Category: weather

Wednesday’s Theme Music

Another rainy day with chilly temperatures, another night of dreams, another morning of feeding the cats and then sitting down at the ‘puter. Feels a bit boring today. Tedious. I’m ready to dive back into the novels in progress but I’m also reading an excellent book. It all balances.

Hello, and welcome to Wednesday. This is April 13, 2021, a day when the sun rose over the Cascades at 6:34 this morning, showing us a spring that looked and felt more like late February than mid-April. Sleet fell for a while this morning, becoming snow, and then rain. Not a sharp surprise to the mind as we’re sitting at 37 F with hopes for a high of 42 F before sunset at 7:50 PM. More of the same is forecast until Easter Sunday, as a slow-moving Low comes aboard the Pacific Northwest.

The neurons have Pat Benatar singing “Shadows of the Night” from 1982 in the morning mental music stream, an occurrence directly attributed to Papi cat. The ginger blade wanted out, of course, so I did my duty at 3:30 AM. I had the porch light on, turning it on first to ensure no other beasts were waiting to ambush him, and watch his reaction to his environment. When he turned and dashed for the shadows, a WTF passed did a neuron wave. I went out to see what the what with a torch at which point the orange boy galloped back to me and into the house. I asked him what he saw in the shadows, but he stayed smugly silent.

The neurons picked up on ‘shadows’, though, of course, and kicked Benatar’s song in right off. It’s a good representation of early 1980s style rock, though, and a pleasant way to entertain the ears and mind. It’s a pretty silly video, though.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask as or when needed, and get the jabs as it’s figured out. Coffee is serenading me in the other room, so off I go. Cheers

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Finding A Way

I just finished reading Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson. It’s a novel worth the time to read, but it will consume some days. Dealing with the geopolitics and technology associated with climate change, especially the trifecta of increasing heat, rising oceans and seas, and increasingly violent and larger storms, Stephenson puts the details to work in the novel right from the beginning: a small jet can’t land in its destination of Houston because high temperatures bring on thinner air. There’s not enough lift to sustain the small jet.

Two other interesting aspects struck me in this huge book. One was a story related to London’s mayor and the 1953 flood. After the flood, engineers came up with a solution but were stopped from implementing any changes for twenty years as political infighting took over. By the time the solution was accepted and a consensus achieved to build it, the solution was already overcome by new problems because these things — climate change, rising waters, etc. — are not static, friends.

The second intriguing, amusing, and probably prescient aspect regarded how Americans responded to rising waters and more flooding: they raised their houses and began building them on stilts. That caused a boom in the house-raising/stilt industry. And sure, you can see that, right? People in their houses on stilts, looking out windows, safe, but surrounded by water. It’s one, the sort of approach people will take, adopting a limited, short-term idea that addresses only their personal issues. Two, it’s the sort of business idea that others will eagerly seize and press, making money while they can. Greed, you know.

That second point reminds me of anti-vaxxers and COVID-19. (BTW, the world has endured several more COVID pandemics between 19 and the book’s period.) They don’t trust the government; don’t trust the vax; don’t trust the medicines. Yet, that’s where most rush to be saved while their loved ones look on and damn the government for not doing more.

Meanwhile, wealthy people in the novel, like the billionaire character, raised his Tudor-style mansion and guest houses and outbuildings, and built a mesa out of clay, high above the flood waters, so they can keep living a safe, comfortable life.

Anyway, the book offers deep ideas on the world’s vectors from where we are to where we might be. It will make you think, or at least caused that in me. Cheers

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Tuesday’s Theme Music

Hi! Welcome to Shootday, April 12, 2022.

I’m sorry. Shootday! Ha, ha. What a slip of the head. It’s not Shootday, it’s Tuesday. That whole Shootday slip came from reading news of the many shootings. How many dead, where, when? Hard to track them all. Of course, if we did have a day of the week for shootings, our challenge would be deciding which day. It’s always Shootday in America, folks. Clearly, what is needed are more guns. As the old adage goes, speed kills, so give us more speed. Same logic for increasing the number of guns, isn’t it?

Why, no, gun advocates say. Our idea is that a good guy with a gun will stop a bad guy with a gun. Everyone in a dance club should be armed; that would stop someone from walking in and shooting anyone else. Also, everyone in school. And everyone in the family should be strapped, because family members shoot and kill one another. Toddlers should be armed because you never know when Daddy is gonna snap and shoot you. And that four-year-old killed by the two-year-old sibling in the gas station parking lot should have pulled and shot their little brother first.

Yep. Solid logic.

Okay, that snark front has moved through. On to normal muttering.

It’s 34 F now. We expect to hit 44 F. Sunrise came, lighting up the snow, at 6:35 AM. And the sun will move out of my sky area — skyrea? — at 7:49.

Yeah, we got some snow yesterday. Though we’re below two thousand feet and the warnings were for the snow level to be above 2500, snow pummeled us throughout the afternoon. The snow lacked solid temperature support at that point, with the thermometer indicating it was 33, leaving us with a sketchy snow offering today, an inch plus in some places, nothing in others. Yes, it was more spectacle than result for us. Hopefully, enough snow struck and stuck on the snowpacks to give us more water this summer.

The cats quickly sized up the weather situation and seized on the strategy of staying in, staying warm, and sleeping. Smart felines

An STP song — that’s Stone Temple Pilots and not the racer’s edge — is circulating around the morning mental music stream. “Unglued” came out in 1906. Hah! I kid. It wasn’t that long ago, but in 1994, which is only (mumble mumble) years ago. It’s directly related to my writing efforts yesterday. I was struggling with focus and concentration, a struggle abetted by interruptions from others in the household. That prompted the line, “I got a feeling coming over me,” to, um, come over me. The line is used in “Unglued”. The neurons recognized that and uploaded the song into the mental stream.

Stay positive…and so on. You know it, right? Here comes the song. Now I’m up for coffee. Cheers

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Monday’s Theme Music

A strong wind shoves tree branches down as snow showers lash the land at a forty-five-degree angle. Snow grabs hold of branches and leaves and builds around the bushes’ base. A sunshine spotlight dramatically highlights ponderous charcoal clouds as the air holds the thermometer at 33 F.

It looks like that kind of day where we’ll have a bit of everything.

A winter storm warning is in effect for a few more hours. The snow level has been lowered but it’s still a few hundred feet higher than us. Clouds shroud the far mountains, staying us from observing if anything has fallen yet.

Today is April 11, 2022, Monday. The sun came onstage at 6:37 AM. He’s due to bow out at 7:48 this evening.

The dream mind had an eventful night. One dream had me witnessing the cat puke baked beans on the bed beside me. There were clues that it was a dream, such as the sunshine streaming in through the window, and the bright yellow bedspread. But I woke to check anyway, peering around in the darkness for vomitus as the sleepy cat asked, “What’s going on? What are you doing?”

When I tried returning to sleep, the cat was now up and pushed in to have me scratch his nose, a favorite night pleasure for him, and then stroke his back. Sucked in by sleep, I stopped after a few seconds. He pushed up against me to start again. Out of that, the neurons called up “Love Me Two Times” by The Doors from 1967, where it stayed in the morning mental music stream. I offer it up to you. This video recording begins with Jim reciting some poetry.

The sun has retreated. Snow flurries fall. The charcoal clouds have yielded to a softer, more threatening light-gray mood. Time for coffee. Here’s the music. Cheers

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Sunday’s Theme Music

The sky looks like a gray warship going by. “Sun?” the valley asks. “What is this sun you speak of?”

Today is Sunday, April 10, 2022, but winter is on the stage for an encore, bringing snow to the upper levels — three thousand feet — and rain down in the valley, a perfect complement to the cold air. It’s 39 F now. We expect 50 but I don’t know… The cats are doubtful, curling up in warm spaces and already asleep, their day plan already being executed. We humans take snow and rain here in southern Oregon. Give us something to refill the water tables in all its phases and elements, and water the food chain.

The sun’s moment came at 6:39 AM but she balked over showing off her blaze. She leaves our stage at 7:47 this evening.

Another night of brisk dreams had my neurons singing several songs. Finally, while in the bathroom shaving and thinking about my reflection, they began singing bits of a song about being older, so much older. Took a minute or two to realize the neurons were having fun with me, playing the opening lines to John Mellencamp’s “Hurt So Good”. The neurons were sobered some when I pointed out that the song came out when I was living on Okinawa, which would put it forty years ago. They were like, “Wow, we were only twenty-six then. Where does the time go?” “Indeed, my little neurons,” I replied, “indeed.”

Gotta admit, this seems like a strange music video. Never saw it before. Was reluctant to post it after watching it. But I did, though I grimaced.

Stay positive, test negative…you know the routine by now. If you don’t, then I think you might be a lost cause. Coffee is coming up and I am out of here. Cheers

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Saturday’s Theme Music

It’s green-bag day, so today’s first business was putting that outside. Tucker the magnificent was talking about how underfed, hungry, and neglected he is, and so had to be fed. Of course, as soon as food was mentioned, Papi said, “Hey, what about me?”

All in all, this Saturday, April 9, 2022, has started like many other days, if you ignore the green bag. Sunrise illuminated a blue spring sky at 6:42 AM. An overnight low of 39 degrees F had the heater run for a little time. We don’t expect much for a high, 52 F but we’ll accept it. Never did see any rain in my area today. Clouds are anticipated later today here but no rain.

Before dream processing, “Severed” by The Decemberists was orbiting the morning mental music stream. Somehow, the mind plates shifted, and the neurons began instead playing “I Alone” by Live from 1994. So that’s the theme music. Reflecting on the song, I remembered and confirmed that it was about learning spirituality on your own, that it’s something that can’t be given to you.

I took a day off from the news yesterday after reading initial reports of the rocket attack on a train station in Ukraine. I was also trying to focus on writing/re-writing, and pushing some energy that way. A friend read the alpha version of The Constant and had excellent feedback. I was immediately stimulated to start working scenes.

Well, I say a day from the news, but habits rode in and I was back at reading the news by the mid-afternoon. There, headlines from around the U.S. blared about more gun deaths. A two-year-old shot and killed his four-year-old sister in a car at a gas station. Six dead in Sacramento. Three dead in Florida. More dead somewhere else. But please, let’s talk about protecting children from hearing about gender. The idiocy makes me scream.

Stay positive and test negative, my friends, wear a mask as needed to protect you and your pods, and get the jabs to do the same. I have my coffee; here is the song. Cheers

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Friday’s Theme Music

The day has pivoted, the world has turned, the calendar page is flipped over to Friday, April 8, 2022. Our weather has turned, too, dropping about twenty degrees. The sky is a study in conflict of blue, white, and gray. But, hoo-rah, we’ll have some rain showers today.

It’s 53 degrees F out there, according to my desk weather station. A high of about sixty is guessed at. Quite windy right now, as the air moves the trees and drives the cats back into the house. Sunrise was at 6:42 AM. Sundown will fall about 7:44 PM.

The neurons pulled a song out of 1973 and stuffed it into the morning mental music stream. It’s apparently related to the words, ‘the night time is the right time’. From that grew the Status Quo song, “Caroline”. If you’re not familiar with it, this is a rocker, children. Sadly, I don’t think I’ve heard it played anywhere for about thirty years. Had the album on vinyl but didn’t replace it on CD. Sad face. Nice version played during Live Aid 85. Like the addition of the piano, which the original song lacked.

Stay positive, test negative, say it with me. Mask as needed, vax as needed. Here’s the music. Guess where I’m going now? If you said the bathroom, you’re wrong. I’m heading for the coffee. Cheers

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Thursday’s Theme Music

Road Trip! The air was warm and growing hotter as the clouds took to other areas. Our pod was feeling cramped and crowded. An impromptu road trip was suggested. After the voting was finished, the idea passed, 2-0. (The cats voted against it, but their vote is only symbolic. They were left in the house with extra food and water.)

We departed at 8:30 AM and just rolled north on the Interstate to Eugene. Light lunch and shopping followed. We were back home by 6:30 PM. The point was to break away, even if only for a few hours. Mission accomplished.

For the record, today is Thursday, March 7, 2022. Our high was around 85 degrees F. It’s 7:03 PM. Sunset is due in forty minutes.

Road trips always provide a fountain of ideas for the neurons to toss out. But I went with Fat Boy Slim and “Praise You” from 1999. It all started with a television show called “The Outlaws” which we’ve been watching. Stephen Merchant is one of the creators and writers and also stars in it, along with this guy called Christopher Walken. Walken, an actor for several decades, is also a dancer. After watching an episode of “The Outlaws”, I pulled up “Weapon of Choice” by Fat Boy Slim, which features Walken’s dancing through an empty Marriott. I always enjoyed that video, but the neurons then brought up “Praise You.” And here we are. BTW, Mickey Rooney’s son, Michael Rooney, directed the choreography for “Weapon of Choice”. You should check it out, even if it’s familiar to you. It has a good vibe.

It was a great trip – excellent weather, light traffic, little construction, no problems, etc. Stay positive, etc. Gonna go chill with the boys, aka, Tucker and Papi, our house floofs. Here’s the music. Cheers

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Wednesday’s Theme Music

Today began with a great force shifting the world as we hurtled through space. Then, like other days, another rotation was completed (although it was just a little slower than yesterday’s) and we moved a little further from the sun. All things are relative.

Today is the only ‘w’ day in the week, Wednesday, named for another god, Woden. It’s 47 in the valley. Bright sunshine strains the eyes and heats the skin. Sunrise came at a proper 6:45 AM, and our planet’s dynamics will move the sun out of our valley at 7:42 PM. In between, we’ll hit 76 degrees F, maybe higher. There are mixed feelings about that. The heat feels good, the sunshine is engaging and energizing, but we need water falling from the sky and filling the basins, lakes, rivers, ponds, creeks, streams, and cisterns.

For the record, this is April 6, 2022.

The only dream of note was about clawing out of something. It didn’t move the neurons toward any music. Instead, they’re channeling Hall & Oates and van Halen into the morning mental music stream. “She’s Gone” from 1974 is one of those break-up songs that torches the skin and screams through the bones in sympathy with what you’re going through. I was going through a lot when it came out, so it’s memorable to me.

But it’s not today’s song. That honor falls to “Young, Dumb and Broke” by Khalid (2017). As I was pursuing memories and thoughts that the neurons churned up this morning, I remembered when my wife and I were young and broke. The neurons, being the critters they are, immediately loaded “Young, Dumb and Broke”. It’s an entertaining song, though.

Stay positive, and so on. You know the pandemic mantra by now. I’m up for coffee; can I get you anything? No. Alright. Here’s the tune. Enjoy.

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Tuesday’s Theme Music

The sun strode into Tuesday at 6:47 AM with bright, bold steps that dazzled our retinas. Warmth is still trickling in, as we’re at 37 F right now, but hope to strike the fifties. A snowstorm hit the higher elevations during the last several days. You had to be at 5,000 feet to feel it, so we’re a few thousand feet too low. We hope it’ll add to the miserly snowpack, but dire predictions have already emerged for this year. Many meteorologists suggest it would take years of big storms to end the drought and replenish our lakes and cisterns.

The cost of water is skyrocketing. Looks like the city golf course can no longer afford water. Of larger concerns are the many small farms that dot our valley and provide us with local produce. The city and area are on top of this, building many more low-income units. These typically start in the 300K range and climb. Nothing stops the wealthy from buying them and renting them out, though. Some shout, “Low -income housing is what we need, look at the homeless here.” Don’t know where they think the homeless are going to acquire the money for a mortgage. Others say, we don’t need more housing, we don’t have the water. But the houses keep going up.

Today is April the fifth, 2022, a day pretty similar to many others. Sunset will be at 7:41 PM.

The neurons have been busy streaming several different songs in the morning mental music stream. They also added an old jingle: “To get right to the heart of the matter, where there’s smoke, where there’s smoke, where there’s smoke. Where there’s smoke, there’s danger of heart and lung disease.” I don’t know why the little monkeys played that for me.

Anyway, eventually they unearthed John Mellencamp’s 1983 song, “Little Pink Houses”, a song more in accordance with what was actually passing for thought in my head.

Stay positive, test negative, wear a mask if you need to, get the vax as, when, if needed, etc. Stay informed and think critically. Here’s the music. I’m going to go caffeinate some neurons. See if that settles them down a little. Cheers

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