Scattelogical ramblings and desultory humor - Frostfree?

Have to eat crow here.
I have ranted about bad treatment from B&D Lilies, but just recieved a surprise box of trumpets and DL's to replace the order's lost last fall.
I amended my rant in Garden Watchdog.too.
Not too proud to eat crow.

(I hope you plucked it first!)

ge1836. I hope you enjoy the lilies. They are so beautiful and sturdy too. After years and years they still come up and check things out.

The way I got into the bird study is the "banding station" is just a little shed, with no electricity. My DH teaches electrical engineering, and got a grant to put up solar panels on the shed to supply enough electricity to run some lights, maybe a heater and a laptop.
I went with him one day when they were deciding what exactly to install, went back when they had a class in session, and now I'll start in the Fall. It is only for 5 weeks, 2 days a week, 4 hours each day.
DH was also considering a windmill, but for the safety of the birds they went with the solar panel.

Celeste and Sharon - I think the thunder storms are becoming more violent in the last couple of years, so you are probably wise to run for cover. The older I get, the more cautious in general I become. Maybe I'll start going under the bed too! LOL

Deb - I think your bird banding class sounds terrific. After you take the class will you then be trying to band the ones that come into your yard?

^_^

Severe thunder storms.

Unplug your computer. One zap and its fried. Sometimes even through a surge protector.

Don't take a bath during an electrical storm and don't talk on the telephone when you are in the bathtub.

Dont talk on the telephone during a thunderstorm.

Dead people have resulted from all of these practices.

Also, don't go out in a boat on a lake during a thunderstorm.

Gloria..you read my mind!!

Gulp - I think I've done all of the above in my younger and more stupid days. But not lately! The Lake I was out on was Lake Okeechobee in Fla......big mistake....I've never been so scared, so wet or so cold! It really made an impression on me.

the lake I went out on in a thunderstorm was in NE mississippi, don't know the name. But one of the other boats was struck and one of the men in it was killed. You get a lot smarter when you see that happen.

There is a guy here in Greensboro who worked for the electrical company. For some reason he was up on a transformer when he was struck. He lost both arms but he is still alive. It was interesting, romantically. His family divorced him, but he got married again to a single mom with a little girl.

nice to hear, Gloria!

Louise, not in my back yard, just for the class. Not even sure if this is a licensing class, and if I could do it on my own. I'm interested in the long range study, so I hope to stay involved for a while.

I love to watch thunderstorms, but don't like to be caught in them.

Gloria, at least there is a happy ending!

They must have been 'attracted' to each other...

This message was edited May 19, 2008 9:54 PM

My sister's sister-in-law has been struck by lightning twice. I received a new catalog today that sells a device that detects lightning up to 40 miles away and lets you know if it's headed in your direction. I'm going to tell my sis to buy it for her.

I remember being a kid and going into the car beause the rubber tires would ground you. Not so sure that has been proved true. But I always loved the light show. Still do.It is only in the past few years and in the middle of the night that I actually get a little paranoid bout the storms. And Casey(a dog) might bring that paranoia on when she's doing a tap dance on my head. I have also concluded that in her case it is not the thunder that drives her over the edge, it is the lightening. Odd. It's usually the sound (thunder) that the dogs don't like.Does everbody remember the one thousand AND one One thousand AND two...oooh nooo it's right over you !

Actually, the tires insulate you from ground - you don't want to be grounded! You should never get out of the car with lightning around. Jen, don't stand too close to her! Lightning strikes do odd things to survivors. Some are in pain for the rest of their lives. Others, who have suffered from chronic pain, get 'cured'!

When it strikes close to you it sucks the air out around you and makes the hair on your body stand up.

It turns the oxygen to ozone.

O2 > O3

Last year DH a guy and I was talking and it struck like 50 feet from us. Myself and the guy saw it. It came from nowhere. No grass grew under my feet, I got in the car.

Makes the greens greener and the tomatoes have giant growth spurts.

Maypop is on the side of a mountain. We have some real doozy light shows there. I had not considered an under the bed solution Sharran. Might need to join the dust bunnies next storm.
L

I like watching T-storms, but from a very safe location!
If one is approaching, though, my favorite thing to do is to go to the back yard and look up at all the swirling clouds. When the storm gets closer - I am indoors!

In Alabama a severe thunderstorm can very quickly turn into a tornado warning/watch. That is an 'under the bed' condition, if your bed is on the lowest floor and in an interior room.

I am glad to live in the NE. We rarely deal with extreme, deadly weather. Tornadoes are rare. Direct hits by hurricanes are rare. Large earthquakes are rare, though predicted to be possibility. We rarely see 100 degrees or sub-zero. And we get the fall colors! I'll take it. The one downside - hard to afford when you retire.

its cheap to live in Alabama as a retiree, but the crime against retirees makes you wonder some times if its worth it. And I miss the fall colors also. Its one thing no matter where you go, its something you get homesick for. I remember in California transplants from the north would plant a pistachio for token fall color!

Okaaay....we've been issued a weather warning for the afternoon and evening. Severe thunderstorms with winds 20-30 miles an hour. Now where the heck did I put those ruby slippers? This really is getting ridiculous.

Hey, well you won't have to worry about your chimmly! ...guess that's not funny. I'll send you the ruby slippers right away. Good luck.

I'm in Atlanta now Harper. There are two more chimmlys to worry about here.

Lightning releases more nitrogen into the air (supposedly - might be an old wives tale), hence the growth spurt on plants.

It released the wraths of furry and a lot of it.

I love the way everything instantly greens up. It's especially noticeable in the veggie garden. Yes, not an old wives tale. Guess some of the benefit is negated by the onslaught of slugs and snails.

Now if we could just get lightning to strike slugs and snails . . .

:) Yank. Now they're announcing severe hail warnings. Maybe the hail will take care of the slugs and snails. Hope it takes out a few squirrels too.

L

I enjoy the squirrels but guess it's not PC to say it.

They have been plotting to overthrow the garden for years. Done it a few times too. Even stolen seed packs left out overnight and scattered seed all over the place. I do give them points for creativity though. One year, when we had not been to Maypop in a while, one made a nest and had a litter on my pillow. Now that's really over the line.

L

Sounds like a smart squirrel to me.

Is that part of the "wraths of furry" that Sherrie mentioned above?

If i found a bunch of baby squirrels in my pillow, I would sure let them have it. they would never make it past my dog sentries though.

Yes, but it's the Irish lace I'm still trying to "blue".

Gloria...I have one Plott hound, one lavatory retriever, one three legged chicken house thief and a canine version of a power auger. Now he's done in the spa cover. Boy do they not earn their keep. Well maybe the Plotthound. Here's a blurry version of her climbing a tree to bond with a squirrel. She does mean business.

Laurel