MikJournal Monday 10/10/16

Good Monday morning and a rare post indeed from the most versatile weather person I know. Me. Of course, when I say versatile, I mean I can go from the most enthusiastic weather reporter to an out and out complainer/sore loser.

So, what has been up with me? Why have I forsaken weather? Why has nobody heard from me lately?

Well, instead of just writing about the weather, I have been out there actually experiencing it. Our family enjoyed a 7-day cruise to the eastern Caribbean in the Virgin Islands a few months ago. Great hiking, swimming, eating, and of course, the rum were a few of the highlights for that trip.

Just last week, we camped out at Myrtle Beach State Park and had a really good time. The campfire cooking was great, the weather was warm during the day and pleasant at night, the waves were perfect for body-boarding, travel to and from was ideal.

Fortunately for our family, we left there before conditions deteriorated, both travel and weather. It breaks my heart for the residents who had to endure the atrocities Matthew brought to them. Locally, families with loved ones in hard hit areas along the east coast were worried for their loved one's safety.

I am confident that residents and local/state officials will recover from this and the many tourists will once again enjoy the beauty and splendor of these affected areas.

Here at home, my garden produced way too much vegetables. The size of my bell peppers were the largest I have ever grown. Since I was not really prepared for such a bountiful harvest, many of my plants broke, almost split in half in some instances. Yet, despite the damage, these plants stubbornly put out more produce. Simply amazing.

It has been getting drier around here. After a brief appearance in the 'abnormally dry' category late last month, we here in north central Kentucky just may revisit that category with the next report by this Thursday, joining our fellow Kentuckians in the eastern and southeastern parts of the state, who may slip into drought status. Of course, this is all contingent on whether we see any appreciable rainfall or not.

Winter is not too far away. One of my favorite weather sites is the Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire. At nearly 6,300 feet they recorded their first measurable snow/ice accumulation of the season yesterday along with a bone-jarring, teeth-rattling wind chill of -2 degrees this morning.

I hope to update my blog soon with interesting and informative sites to visit. Just give me some time, because quite likely, I'll still be out there enjoying the weather instead of just writing about it.

Make it a good one. We'll talk again soon.

MS