Tuesday, August 2, 2011

On This Day


(image from Internet, not my yard, thank goodness)

August 2, 1954
 
"Severe thunderstorms produced golf ball size hail for thirty minutes in north central Kansas. One drift measured 200 feet long, seventy feet wide and three feet deep. (The Weather Channel )"

I guess a Heat Index of 113 degrees, which is what it is at this writing, is not as bad a three feet of hailstones.  Mother Nature loves variety, doesn't she? 

The photo above, which I found on the Internet, and which is not of the above referenced hail storm, seemed to have had a somewhat cooling effect upon me, but I suspect that could have been due to my crunching on ice chips and sitting close to the air conditioning vent while I composed this post.

* * *
I sometimes am concerned about the cost of the water I keep putting on my flower beds, but an early morning glimpse of large butterflies feasting on my Lantana blooms made the drain on my wallet worth while. I couldn't get outside with the camera fast enough to catch them drinking the nectar, but it must have been tasty; one large one just about buried his/her head in one bloom. Maybe they'll visit again in the morning.

Tomorrow is also a day.

10 comments:

Betsy Banks Adams said...

In 1954, I was 12 yrs. old... I probably was more interested in playing and having fun than in thinking about the weather.... (Strange that I love studying the weather these days!!!!)

I don't remember that ---but I'll bet that hail caused alot of damage.
Hugs,
Betsy

Arkansas Patti said...

Somehow, that pile of cool looks wonderful but like Betsy said, very destructive.
It was 84 this AM at 5 o'clock. We reached 110 in the shade yesterday. Guess, today won't be much better.
Like you, even with the few flowers I have left, the butterflies are everywhere. They even look at me hopefully.
Stay cool Pat.

Snap said...

Stay as cool as possible! We are dealing with the hot, like you. And, like you, I'm trying to think NOT about the water bill! Hugs--

StitchinByTheLake said...

My son in Ft. Smith sent me a picture yesterday evening of the thermometer at his house - it was 113 degrees. That's just brutal! blessings, marlene

Countrygirl said...

I would pick the butterflies too, over the water bill!
We too have the heat, which here brings on the range fires. But the good Lord blessed us with two good rains(I'm sure the haying ranchers weren't happy with them), and that should stop the fires for a day or two.

Stickhorsecowgirls said...

I walked out this afternoon to water my wilted plants (which I watered well last night) and the oppressive heat almost knocked me out! 114 degrees here in LR! Stay cool--I've been enjoying watching the butterflies and thinking they must love the heat--I've never seen so many!
Stay cool!
V

NitWit1 said...

I have no idea what today will bring us in temperature but it is already 96 deg at 12:18 p.m.

We did have one pleasant day this weeks comparatively speaking when the temperature did not reach 90. Cloud cover and early morning shower helped, except for humidity.

The Harrison are looks as bad as Texas. The fields, some of which probably had been mowed, are DEAD. There won't be a second crop of hah, but there is nothing for grazing either. Ponds were drying up. More terrible than my area which we decided was better looking than 412/62 into Harrison. LOTS of dead trees too. Some mountains were brown. Don't expect much autumn color this year.

Patty said...

Myself I don't want to see anymore hail for some time to come. we;re still waiting for the insurance adjuster to get together with the roofer we picked to repair our roof and sky lights after those HUGE stones we had back in May.

I know this past electric bill we just paid was a whopper, $228.00. but we cool a space for our office which is about the size of two car garage. We let our daughters cat sleep in a cage in this room at night, so for at least a week, Abe thought the AC should be left on in this room for the cat. I really think that caused the bill to be that much more. After I found the cat sleeping against a metal door that the sun was beating on all afternoon, I figure he likes hot, so we've been shutting it off at night. We tried to compare our bill with several neighbors and even had our temp sitting at a higher temp, but still was more, but then we also have about 500 square feet more we're cooling. I told Abe as long as we can afford it and we're comfortable, what difference does it make. Now the next big thing to come along will be the water bill. I hate to see it.

Suldog said...

It does seem to hail at the oddest times of year every so often. I know there's a really good scientific explanation for why hail happens when snow couldn't, but I just chalk it up to God's sense of humor.

Rose said...

Used to be, our water got a summer rate...I think they averaged our monthly water bill, and we got a discount on what was above that...wish they still did that.