Sunny Days

[starbug]

Lance if that was followed by an evil grin and a maniacal laugh...run away!

HEY!

I'm proud of my city - I like people to see the real London. I may be drunk (a little - hic ) but I'm not a maniac!

[Natasha (candygirl)]

I go to the states about once every couple of years, and you have the most amazing thunderstorms. When I was a kid I used to get really scared by them - the noise and sheer volume of rain isn't like anything you get over here. Now I love them for the dramatics involved

To be fair, it really depends on where you live. I grew up in Chicago where thunderstorms were quite common, but then we moved to southern California where they are pretty rare so my youngest sister (having not grown up with them) was scared of them! I love them.

[fnordboy]

... but I'm not a maniac!

Always be cautious of someone who smiles that much lol

Just havin' some fun with ya

[Megs]

Hey, Starbug,

My husband, my parents and I are going to London next January. I just might take you up on that, even though the offer was extended to Lance.

[starbug]

... but I'm not a maniac!

Always be cautious of someone who smiles that much lol

Just havin' some fun with ya

Yeah, I know...

Megs,

Feel free to take me up on it! Don't think I've got any plans as far ahead as next January, but I'd have to check my calendar

S

[K-man]

I went to college in southwest Missouri and that area is the northern tip of what it termed "Tornado Alley" so every time you see raindrops or hear a distant crack of thunder you should sprint for the cellar. It's un-nerving really. Tornado's are neat to see on TV but they are not to be messed with. My subdivision (here in St. Loius) was hit by a twister in late winter 1998 and we didn't have power for 3 days. And of course the worst part was not the death and destruction but the fact that I had no MTV for 3 days and that was three episodes of Life I missed. Phoenix has some amazing lightning storms. From what I hear, photographers flock to AZ during the monsoon season to get those freaky shots of thunderheads all filled up with crazy lighting bolts.

[SanDeE*]

I went to college in southwest Missouri...

I go to college in Kansas City, MO, and there are some wicked thunderstorms here! Much cooler than the ones up in Wisconsin. But then again, it rains here more (without the thunder and lightning) than in Wisconsin, and that's sort of a drag.

[starbug]

Usually when I've been to the states it's been Chicago and there were definitely some excellent storms there.

[lance]

Starbug,

Thanks for the info and insight. Yes, she did enjoy here stay. Our hope is that after grad school we will be able to go to Europe for a week or two. London is definately on our list of places to go.

Best,

Lance Man

If you visit, let me know - I'd be very happy to show you some of the places tourists don't usually see.

Starbug

Thanks, I will let you know if we go.

Best,

Lance Man

[lance]

I went to college in southwest Missouri and that area is the northern tip of what it termed "Tornado Alley" so every time you see raindrops or hear a distant crack of thunder you should sprint for the cellar. It's un-nerving really. Tornado's are neat to see on TV but they are not to be messed with. My subdivision (here in St. Loius) was hit by a twister in late winter 1998 and we didn't have power for 3 days. And of course the worst part was not the death and destruction but the fact that I had no MTV for 3 days and that was three episodes of Life I missed. Phoenix has some amazing lightning storms. From what I hear, photographers flock to AZ during the monsoon season to get those freaky shots of thunderheads all filled up with crazy lighting bolts.

K-Man,

I hear ya. Everytime a thunderstorm rolls in I think, D'Oh, could be a tornado in those clouds. Last time Cincinnati got hit by one was in '98 when a tornado slammed into the Blue Ash/Montgomery area. This area is made up of new housing for the upper middle class.

I was dating my wife at the time and I called her when I heard that a funnel cloud had passed through her area. She was okay the funnel cloud didn't touch down there. I remember watching the news and their was this 8 year old boy who said he woke up (the tornado struck like 5-6 am local time) and saw that his walls and ceiling were gone. He thought he was dreaming so he just went back to sleep.

We are fortunate here in Cincinnati we have civil defense sirens across the city that sound when severe weather hits. The County government is updating the sirens so they will run even if the electricity fails. Other cities hit often by tornadoes, like my second home Houston, Texas, don't have the sirens or basements to help them.

I once asked my dad, "Hey dad, you guys are getting plastered by tornadoes almost as often as Kansas gets it. Why no basements?"

He said, "Son, Houston is built on a swamp, the water table is only 6-8 feet deep. Basements would flood."

D'oh!

Best,

Lance Man

[lance]

Yes indeed,

Spring has sprung. Great weather here in Cincy I hope you are all experiencing nice weather.

Random thought, the Southern Hemisphere should be approaching their winter.

Clarency Worthy and other Aussies what does winter weather mean for you? Lots of Rain? Thunderstorms?

Best,

Lance Man

[lance]

Hey all,

A great, great weekend in Cincinnati! Very sunny, warm but not hot. I am stuck at work, D'Oh!

Great weather though, hope all of you are having a sunny, warm weekend.

Best,

Lance Man

[Nothingman]

I'm from Montana, and we rarely have tornados. It's state news when someone spots a funnel cloud. We do get a ton of thunderstorms though, you just don't see them coming like you do out on the plains. The worst thing is the thunderstorms that bring dry lightning. Every year they burn millions of acres of our beautiful forests. It's just part of the life cyle here, but it's sometimes a tough thing to swallow, when the valleys are filled with smoke and the sun is red. I have a lot of friends that make good money fighting forest fires every summer, it's good money, but very hard work. They interviewed army infantry that was shipped up from Texas to fight the record breaking firestorms of 2000, they said boot camp was a cake walk compared to hiking up and down our mountains with no trails.

[lance]

I'm from Montana, and we rarely have tornados. It's state news when someone spots a funnel cloud. We do get a ton of thunderstorms though, you just don't see them coming like you do out on the plains. The worst thing is the thunderstorms that bring dry lightning. Every year they burn millions of acres of our beautiful forests. It's just part of the life cyle here, but it's sometimes a tough thing to swallow, when the valleys are filled with smoke and the sun is red. I have a lot of friends that make good money fighting forest fires every summer, it's good money, but very hard work. They interviewed army infantry that was shipped up from Texas to fight the record breaking firestorms of 2000, they said boot camp was a cake walk compared to hiking up and down our mountains with no trails.

Wow.

Always nice to hear about weather from across the country and they world.

Nothingman you have forests? Cool? Pine or the leaf falling kind? Sorry scientific terms for such escape me at the moment.

Best,

Lance Man

[Nothingman]

-Lance

Our mountians are covered with Conifers, aka. Pine trees, that is generally what is destroyed by the fires. We have some deciduous trees, aka. leafy ones, most are found in the river bottoms or anywhere near water. We do have some tamaracks and western larch that are conifers that drop their needles every fall. Their needles turn yellow, and they speckle the hillsides every autumn, but we don't have hills covered with trees dropping their leaves and changing colors like they have in the Northeast. I've always wanted to see the fall colors in upstate New York or Connecticut. I guess it's a trade off for the mountains we have, the Appalachians are merely speed bumps in comparison.

Anyway, I'm rambling. That's enough of my version of "Wild America" for today.