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Beau's Journey » 2008 » July

Archive: July, 2008

July 31, 2008: Raw Talent! :)

  I have a friend in Carbondale that does media productions.  Amazing talent – well worth watching!  All of them!

http://web.mac.com/thom.8/iWeb/Site/PODCAST/PODCAST.html

 

 

July 31, 2008: Thursday! Thunderstorms!

  We were rocking and rollin overnight.  Showers and thunderstorms pushed through the region with a ton of lightning.  Woke me up for several hours.  Lot of flashes.  We picked up over 1" of rain.  Several areas received 2-4 inches.  Not bad for July.

  A MAJOR heatwave is heading our way.  The temperatures will start to rise on Friday and continue to rise into next week.  We may see 100 degrees by the beginning of the work week.  Heat index values will top 105-110.  Dangerous heat.

  Well, we had a deal on the apartments but the guy broke his verbal contract.   So we will move on from that deal and search elsewhere.  🙂

 

 

July 30, 2008: Moved!

  Well, it has been a long day.  Started a little after 6 AM and still unpacking.  Tornado watch was issued late this afternoon, so I had to rush and get everything up and running.  So far the storms have avoided this county.  TON of lightning with the cells near Cape Girardeau.  500 strikes indicated in a small area within 30 minutes.  THAT is amazing!


The new place…weather area is up and running.  Sort of!

  We have basically unpacked everything.  We did not have that much stuff to begin with.  But, we did manage to get the bedrooms set up and the living room/weather room/and so on.  Not bad for a days work!

  We are still scheduled to close next Wednesday on Ashcreek.

  We have a written offer on the apartments now.  Not sure what is going on with that subject though.  We have not heard anything back tonight.  Sooooo, waiting and waiting.  Hoping it works out though. 

  The Fancy Farm picnic is this weekend.  I am going with Junior.  Perhaps I can meet the governor.  🙂  Among others!  There are several people from emergency management that I would like to meet.  Junior knows a lot more people than I do.

  The trackstick arrived today!  I am going to try it out tomorrow.  See the post below…several days ago for more information!

  More later….

 

July 28, 2008: Moving out…

🙂  Well, when we moved back into Ashcreek, a few weeks ago, I said "this is a bad idea."  I knew that Murphy’s law would rule and the house would sell.  Course, I also said that would be a GOOD problem to have!

  Hopefully this is the last move until the farm house is built!!!!

 


Moving out

July 29, 2008: Closing date? :)

  My understanding is that we will be closing next Wednesday.  That is the current information that I have been given.  So, it sounds good. 

 

July 28, 2008: Sue has some wonderful photos on her site…

Check it out…she is amazing!!!!

http://suehenryphotography.wordpress.com/

 

July 28, 2008: MOVING! :) Offer on apartments…new archive website is up

  Finals are over!  I got an A in Applied Climate!  Very excited about the grade.  The class dealt a lot on global warming and building energy efficient houses!  TIMELY!    I am still waiting on my radar final.  Will know soon!

  We started moving today.  Moved a lot of  "plastic" containers.  I switched to plastic a few weeks ago.  SOOO much easier to move everything around and keep items safe!

  Here is the new place 🙂 – four blocks away.  FAST move.

  Ashcreek – inspection is finished with no problems.  Now we wait.  This appears to be a done deal.  Now, Sue and Jack need to sell their house.  CROSSING FINGERS and sending good thoughts their way!

  I have finished a severe weather archive site.  Exciting I know.  The website is www.convectiveoutlook.com  The site is an archive of high risk severe weather days.

  We have an offer on the apartments in Graves County.  Waiting for a phone call to see if it works out.  I am hoping we get these.  They are fairly new and they are nice.  There is enough room to build 2 more on the property.  That would be another project.  🙂  Sooooo – hoping to hear something on the apartments.

  Wagner moving is going ot move our heavy stuff (we did it last time).  I am tired of moving…so this time we will let someone else do the job.

  We are hoping to hear something on the farm this Friday.  We are waiting for the architect to finish the next stage.  Friday could be the day.  🙂  We shall see.

  HOT weather around here.  Temperatures are in the 90s with heat indexes above 100.  NOT my kind of weather.  How long until fall???  🙂  When we will get back from Rome it will nearly be fall.  I am already smiling just thinking about it.

  BUSY BUSY!!!

 

July 27, 2008: SWEET! Check this out!!!!

  My friend David found this.  I know SEVERAL people that will be interested!!!  I will use it on my trips.  This device will work ANYWHERE in the world.  Uses?  See below.

http://www.gearthstore.com/products/gps/tr…k2/details.html

The Trackstick records its own location, time, date, speed, heading and altitude at preset intervals. With over 1Mb of memory, it can store months of travel information. The Trackstick is the perfect tool for individuals looking for a way to track anything that moves. Use it for recording the exact routes you take when hiking, biking or vacationing. Record the location of everywhere you went, import pictures and other information into Google™ Earth to offer an entirely new perspective of your journey. Includes GPX photo stamping feature for adding your favorite photos to your own maps.

For a photographer, who can’t remember the name of a street or building, then this would be great. You could just look it up on Google Earth. A lot of times the newspaper office will want to know exactly where the photo was taken. This product could be used for dozens of reasons.

 

 

 

 

 

OR the deluxe version

The Super Trackstick is the perfect tool for individuals, law enforcement and government agencies looking for a way to track anything that moves. The Super Trackstick records its own location, time, date, speed, heading, altitude and temperature at preset intervals. With over 4Mb of memory, it can store months of travel information.

 

Cool gadget. For bloggers this would be a GREAT tool. If you don’t want to constantly be writing down where you are and where what photo was taken. At the end of the day you can pull up the proper spelling for streets, building names, and locations. Then, when you blog, you can just pop in your photos and follow your track…adding the exact location and information for each photo.

July 27, 2008: One final down! One house rented! Heading to Rome.

  One final down!!!!!  Radar is finished.  I think I did well…hoping for an A.  🙂  YAY!  Now one more final to go.  Applied Climate.  Hopefully I can finish it on Sunday or Monday.

  We are moving out on Wednesday.  We have rented a place on Charlotte Ann Drive.  Just a few blocks away!  The plan is to be out of here by Thursday.  We shall see.  LOT to do!!!!!

  Let’s hope the house deal closes.  We are moving either way.  Will just make everything simpler. 

  We are still trying to get these apartments in Graves County.  Not having the best of luck though.  There are six units and they would be nice to have.  They are fairly new.  The lot has room for at least 2 more units.  Perhaps we will hear something this week.  We have looked at them twice in the last year.  They have been on the market for THREE years!  Long time.

  Going out of town on August 11th and will be back on August 26th.  We are going to the Vatican.  🙂  I guess we need to talk to the pope. 

 

July 26, 2008: FINALS!!

  Oh my, is July almost over?????  🙁  Where does the time go!  🙂  ZOOM ZOOM!

  Finals start today.  I am going to try and take radar first.  Applied Climate second.  I will only be able to finish one today.  It has been a swift semester.  Summer semesters are always that way.  I am anxious to finish the finals and move on.  Unfortunately, next semester will be math.  🙂  NOT a fan!!!!  Thermodynamics is one of the classes.  That just sounds hard!

  A beautiful lightning storm rolled through McCracken County last evening.  We had over 40 lightning strikes within just a few miles of the house.  Tremendous light show and loud thunder.  Daisy enjoyed it!  Temperatures were in the 80s with dew points in the low to middle 70s.  MUGGGGY!  The rainfall came down in sheets.  Visibility was less than 1/2 miles at time.  Winds gusted to 40 mph here in Lone oak.  The clouds were dark and threatening.

  It was one of the heavier rainfalls we have received in the last few months (at least at my house).  WPSD TV 6 reported over .50" of rainfall in less than 30 minutes.  I am sure we had the same here at my house.  This was also one of the better lightning storms we have experienced so far this summer.  Vivid cloud to ground strikes. 

  A severe thunderstorm warning was issued for the southeast portion of the county.  I have not read of any storm damage. 

  We are looking at a rental house today.  It is located just a few blocks away.  Hopefully everything will work out.  We will be moving next week.  That is the plan.  Let’s hope the sale of Ashcreek goes well.  So far there is no reason to think that it won’t.  Especially now that the bank has approved the buyer.  🙂  All good.  I am sure they will love the home.  So many family memories here.  This is a great house for hosting family get togethers.  Now, we move onto the next stage of life!

 

July 25, 2008: Ashcreek…Friday

  Well, good news.  It sounds like the buyer has been approved.  One more step closer to selling. We are waiting for the inspector to call.  They are supposed to call us on Monday.  We are VERY close to selling Ashcreek.

  Looking at a house to rent tonight.

  Big storms moving into the area…will have to see if they hold together.

——–

  We looked at a house tonight.  I believe we are going to go ahead and take it.  Rental.  It is only a few blocks away!

 

 

July 25, 2008: Good news?

  Ok, sooooo we may have good news this morning.  It sounds like we may be close to a deal on Ashcreek.  We should know later today.  🙂   CROSSING ALL FINGERS, TOES, EYES, LEGS, AND ARMS!!!!

  🙂

July 25, 2008: Fun at the ice cream social…

  I attended the St. Johns Ice Cream Social up in Massac County, Illinois.  David and mother went with me.  Tyler and Danielle also road along.  We met Dione and Tommy there.  Deena couldn’t go because she had surgery today (gallbladder taken out).  I brought her some ice cream back. 

  This was David’s first ice cream social.  🙂  I guess they don’t have those in Canada.  He has also never had pork burgers to eat. 

  We saw Quinton and Lynne.  Always nice to catch up with them.  Lynne was asking me about the house (Ashcreek),  I told her the latest.  Nothing new today.  Maybe tomorrow?  Unsure.  Hoping for the best.  It is what it is! 

  Finals are coming up next week.  Fun fun!

  We are meeting a guy from St Louis at the farm tomorrow.  He is the second person we have scheduled to talk with concerning solar polar or other alternative power sources.  Should be interesting to see what he has to say.

  Tony told me that we have about another week to wait for the building plans.

  Staying about as busy as I have ever been.  All good!

  Daisy comes home tomorrow.  I have not seen her since my trip to Washington D.C.  I am anxious to see her and I bet she misses me!!!!

  I took some photos of Mariah and Ashton last week.  I need to go through all of them.  Tommy and Dione wanted a few photos of the kids.

 

 

July 24, 2008: Time keeps on ticking…

  As the saying goes!  We are in a waiting/hold pattern.  Everything from moving to (insert anything and everything) is dependent on this deal going through.  We might hear something today…I doubt it though.  We should know something by the end of the weekend though.  I HOPE.  We shall see.  What else can I say?  🙂  Maybe, could be, might be, we shall see.  🙂

  We are looking at some apartments in northern Graves County.  They have been on the market for 3 (YES THREE) years.  Long time.  Sort of scary.  Market is slow, although we have done okay during the past few months.  So, I can’t complain about the market. 

  Finals are next week.  I "NEED" to start thinking about those.  I also have one quarterly test left.  No shortage of "things to do".

  David is back down from Canada.  I think he is having a good time.  We have all joined a gym.  I already feel better!  Exercise definitely is a plus.

  I need to track down Julie.  It has been awhile since we have gone out to eat.  A LONG while!  She visited Canada a few weeks ago.  Danny went with her.  I am anxious to hear her stories.

  Hmmm…what else is going on?  The St John’s Ice Cream Social is tonight.  That will be held over in Massac County.  We are going!  Should be fun.  Weather is hot, but nice.

  We heard back from the architect.  He is going to try and have something for us by the end of next week.  We can then move forward.  We have not 100% made up our minds as to just what we are building.  We need to get some pricing first.

 

 

July 23, 2008: Ashcreek…

  So, we are having a few wrinkles in the sale – not sure if it will or won’t work out.  Hopefully everything works out.  We shall see.  The buyer seems to be excited about the property.  So, that is good news!

  We have been out looking at houses/apartments.  Hopefully we will get some good news…soon.  The contract is for 10 days.  So we shall see what happens next.

 

July 22, 2008: We now have a written contract…

  We received the written offer this morning and have signed it.  It appears that we have sold the house.  🙂  We will wait on the inspection and the formalities.  I guess we will try and move out (again lol) in 2 weeks.  I also have finals next week. 

 

July 21, 2008: Ashcreek…

  Now we have a written offer on the table.  I will be signing it this afternoon.  We shall see how it goes.  Everything looks promising at this stage.  Plenty to do!

 

 

July 20, 2008: Ashcreek…

  Well, we were going to New England, but it appears that we need to go home.  We are awaiting the written offer on Ashcreek.  We have agreed to the price.  If everything else goes well then I will be moving.  🙂  Ashcreek appears to have sold.

 

 

July 19, 2008: Offer on Ashcreek…

  We have an offer on Ashcreek.  🙂

 

 

July 19, 2008: The green light for war?

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080719/D920T4AG1.html

 

GENEVA (AP) – Tehran on Saturday ruled out freezing its enrichment program, casting doubt over the sense of key nuclear talks between Iran and six world powers less than an hour after they began.

The talks – with the U.S. in attendance for the first time – had raised expectations of possible compromise on a formula that would have had Iran agree to stop expanding its enrichment activities. In exchange, the six powers, including the five permanent United Nations Security Council members, would hold off on passing new U.N. sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

But the comments from Keyvan Imani, a member of the Iranian delegation, appeared to indicate that Tehran was not prepared to budge on enrichment – at least going into the talks.

"Suspension – there is no chance for that," he told reporters gathered in the courtyard of Geneva’s ornate City Hall, the venue of the negotiations.

July 17, 2008: Made it to Washington…

  I have arrived in Washington D.C.   David met us at the hotel.  It was a 12 hour drive.  We stopped in West Virginia last night.  Beautiful country.  Lot of hills and "mountains". 

  The weather here is hot!  It stormed right after we arrived.  Lightning and thunder…heavy rain…gusty winds!  Just my kind of weather.  🙂  I met with the "gang" from EasternUSwx around 5:30 PM.  It was pretty weird meeting people that I have talked to online for the last three years!  Everyone was nice though and it is definitely cool to put a face with a screen name. 

  The conference starts tomorrow.  Several speakers. 

Workshops: Friday, July 18, 2008
Washington A, Ballroom Level
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Wes Junker, Former Forecaster, Hydrometeorological Prediction Center

"Uncertainty and Using Ensemble Forecast Systems" — An overview of forecasting storms using ensemble forecast systems, and how the idea of uncertainty plays a role

11:00 a.m. –12:00 p.m. Joe DelliCarpini, Senior Forecaster, NWS Taunton

“National Weather Service Forecast Operations” — An overview of how the National Weather Service prepares forecasts (including the use of AWIPS, and especially GFE — the Graphical Forecast Editor)

3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Michael Ekster and Will Schwartz, Meteorologists and EasternUSWx.com Staff Members

“Winter Weather Forecasting Techniques including a BUFKIT Tutorial” — The difference between precip-type soundings, where they are most likely to be found in winter storms, and using BUFKIT to help

7:30 p.m. – Last standing

Friday Night Exhibits (learn more)

 

 

July 16, 2008: LEAVING KENTUCKY FOR WASHINGTON!

  We are heading out to the weather conference.  🙂  Car is packed, Daisy is at Joey’s mothers, gas tank is full, and I am readddddy to go!   We are leaving in 10 minutes!

  WASHINGTON HERE WE COME!!!!!!

 

 

July 15, 2008: WOOHOO!!! Countdown to WINTER begins…

  OK, it is July 15th!!!!  The countdown to winter begins.  I am already thinking snow!!!!  A few of my images from last year!!!

 

 

 

July 15, 2008: 1962 article about mother…Judy Verbarg

  My friend David found this article – 1962!  Mother was in a beauty contest at the county fair.  🙂

July 14, 2008: Mariah’s Birthday Party…

  We went out to eat last night with the family.  Mariah celebrated her 16th birthday.  Her birthday is actually tomorrow, Wednesday.  🙂  So, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIAH!  THE BIG 16!!!!  Now she can drive.  🙂

 


Mariah with her boyfriend Chayton


Danielle and Ashton

 


Restaurant…

 

 


Mariah eating her birthday ice cream 🙂

 


Ashton

 


Mariah opening gifts…Tommy and Dione got her a
laptop computer. 

 


Sparky 🙂

 

 

 

July 14, 2008: South Pole Weather :)

  I was just checking some observations and…….I WOULD TAKE IT!!!!

July 14, 2008: Moments in time…

  There are moments in time in which I take a breath, looks up at the sky, and sighs.   I look at the puffy clouds drifting towards the horizon.  I feel the warm summer wind blow through my hair.  Fireflies flicker…crickets chirp…leaves rustle.  I have arrived at a "moment".  Shared only by me and mother nature.  Where I find myself feeling so small in a world so large. 

  These moments can occur at any time.  They aren’t on accident though.  They happen when I open my eyes and look around.  They happen when I stop, put the camera down, turn the radio off, put the blackberry down, and pause.  Listening to the stillness of air.  No media.  No electronics.  No glass.  Just nature.  Just heaven and sky. 

  A oneness comes in those moments that can’t really be explained in words.  It could be…but words are so limited in scope of what I am describing.  It is the human element…emotion.  Feelings.  Just being.  A oneness with myself.

  I don’t know how many of these moments I have missed in my lifetime.  Thousands?  Tens of thousands?  I will never know.  I know I miss more of these moments than I enjoy.  I know that I are blind to more than I see.  Deaf to more than I hear.

  If I had one wish in life it would be for simplicity.  A return to that which made me laugh as a child.  Watching a shooting star and dreaming about today…not tomorrow.  Listening to raindrops hit the grass.  Feeling the rumble of thunder…rolling along the hillsides of the countryside.  Catching a firefly in a jar and letting it loose in the house.  Being one with the wind.  Breathing.  Leaning over the railroad bridge…kicking the gravel beneath my feet and watching stones tumble to the tracks below.  Hearing the train in the distance…its whistle blowing.  Smiling as the caboose approaches and waving at the man standing by the back rail.

  There will come a day when I will walk away from everything.  I will disappear into the darkness.  The blogs will go silent.  I will get in my car and drive.  I will get on a plane and go.  Leaving the madness of technology behind…stop listening to the news…stop caring about that which I can’t control.  Caring only about the moments.  The distant lightning, the meteors streaking through the sky, the rushing waters of a stream. 

  When will this happen?  I don’t know.  Somehow, I think it won’t be as long as I think.  But, for now we stay the course we are on.  🙂

 

 

 

 

 

July 13, 2008: Dione was on the History Channel!!!!

  Dione, who made a video for training "Dippin’ Dots" workers, appeared on the History Channel last week!  I think the show has aired several times, but this is the first time we have been able to watch it.  She was on the show "Modern Marvels".

  I took these photos with my camera – not the best way to capture images off tv, but 🙂

  Dione is famous now!!!!  🙂  Anyone who would like her autograph – please mail $25 with
a self addressed-stamped envelop to my house.  You can print out these photos and I will
personally make sure she signs it (or a responsible adult over the age of 18).  Please allow
up to 1 year for delivery.  Not responsible for lost, stolen, damaged, misplaced, or misspelled
names.  Cash only.  We do not mail to hotels, motels, jails, prisons, or Canada.

  Also the "Dione" fan-club will be taking applications for vice-president and secretary.  Please
enclose a $100, non-refundable, application fee with your information (references not required).
Anyone under the age of 18 may not apply. 

 


Dione Stanford on Modern Marvels!


Dione is famous now!!!!

 

July 13, 2008: Sunday…

  Well, we received some decent rainfall overnight.  It rained three different times here in Lone Oak.  The first storms rolled through yesterday afternoon.  Winds gusted to nearly 45 mph here at my house.  The trees were swaying back and forth.  Then a second storm formed right over top us later in the evening and a third line moved through around 1 AM.  SOOOO – it rained!!!  About time.  We needed moisture…my grass is turning brown.

  It is beautiful outside today.  Sun is shining and the birds are singing.  The dew points are lower as well.  I love it!

  We are celebrating Mariah’s SIXTEEN birthday today.  SIXTEEN?????  Where does time go!  We are going to eat out and then go over to Dione and Tommy’s house.

  I get four tests back today from school.  Hoping for good grades.  The teacher has already warned us that next semester is going to be difficult.  Thermodynamics.  Lovely.  Math.  🙁  🙂  Not a fan!  Need to make it through the fall semester though.  He did say we would learn a lot.  So that is the upside.

  Nothing new on the home building front.  We did sell a "lot" down in Mayfield.  This was a lot that adjoined one of the houses we built.  Now all we have is one lot left.  🙂  That and Ashcreek.  Sue needs to sell her house as well!  So crossing fingers and toes on all counts.

  Speaking of Sue – Caesar, Sue, and myself went to eat out last week.  I had a great time catching up on what Caesar is doing and listening to Sue talk "photography".  🙂  She has a new web-site with some of her photographs.  They are amazing!!!

Sue Henry Photos <—check it out!

  I need to hear from Kristy!  Kristy my phone was fried a few weeks ago and I tried to call your numbers…they didn’t work.  SO CALL ME 🙂 or EMAIL ME some new numbers!!!

  Otherwise, let me see here.  Daisy is doing great.  She is watching the "birdies" right now out on the porch.  She enjoyed watching the rain and lightning last night as well.  She likes storms.  I took her outside when it stormed, when she was a puppy, in hopes that she wouldn’t be scared of lightning and thunder.  🙂  Now if we could just get her to play in the snow.

  Not much else going on…guess that is enough.  I am heading for Washington D.C., on Wednesday.  Weather conference.  🙂

  Tommy and Dione went to Florida last week.  Danielle went with them.  Deena sent me this photo.  🙂

 

Black Friday?

  Well, one could not turn on the television today without seeing about 10 news stories that make one wonder what direction this is all heading.  With the second largest bank failure in U.S. history today…Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac going under, Lymann in serious trouble, and rumors of GM and Ford in the same boat!  Pretty amazing.  Gas in Lone Oak is now $4 a gallon.  Market fell below 11,000 today.  Rainbow and lollipops this is not.

 Americans still have 90% more than the rest of the world.  We have a lot to be thankful for.  Unfortunately what happens in this nation hurts everyone else across the globe.  Let’s hope there are better months ahead…for everyone.