Simple Pleasures

A big thunderstorm rolled over the WSF’s senior slum building last night. At times, counting the time between lightning flashes and the thunder sound was “one one thou……”. No hail, but buckets of rain.

DrJim lives about 20 miles NNW of me and reported only sprinkles.

http://every-blade-of-grass.blogspot.com/2019/07/lots-o-lightning.html

After the cell passed, I opened all exterior doors and windows and let the fresh washed air circulate (aided by two ceiling fans) in the apartment. A simple pleasure to be sure, but I enjoy it.

As I get older I take these moments whenever I can.

Depending on the source, Colorado is #4 or #5 in lightning kills nationwide. My mother was struck twice. Her sisters never developed dementia but she did. No proof that being struck by lightning was the cause, and no proof it wasn’t.

My sister lost a valuable American Saddle Bred horse to lightning. He was a superb jumper.

Gaia has her ways, and mere humans won’t change that.

Summer Time, And The Hail Is A'coming

Time to shift my vehicle preparations. 

The frost screen stays in back of  the seat to go over the sun shade.

 

If hail is on the way, the sun shade, mounted outside, saves the windshield. The frost screen goes over the sun shade to keep it in place.

May 22, 2008 a tornado passed over Windsor, CO. A truck I owned was nearby and beaten up by softball sized hail.

That started me considering ways to minimize damage.

Body dents don’t bother me but glass replacement often exceeds what the vehicle is worth when you  are as cheap as I am. Not to mention not being able to drive anywhere with a spider web windshield.

Wild Hawgs and Such

Just when one hazard of the job tapers off, we get another, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally.

For the past six weeks or so the harvesting crews have been active. A convoy of one or more huge over wide combines on trailers, each followed by a truck pulling the harvester head, some 30’ wide, on another trailer. Several grain haulers, truck and 53’ trailer, followed by one of more RV’s, and miscellaneous vehicles moving from field to field. They can be difficult to pass.

Add the traffic going to and from Sturgis, SD, and the drive can be interesting.

One can admire those who make the trip all the way on motorcycles. Less so those pulling their motorcycles on trailers, and there are probably more of those than the riders. Posers.

A wet winter and spring is a blessing but……… Now a hot summer has arrived and the prairie is drying out just in time for the monsoon season. 

Those thunderstorms produce a narrow, but intense,  path of moisture while the lightning goes everywhere. Lots of work for the fire crews. Lots of flash floods to trap the unwary. The Platte at Gurnsey is at near flood stage and the water muddy.

For larger pictures.  https://www.dropbox.com/sc/5pebjbm9hschwxf/AADLZQsN9w3gzVrUuAzyVSqRa

https://www.dropbox.com/sc/vwbfekssypk50du/AADe4PgSVqbWbrPM5uqM91fJa

NOTE: Having a few problems mastering Dropbox. Please have patience.

Right and Proper Thunderstorm

Typical Front Range Thunderstorm this evening. Thunder and lightning at all guardant, a ten minute burst of rain, and now the storm is moving east.

The doors and windows are open, the fresh, clean air is blowing through the house, and the cat has come out of hiding. Tis’ a privilege to live in Colorado.

Denver Summer Afternoon

Flying onto Denver late summer afternoons can be real interesting.

Sorry for the quality of the cell phone snap. Next phone upgrade will include a better camera function.