Winter storm and pulled muscle

Well, the storm is here, there is a good bit of ice on EVERYTHING, roads, cars, everything. It took me over an hour to come home yesterday from work (which usually takes about 20-25). I picked my son up from the bus stop so he wouldn't have to walk home, and the bus was 30 minutes late. It was crazy.

Anyway, I went ahead and made it to the gym. It was about 25 degrees outside and everything was covered in ice, (the car again), but I didn't want to break my exercising streak. Easier to keep it going than start over. Anyway, since the car was covered in ice again, and the gym was 2 blocks away, I put on my spiky shoes and walked to the gym.

I had a really good workout and after the day I had, I was good to be there and work out some of my stress. Afterward, I got wrapped back up for the cold and started walking home. As I was crossing the street, and Jeep came sliding around the corning going way to fast, so I make a run for it to get out of the road. Well, as he was sliding, he slid right into the parking spots across the street (where I was running to), so I'm trying to make it up on the curb and into the ally (safe from the crazy jeep). About my second step, I pulled a muscle in my right calf!

It was all I could do to get across the street before getting hit! As I did get to saftey, I turned around to check on the jeep, and he was sliding towards an old parked semi. I thought he was going to hit it, but he didn't.

So, I had to hobble the 2 blocks back home to get out of the weather. Every step was horrible. But I made it.

It feels better today, but there is no way I'll be able to make it to the gym today.

*sigh*

Weather Bug Station in Town

I just found out that there is a Channel 2 (KJRH) weather station right here in town. And since they are tied into the WeatherBug program, I can finally get C-ville weather online (as opposed to guesses).

I've added a link in the side bar.

Storms

Well, it's 3:45 a.m. About an hour ago if that, I was awaken to tornado sirens.

I get up, and turn on the TV and check the computer to see whats going on. Sure enough, rotation west of Sperry, headed this way.

I watch the TV for a bit to really make sure that it's headed this way.

Let me explain for my non-Okie friends, tornadoes can go in a V shaped path from the point of the rotation. So, paths can very a pretty good distance, and even though you are in the path, if you are on one of the outside paths, then, you're pretty safe... if you are in the center, well, not so much.

We were in the center of the path.

So, I woke up my wife, and we watched the weather reports for a while. We didn't want to wake the kids for no reason. I don't want them to feel like we cry wolf or in the case of my boy, grow up scared of storms (And in my bedroom every night it storms).

Things were going ok. It was on track straight for our town, but no rotation had been spotted, and it seemed to be weakening. I was feeling pretty good about going back to bed. Then they cut to a storm chaser*. He said he was a bit east of my town, and was watching the storm. He saw confirmed rotation above my town! Hello, that got my attention, so I did what any self respecting redneck would do, I walked out on the back porch to see for myself.

But when the winds got very strong and hail started pummeling the house so I came back in. Then the tornado indexes shot up on the storm (they had dropped low) and the storm chaser talked about seeing a power flash in town, and another. Did you catch that? IN TOWN.

I was looking out the window at the same time looking for his power flashes, and then I saw one! It was either AT the church next door, or across the street! About the same time my wife said OK as I said NOW!

I hollered at my daughter to get up and head to the basement and I ran up the stairs and grabbed my son and we all ran to the basement! I got my daughter under the stairs wrapped in a blanket. My wife sat down at her feet and our son crawled up in her lap, and they wrapped up in a blanket. I stood posed to cover them up if necessary... then I realized, I didn't have a blanket to protect me from anything.

So, again, I did what any self respectin redneck would do, I came upstairs to get one, and since I was upstairs, I might as well look out the window. I took a quick look, and then as I headed to get a blanket, I grabbed the remote and turned up the TV nice and loud so we could hear it downstairs! I grabbed a blanket, and went back downstairs. I wrapped the blanket over my back, and was prepared to throw myself on my family to protect them from anything that might come.

We waited for a bit and listened... and waited. Then I did what any self respecting nerd would do, and pulled up the radar on my phone. It looked like it had passed, so I came back up and verified it was good, and the family came back up and everyone headed back to bed.

Except me. I decided to blog. I've been in many storms in my life. Gone to the cellar more times than I care to count, but I don't believe I have ever been this scared.

As I sit here typing this, another round of VERY heavy storms above the house. I keep hitting save just in case I lose power.

Anyway, it looks like that's it. Guess I'll watch a bit more TV and then try to go to bed soon... the alarm will go off before I'd like it to.

(oh, and the hail was about pea sized or so)

*Storm Chasers - again, for my non-okie friends storm chasers are people that are a few fries short of a Happy Meal, and when strong storms come out, they get in the cars and chase these storms. Some chase from behind, some from in front! They have their phone, and cameras and other high tech gear (now anyway), and report into the TV station what they are seeing. Now, don't get me wrong about saying they are a few fries short. They really do help the stations let people know whats going on.

Ice Storm Continued

I talked yesterday about the ice storm we had. Well, it got worse. We were very blessed that we didn't lose our electric till about 9:30 Sunday night. So, we lit the candles, turned on the oven and opened the door for heat. I double checked the carbon-monoxide detector just to make sure it was working since we were heating the house with the oven. I also closed off the doors to a couple of the rooms.

As we set in the candle lit room, we listened to cracking and breaking and crashing of tree branches hitting all sorts of things. It sounded like a war zone with all the noise and flashes of light I saw out the window.

I'd hear large crashes several times through the night, and I'd go to check, but couldn't really see anything. Once I'd decide I'd stop checking, something very large would hit again, so I'd get up and check again. It was a very nerve wracking night.

Yesterday, we moved the vehicles because a tree branch fell about 5 to 10 feet from the car. Here was a picture of that tree limb down.
After the night, we woke up to this:
Here is a picture of where the cars were parked before we moved them.

With some help of some people from church (and their chainsaw) we did some cleanup today, and we can now park one of the vehicles back in the driveway.

I estimate we'll loose between 2 and 5 trees when it's all said and done.

Ice Storm

I woke up last night to no power. I could hear the wind and rain and thunder. Every once and awhile, I'd hear the cracking of ice and wood.

I woke up to this:

Winter is on it's way!

I just heard that we are now in a Winter Storm Watch through Tuesday at 6:00 A.M. Freezing rain is possible, and the temperatures aren't expected to get above 35.

My main reason to post this is for my cousin who currently lives in Guam. I'm sure she'll go to the beach that day just to say she did.

Weather

You know, there are days that I find the weather really amusing.

Like last night.

We had a Freeze Warning and a Fire Weather Watch.

Something just not right about that.

What month is it?

You gotta love Oklahoma weather. (Ok, not really)

It is currently 83 degrees at 6:25 pm. I saw one thermometer that read 88.
Tomorrows high is 62, Wednesday is 55. Chance of frost by the weekend.

Crazy!

Bird Creek

On my drive in this morning, I took a look at Bird Creek to see how much water was in it. It was FULL! I haven't seen that much water in Bird Creek in ages!!!

Now I know why there are flood warnings and watches all over Northeaster Oklahoma, especially with more rain coming in tonight.

We needed it. Maybe not the average person, but the lakes and ponds were very low. When I was at Skiatook last weekend, you could see how low it really was. These rains should really help. No way Skiatook will gain the 12 feet it's below, but ever bit helps when you're trying to get a lake back up to normal.

It's here

The nastiness predicted (aka ice) by the weathermen is here. People have been leaving work like rats from a sinking ship all day. There is only 2 or 3 employees in my office and 3 contractors (who get paid by the hour, so I understand them staying). The department next door is completely gone.

About noon or so, one guy called that had just left and said the sidewalks are icy, and the roads are slushy. That was 1.5 hours ago.

Should be an interesting drive home.

Snow, Snow Everywhere

I'm sure everyone is more than aware that Oklahoma had some snow storm last week. Here at my house, we had around 8 inches of snow on top of probably an inch of ice.


I really enjoyed it as did the kids since they got to skip school. I stayed home on Thursday and Friday. I worked from home on Thursday (much more than I planned on), and Friday since I had already worked all 40 hours that week planned on taking the day off (even though I worked several hours) *sigh*


I did manage to get to the Collinsville park with my boy and the neighbors. We all had a good time (except my wife who had to work).

This is my favorite series of pictures.

Take a close look at him in this picture. Especially his feet, head and rear. :)

Jim Giles.

Wow, I knew this day was coming, but now that it is here, it's hard to believe.

Jim Giles, has been the Chief Meteorologist on KOTV for the last 25 years.
He is now retiring on November 22.

He's by far one of the best meteorologists that I have ever watched.

You can read more about his career on KOTV's web page.

First Freeze

We had our first freeze this morning, at least at my house.

26.3 degrees if I remember correctly. It felt nice. I really love this time of year.

Fall?

Well, it is August, but it feels like Fall.

It was 64 degrees this morning when I woke up to go work out.

What a nice break from all this horribly hot weather.

The drive in was just great! I love Fall. I know it isn't that time yet, but this is a nice taste of things to come.

Rain

It rained today.

Week was suppose to be dry until I scheduled the detailing on my car.

It then rained.

Rain

It's wet.

It's a bit strange saying that since we went sooooo long without rain, but in the past 2 weeks, we've received around 8 to 10 inches of rain.

It started raining around 1:00 this morning and it is still raining at 8:30. Most of that time it's been moderate to heavy rains. Now, as the rain seems to be moving out, it has lightened up.

There was flooding in Broken Arrow with last nights rain.

With all the rain, the burn ban has been lifted in all but 20 Oklahoma counties.

This means that people can start smoking, and charcoaling.

It also means that we can go camping. I love to camp though I've not been a lot in recent years. But when I camp, I want a camp fire.

Now, where did I put my water wings?

Flood Watch Issued

We have been in a drought for I don't know how long. A Flood Watch has just been issued.

We so need this rain. Monday's storms raised Skiatook lake about a foot, but it was still 6 feet below normal. The swimming beach at Tall Chief Cove was still closed. Hopefully this storm system will help.

Crazy weather.

Spring Snow

Well, we are a few days into spring, and I thought I'd shared some pictures of Spring in Collinsville Oklahoma.




Here is a lovely close up picture of my red bud tree.





And here is my snow covered Forsythia. I think the yellow and white look sorta cool. (no pun intended)




I drove by this creek while taking my son to day care. This was just beautiful!






Here is an old grain silo I see when I take my son to day care. There is something really neat about it.


I'm really glad I took the time to take this pictures this morning as the snow is quickly melting away. This will probably be the last snow of this season... probably. This is Oklahoma after all.

(You can click on the pictures for larger versions)

Snow Day

Back on the 18th, I wrote about the fun my boy and I had in the snow. Well, I finally got around to getting my picture out of my camera.

We had so much fun that weekend. 3 long days of sledding and hot chocolate.

What really makes it real amusing is 10 days ago, was our last day of sledding. Yesterday, it was nearly 90 degrees outside. People were wearing shorts and t-shirts and flip-flops.

Well, you know what they say, "Don't like the weather in Oklahoma, wait a minute" (or in this case a week)

First time snow drive

Tonight was the first time my girl drove on snow. Course, it was snow, sleet, and some ice thrown in too.

I left the house around 11:40 or so, to get a good idea of how the roads were, and if I would let her drive home or not. The roads there were bad! I decided to let her drive home anyway. I stopped by Walmart while I waited for her to get off of work. I gave her some pointers when I had talked to her on the phone and said 2 things to her. Don't talk on your cel phone while driving tonight, and call me before you leave work so I'll know. Didn't want to embarrass her by coming to work to follow her home. Anyway, ice had started accumulating on the wiper blades, so I stopped to clean them off. When I did, it broke. At least I was at Walmart.

Got the blades and finally got them installed. Thought I was going to get frostbite on my fingers getting the blades installed. I get in the car and start warming up again. My phone rings. It's my daughter. She forgot to call me when she left work, and she was already half way home (maybe more). I specifically told her, don't use your cel phone, and call BEFORE you leave. She couldn't manage to do either. *sigh*

Anyway, she is home safe and sound. managed to drive in some nasty weather without wrecking her car.