On Sunday morning we visited a few shops in Cooma and managed to score a decent deal on a new board for Phil as well as a snowboard bag for both of us. After a short drive, we arrived in Koziusko National Park.  The weather was dreary. Rainy. Windy. 5 degrees. We paid our entry fee and proceeded to Thredbo village. If we thought the parking spots in Cooma were bad, we didn't know what to make of Thredbo. Phil did an amazing job weaving our monster truck through the narrow roadways. We could see the hill looking very patchy as the snow started to melt with the heavy rain (100mm in 48 hours) and thunder.  As it turned out, the torrential rain flooded the room we were supposed to be in so we were upgraded to an apartment. Sweet.

Despite the rain, we suited up and headed to the hill to try get a couple runs in. Unfortunately the lifts had already stopped for the afternoon so we walked partway up the hill and rode down. The snow was crusty and slushy but it was better than nothing. Fortunately Thredbo had a bumper year for snow (300cm) so the rain didn't have much of an effect.

Monday morning dawned clear with a light smattering of snow. We were up early and headed to the hill first thing. We had a great day of riding although it took some time to adjust to the transitional snow conditions from the top to the bottom of the hill. At the bottom of the lifts it was warm and slushy with bare spots while the winds were gusting and snow was flying at the top. Riding the chairlift one could experience all four seasons in a matter of minutes as rain turned to sleet and finally to snow.  I took a number of snowboarding lessons during the week which were excellent and allowed me to finally develop some skills. We didn't receive much snow during the week, but the weather held out and allowed us to enjoy four full days of riding.

Our evenings were pretty quiet as Thredbo Village didn't have much of a nightlife. Food was incredibly expensive and we tried out a number of restaurants, including a German place where a brushtail possum made an appearance while we dined.

The amount of Canadiana around the village was staggering. From ski-doos at the hill to Corner Gas on the television to Kokanee at the pubs and BC travel propaganda everywhere, we almost felt at home.

The landscape was quite spectacular with swollen rivers running through the village and snowgums dotting the hill.  In summer hiking and mountain biking is popular in the park and we hope to go back soon.

On Friday, Phil got a quick freestyle lesson in while I packed up and checked out of the hotel. We left the village at noon and headed to Perisher Valley to see one of the other resorts in the area. After having lunch at the valley we continued on our way to Jindabyne where we checked out the man-made lake that was part of the massive Snowy Mounains hydro scheme and laughed at the requirement for tire chains for all non-four wheel drive vehicles while in the park.

We spent the night in Jindy and then headed to Canberra early on Saturday morning for more shopping and frustration with parking a big vehicle in small parking spaces. We were back in Forbes by early evening after only one small encounter with kangaroos on the dark roads.

And now, for a change of pace, I'm off to Cairns for a week of training in the sun and heat of tropical northern Queensland.

It's satisfying to see that the attendances are high and the feedback is strong considering the wall of antipathy and indifference I have encountered from within the film and TV industry it's gratifying to see actual real people watching and really enjoying the film....

I call this a classic Browns cap because it dates not from the present franchise but from the last years of the old Browns, the team that the sinsister Art Modell carted off to Baltimore to become the dead-to-me Ravens.

The original Browns started in the All American Football Conference that was folded into the NFL in the early 1950s. My early childhood centered on baseball, and football didn't enter my consciousness until early grade school. In fact, my earliest pro football memory is of the day of the 1964 championship game in which the Browns defeated the Baltimore Colts (another team that would ultimately and appallingly be wrenched from the hearts of its fans). The game was blacked out on television in Cleveland, so my dad sent me to the attic to move our antenna around so we could catch the game on a Toledo station.

The demise of the old Browns roughly coincided with my move to California, where I've since attached my primary allegiance to the San Francisco 49ers and, given a few beers and the right opponent, the Oakland Raiders. I have not bonded with the new Browns, but should they advance to the playoffs, I'll be pulling for them hard. And yeah, I want them to crush the Dallas Cowboys today.

In the meantime, I reserve my Browns cap mainly for the winter months, always hoping for the delightful contrast of white snowflakes settling on its rich brown bill.

There's a chill in the air and it makes me anticipate the first snowfall. My favorite season for most of my life has been fall. The leaves, the colors, the scents, everything about it indulges my senses. As of late, I have noticed myself changing and appreciating winter more. Perhaps this is because the autumnal season seems to be getting shorter and shorter. Perhaps it is because of a lack of rainfall at the right time of the year, preventing the vibrant colors I remember from years past. Perhaps it's because of my little bug and the wonder in his eyes when he sees snow falling or snow plows moving piles of snow. Perhaps it's the excitement of creating Christmas traditions and a sense of wonder surrounding the holiday. All I know is my focus is changing and I find it invigorating! I can't wait to share all the wonder we find.

Anywho - had a great day's riding. Camp was awesome. Most excellent.

Could see Taranaki from up Ruapehu, and on the way home today could see both mount taranaki and mount ruapehu. Quite an achievement given that taranaki is on the other side of the island.

Good times.

Driving back from Ruapehu resulted in me finding all the slowest cars to follow. One was going 60k all the way from Paeangaroa to Te Puke. I wanted to throw a moose at him. Or a grenade. I actually flashed my lights and tooted (which, isn't really like me - I'm not known for my fits of rage).

On a lesser note, in the unplesant and often dreaded unpacking after camp stage, my laptop got a nasty dent. It works sweet as, but I like things to be shiney and new. It's good to get over that by force (is this, perhaps, a bizzare twist of cognitive dissonance?). It's my birthday on Thursday, maybe I'm finally starting to figure out that, in fact, stuff doesn't matter. People do. But it is a lot easier to be better with stuff, and with work, then it is to be with people (easy is usually not the best option, it seems).

So. Summary of the weekend. Big youth camp. Great snowboarding. Three Burger Fuel Meals (2 great, one not so good). Slight Road rage. Dent Laptop. Blog. Ready to sleep.

Throw a moose. Or a comment.

My reasons were mostly financial. With lots of overtime at the post office, I had managed to get within striking distance of a salary of $30,000 a year and I had no savings. I had a girlfriend at the time, we were hinting at marriage, and I had no illusions about my ability to support a family on postal wages.

Long Island's home prices were pretty high, taxes were crazy high and the much-maligned LILCO always got a cut of everyone's wages. We couldn't live without electricity, and LILCO, the Long Island Lighting Co., believed that every spare dollar belonged to it if we wanted their precious electrons.

Although my girlfriend broke up with me, I was still of a mind to go to Florida, if only to escape the hurt and bad memories. But people insisted that Florida was like some strange land alien to anyone from New York. There were alligators, I was told; sinkholes, too; and the conversation-ender: the dreaded hurricanes.

To hear it told, the state was raked regularly by massive storms that left destruction in their wake, and disaster was just around the corner.

I suppose it was the fact that Hurricane Gloria hit Long Island in 1985 that made me realize that Long Island was pretty exposed to hurricanes, too, and Florida had to be better.

So I wangled a transfer in the post office to West Palm Beach, and in December 1985 packed up my cat and on New Year's Eve 1985 set off in my 1985 Plymouth Reliant on my adventure to Florida. It was the first and so far only time I drove I-95 from New York to points south. I had flown down in December to find an apartment, had found a nice new place in the western part of West Palm Beach and arrived safely after two days.

It was a quiet time for hurricanes in Florida. Of course, 1992's Hurricane Andrew was a big worry for me and there were other tropical storms that caused concern, but it was not until 2004 that I was living in a house that was hit so hard by a hurricane. Indeed, my house was hit by two hurricanes, and thanks to its construction quality, as well as being sheltered by a larger house on either side, it came through with very minor soffit damage that was easily repaired for a few hundred dollars.

One thing about newer Florida houses is that they are built better than older homes. I remember going to look for a job in Columbia, S.C., in early 2004, and seeing new houses under construction that were basically frames; it shocked me because in Florida, concrete block and stucco (CBS) construction was the standard for most new houses. I guess they felt safer. Still, I have lived in concrete block houses my whole time in Florida and feel secure in the event of a hurricane.

Having lived through some active seasons, why don't I move somewhere else, where hurricanes are just things I watch on The Weather Channel? Well, some folks have moved to get away from Florida and hurricanes, and I respect their decision. Still, you can't really escape bad weather or weather disasters, even in the Midwest. And let's remember that it can get pretty darn cold in the winter in some places; Florida does experience cold snaps that can sent the temperature into the 30s and sometimes 20s, but they are mercifully brief. I mean, where else but Florida (OK, some other southern states) can you do holiday shopping in shirt sleeves?

I guess part of the adjustment of moving to Florida in the winter of 1985-86 was seeing winter constellations like Orion in the night sky, and not being cold. In 1986, I experienced a Florida Christmas and was hooked.

True, I sometimes think I want to be where there's snow on the ground and lots of winter fun, but then the thought of heating bills and bundling up to go out brings reality back. I can take the heat better than the cold, and in my current situation, Florida is the ideal place to live.

In 1985, I voted with my feet and left Long Island far behind. In 2008, I'm voting with my feet again ... and staying right where I am.

I guess growing up in a more woodsy area, spending my summer days busy playing in our treehouse, intrepidly riding my bike on the river bank or building forts with my brother in snow storms left quite the need for me to find music that helps me related to these memories absolutely stripped down, down-to-earth and back to the basics. So, recently, I gave up being a coward and fully embraced my folk/roots nature. 

This all started with the nursing of teenage woes of bullying and stupid crushes with Jewel's first 2 albums mixed in with Duncan Sheik's self-titled album and moved on to an unsatisfied yearning for Elliott Smith since I first watched "Good Will Hunting". Plus, I've always preferred founding genre such as Blues and Jazz over Celine's screeching; even as a kid. Today, if you mix in the constant calling for a quite piece of land in the country and my ever strong love for guitar, Folk and Roots music just seems to fit like a glove.

Now, enough with the useless memories that no one will relate to and on with my recent list of wonderful Folk/Roots artist and groups that should have your attention. 

• Megan Hamilton & The Volunteer Canola - gentle, kind, quirky but honestly true. Vibrant and colorful, Megan Hamilton brings a refreshing soft breeze to the Toronto local music that cannot be replicated. A singular swaying sound. 
• Fleet Foxes - Not so much of a folk/roots band but a great baroque revival band. Delicate, refined, subtle, pratically magical.
• Olenka and the Autumn Lovers - An absolutely gorgeous 6-pieces strings ensemble The Autumn Lovers are lead by the endearing Alexandra Krakus have who grew up to the sound of the Polish folk music and has multiple other references to their record. But, mostly I'd like to highlight the calculating precision this most unique sound they have created and the soft chamber voice that'll transport you in another world. 
•  David Picco & Jetset Motel - Frank tales of a sensitive heart that'll warmly wrap you up in the comfort of dreamland by a lightly rugged voice while making you wish you were in an old Chevy pickup, going nowhere, looking for an adventure
• Destroyer - Quirky entrancing happy going folk. Perfect for sun shinny day drives in the country while wild playful bickering is going on in the back seat. 

Check his website out, especially the landscape section.

Truly beautiful work.

Weather affects every aspect of our lives.

We are aware of how cold weather drives up the price of natural gas and propane (just look at your heating bills from last winter!) and how our insurance costs are adjusted for the amount of storm damage we sustain. Changes in the weather, either real or predicted, will affect the price of everything we buy from peas to plywood. Sometimes the effect will be in our favor, sometimes it won't.

Hurricane Isabel set its course for the Atlantic coast like a Cyclops on a rampage. As Isabel grew stronger, residents of the East Coast bought up plywood, masking tape, nails, screws and other building supplies. Wood, steel and tape are the pieces of armor for buildings, shielding against hurricane winds, securing doors and covering windows.

Those lucky souls who did not return their surplus Y2K merchandise had a ready supply of canned goods and who knows what else. The less fortunate rushed to the store to buy canned goods, water and flashlight batteries for basic survival. Sump pumps and wet-dry vacuums at the ready, property owners dug in like warriors to defend the things that personal worth is made up of -- possessions and property. Meanwhile the United States Navy headed out to sea in order to protect vital ships.

Isabel came at a time when the U.S. economy had been in a slumber. Suddenly, she became the impetus for a boom at retailers like Lowe's and Home Depot. The two home improvement retailers, along with smaller lumberyards, unloaded plywood and tools by the ton. Plywood was in short supply, driving up the price from South Carolina to New Jersey. Grocers sold canned goods while inland motels and restaurants catered to refugees from the coast.

This saga played out from the Carolinas to New York because forecasters were unable to pinpoint the exact point of landfall until only hours before Isabel unleashed its soggy wrath.

One person's misery and empty wallet is another person's joy and prosperity, thanks to the weather. Actually, for homeowners with proper protection, insurance companies will cover most of the cost of cleaning up after Isabel.

In the end Isabel will help buoy up the economy. Some retailers will report a surge in September sales. By years' end, building permits will increase as renovation projects begin. Demolition contractors and tree services will make mint along with carpet cleaners.

Even though Isabel did not hit the East Coast with the ferocity she showed over the tropical Atlantic Ocean, the swirling mass of water vapor will unleash an economic windfall over the next few months. At least for some.

Our local weather affects the local economy, too. A mere change in the weather or weather forecast affects how much money local businesses make.

Lets look at a fictional Black Hills amusement park, Bison Boundaries, where you can ride a tame buffalo for $10. Bison Boundaries does not get a lot of business when it rains, but on a sunny day up to 1,000 people come through the gate. On a particular day, the owner, Bison Bob, heard a forecast for rain -- an all day cold, steady rain. Bison Bob and his manager decided to spend the day fly-fishing near Deerfield, some 20 miles away.

The rain fell all day as they cast away. Six fish and eight hours later they drive home, only to find Bison Boundaries basking in the sun just as it had been all day. A thousand people had come hoping for a bison ride. Disappointed, they moved along, spending their ten dollars somewhere else.

Bob and his manager had quite a fish story about the big one -- $10,000 -- that got away.

There may not be a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, but when you hear raindrops fall it is the sound of jingling change to someone. Golden sunshine is cash in the register for someone else. Your prosperity may be just a forecast away.

I love the above photo of my parents front yard, mostly because I know I won't have to endure the massive torture that's known as hell on earth the Midwest Winter. At least not for more than, like, a week and a half. I've included this photo today for one of two reasons: I find it to be absolutely breathtakingly beautiful, or I want to torture the Internet with thoughts of snow. You decide.

“Why are you so tired?” Ariel asked. She was busy drying mugs. Why won’t that speck disappear?

“I went shopping.”

“Again?”

“Hey, I needed stuff. Vancouver is extremely cold!”

“Vancouver is not cold. It snows 4 or 5 times a year and the rain wash it away the next day.”

“Well, Vancouver is much colder than Taiwan.” Rainie declared royally. “It does not snow in Taiwan, and I can’t get use to this humidity or this chilliness.”

“It’s much colder where I came from.”

“Aren’t you from Taiwan?”

“My parents were. I was born in Kitchener.”

“You were born in a Kitchen?”

Ariel bursted out laughing. “Not the kitchen. Kitchener Ontario. It’s about an hour drive south of Toronto. And believe me; the snow really piles up and it’s absolutely freezing.”

“Oh well,” Rainie shrugged. “I think Vancouver is cold. Besides, I’ll take any excuse to go shopping!”

Ariel grinned, “Point taken, so what did you buy?”

Before Rainie can reply, Joe and Mike barged into the café.

“Yo Ariel!” Joe called.

“Hey.” Ariel replied.

Joe dragged Mike over to the counter sat down in a chair beside Rainie so fast that he nearly shoved her off her chair. Luckily, he leaned over and caught her before she can fall. They stayed in that compromising position, with Rainie nearly falling and Joe leaning over and supporting her for a moment.

Mike coughed. Joe started and nearly dropped Rainie again.

“Sorry,” Joe grinned goofily.

“It’s ok.” Rainie replied in a rather unsteady voice. Why is my heart beating so fast and why am I blushing?

“Kindly refrain from molesting my friends in front of me Joe.” Ariel joked. Why is Rainie so red? Does she like Joe? She can’t like him, he’s-

“Jealous Ari?” Joe asked in a mock provocative tone.

“Oh yeah, totally.” Ariel replied sarcastically.

Mike coughed again.

“Mike!” Ariel exclaimed.

Joe looked confused, “do you know each other?”

“You could say so.” Mike started…

----------------------------

==Flashback==

“Coffee with 2 creams and one sugar!” Ariel declared with fake brightness to mike.

Mike looked at the coffee uncertainly, “That looks like way more than 2 cream.”

“Sir, I assure you it is-“

“Watch out!” Someone shouted from the outside.

Everyone looked on as a football flew through the window of the Lotus Café, shattering the glass into a million pieces behind Mike.

Ariel pulled him. Hard.

Both of them fell on the floor with a dull thud.

Mike got up, saw the many shards of glass that was now scattered where he was sitting, and opened his eyes so large is was almost comical. “Wow. Thanks.”

“No problem.”

“Ariel Zhang! Did I not tell you the customer is always first?” Ariel’s manager, Jerry, came flying out the kitchen. He started apologizing to mike with gusto, “Sir, I’m sorry, she didn’t mean to pull you, I hope you’re not hurt,-“

Mike held up his hand, “Sir, it’s ok. It’s a good thing she pulled me.”

Jerry just seemed to notice the football and the glass shards behind Mike. “Oh.

“Excuse me.” Jerry said before marching outside.

“He’s going outside to yell at those guys.” Ariel supplied when she noticed Mike’s confused look. “Watch out for Jerry when he’s angry.”

“I will. Oh, I’m Mike, Mike He.”

“Ariel Zhang.”

==End of Flashback==

--------------------------------

“So that’s how you two know each other?” Rainie asked.

“Yup. I tell you Rainie, it’s dangerous to hang around these two, especially Joe.”

“Hey! That’s not true.”

“It’s extremely true.” Ariel emphasized. “First time we met, you hit me with your car. You nearly knock her to the floor the first time you met Rainie, and the first time I met Mike, I nearly got speared to death by a million shards of glass.”

“The glass thing was not my fault.” Mike protested. “And I haven’t hurt Rainie yet.”

“Oh, silly me. I haven’t introduced you guys to Rainie yet. Rainie, this is Mike and Joe. Both of them are studying commerce at VU.”

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Rainie and I just moved here from Taiwan. I will be studying history at VU starting next term.”

“Can you help me with history?” Mike asked excitedly.

“Um… sure?” Rainie answered uncertainly.

“Mike, is there a subject that you don’t need help with? Ariel asked exasperatedly.

“Yes.”

“What is it?”

“Basket weaving.” Mike said the first thing on his mind. Huh? Basket weaving???

Everyone bursted out laughing.

“There’s no such course as basket weaving.” Joe chortled.

Rainie fell off her chair laughing.

“What!” Mike insisted only half jokingly, “I’m serious!”

-------------

See, this chapter is longer :) Thanks to everyone who has been reading this! I am extremely happy with the number of page views, and I hope you're enjoying this story. Please leave a comment whether you do or not! I would love to hear from you!

Thanks again!

-Izumic

Residents of Nyahururu north district were treated to a rare occurrence, when a heavy down pour of snow hit the area leaving a massive block of snow that covered a large expanse of land.

The Meteorological Department however explains that a heavy cloud blown from the Congo basin that froze once it approached the Nyandarua area caused the large snow.

Gathanji village in Nyandarua North district, and the residents here too could not believe their eyes after it begun to snow at 2.pm with the snow covering over 200 hectares of land.

After three days of messing around with green stuff and painting these bastards in between attending to needy babies the Mortar teams are now complete save basing and clear coat. Originally the plan was to use a darker grey, but I didn't have great coat grey on hand and didn't feel like messing around with mixing. Aside from Holt and Aiyana the list will be based with snow, but I'm waiting till everything is done to do that, since it's a pain to mix up small quantities and I don't want to mix too much just have it go to waste.

The plan was to move onto the behemoth next, but I wanted a breakfrom modeling and started Aiyana instead. She and Holt are being painted to match the rest of my merc collection. Still haven't figured out how to paint her hair though. She'll be done tomorrow, and if I have another manic attack the behemoth may be well under way by morning.

If it weren't for the associated depression I'd love the hyper productivity of mania. Hurray for being Bi-polar!

What more could happen?  How many "storms of the century" are we going to see creep across the Atlantic Oceans? 

How prepared are we and what steps are being taken? 

The research on this is fascinating!  Yet no one seems to be trying to execute a mass answer to this ~ especially with all the good talk of "we care about the this and that".  LOL ~ but it is not really about the people is ~ though they are a person too.  Anyway, I digress, again, sorry.

Look up some information ~ but keep digging.  Don't forget about research into the number three. 

How neat is it one pole of the Earth is heating relatively quicker than the other??  (I would take a look at the winds, ocean current data available, and over the last two years how strong the typhoons have been in the southern part of the globe.)