flooding this morning in Long Island NY (photo above – Southern State Parkway near Exit 37 – Belmont Ave) this morning a day after watching the same thing happen in southeastern Michigan yesterday (photos below).   It is shocking to see these kinds of “highway” photos, but one can only imagine how […]

Are you prepared for a Coronal Mass Ejection – CME?

| July 25, 2014

Did you know that in July of 2012 that the earth was nearly hit by a CME (video)? According to the Nation Academy of Sciences, the cost of a large CME similar to the July 20, 2012 “storm” could cost $2 Trillion. On July 23, 2012, the sun unleashed two massive clouds of plasma that barely […]

Fires in Canada spread smoke south of the border

| July 23, 2014

Last weekend while traveling in North Dakota, we ran into the smoke from the many boreal forest fires burning in the Northwest Territories in Canada on Sunday. At first I wasn’t sure why the normally crisp clear skies were so hazy, but then Taylor told us about the smoke blowing south from the 156 currently […]

A cooler mid-July followed by a weak to moderate El Niño

| July 12, 2014

In planning our upcoming trip visiting the kids, a quick search of the weather indicated that we are in for a cooling spell which will feel good in mid-July IF it happens. I also ran across the  National Weather Service predictions for a weak-to-moderate El Niño. According to the NOAA site, “typical El Niño impacts in […]

Looks like Encore and I will be wet for a bit

| July 2, 2014

Arrived at the boat Tuesday evening after a long day of traveling … flight delays and rain squalls driving I-95 south from Orlando. All was well but wet as expected. Hopefully Tropical Storm Arthur will track a little faster and as expected taking the current 50 mph wind and rain with it. I’d like to […]

Weather watching as INVEST91L decides what it is going to do

| July 1, 2014

Packing list for this week: Repaired autopilot: ck Tool bag: ck Hurricane prep list: ck Clothes bag: ck Computer bag: ck Weather forecast – pack RAIN GEAR … Well that last one might not be going quite like I planned. So much for scheduling my trip for Encore’s hurricane prep for the first of July. […]

Tech Friday: Blitzortung.org real-time lightning detection

| June 27, 2014

Memorizing project that group-sources data from around the world and records lightning strikes. Incredibly ambitious it would seem until one realizes that much of the data is already being recorded and all that is needed is for “big data” to collect and create an interface on the web. Very interesting to watch the world and […]

Desultory - des-uhl-tawr-ee, -tohr-ee

  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
My Desultory Blog