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Jeez Zen, that looks awful! They have been doing that sort of thing all over town here, too, but yours has washboards! What a pain! I hope they get done soon. They put down dusty gravel before the dust storm moved in, and let it sit for about a week and a half before they sealed it. I thought we were done with dust then the dust storm and smoke moved in. The fact that there are some forest fires here upsets me the most, though. I hate it when the forests burn. http://www.ktvb.com/first-person

Big, gotta love politics. Trust me I know some people on gravel roads that would love to be tar and chipped, but in a residential neighborhood with already paved roads, and with more traffic? We feel we've been more tarred and feathered then anything else. Just crazy. Haven't we lost enough with the values of our houses. OK, me especially as I probably paid the most for a house not on the river before the big real estate crash. I feel every time I see a river house particularly one that sold as fast as it went on the market before I could even look at it) foreclosed, and/or selling for less then it should. This is a beautiful area, lots of good people. It's just a shame really. We shall endure. Truck doing good. Something still NQR, but nothing critical, so not going to worry about it. Fuel economy back where it should be, maybe better. Kind of eyeballing the new Chevy Spark. Not my first choice, but since I drowned my old car, might be the right choice? As for the truck, threw in a JVC radio I had bought to be my slipseat radio (truck driver thing, while I drove bigger trucks last Christmas) and it seems OK. Comparing the two radios, I'd say the Pioneer has an issue, as the last one they put in (not sure of the others since I let someone else do it, but I'm guessing they did too) had this or not, but the Pioneer has a large heatsink (basically fins to dissipate heat) on the back. So I'm thinking it's a Pioneer issue more then a truck issue. The JVC is more or less basic for the day, so it may end up my slip seat and may buy a better JVC to put in the truck yet. OK, now that no one knows what the heck I'm rambling about... Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Hey there kids! School starts Here on August 27th.

Can't believe how quickly the summer has flown by (and I feel like I say that every year, but really!). For some of my great nieces and nephews, school starts on the 28th August, while others will start after Labor Day. Today (Saturday -- now turning Sunday ) was absolutely gorgeous here in PA -- it promises to be nice on Sunday, as well. It was the perfect temp -- warm but not humid and tonight -- for the first time since @ June -- my air conditioning is OFF and my windows are open! Yay!! It feels so nice to have fresh air coming inside and Harry has been enjoying himself -- going from one room to the next to lay near an open window. Hope all have a nice rest of the weekend! G'nite lunies!

Hi guys! The forest fires here are ridiculous. They've sent in the national guard. One of them is creeping up on the towns of Pine and Featherville. The firefighters have been doing backburns and what-not for awhile to protect the towns. They have evacuated, and put guardsman there to protect peoples houses from looters. One of the fires is also getting close to Idaho City. Sure hope it doesn't reach there, it's a very historic town. The smoke is bad here in town, but if the wind blows the other way and blows the smoke out of town it will just blow the fire toward Pine and Featherville faster, so we're dealing with it. http://www.ktvb.com/news/slideshows/What-exactly-is-a-burn-out-operation-167201745.html http://www.ktvb.com/news/slideshows/Behind-the-scenes-Featherville-controlled-burn-167365425.html http://www.ktvb.com/weather/cameras?radar=87136937&img=2&c=y

This has been the summer of fires

BTI -- I hope all ends well there and hope that the fires are stopped sooner, rather than later. As Jen said, it's been a summer of fires. I'ts definitely been one hot, humid, dry summer here in PA. It was on the news recently that July went down in the history books for being the hottest July ever! (Well, for as long as they' kept such records, which is a really long time). Stay cool if you can pretty soon, we'll have the fall season upon us -- I love the fall!

Anyone that would like me to send rain their way...we've got lots to spare! We're in the midst of Tropical Storm Isaac, and it's pouring and gusty out. Nothing dangerous, just tons of rain, with some gusty winds for us. I live about 1 hour North of Miami, so we'll be spared the worst of it, but we're close enough to be under Flood Watch, Tropical Storm Warning, and Tornado Watch. My kids have just finished their first week of school, and are really hoping for a day off from school tomorrow due to this storm, but I think it's unlikely. Miami/Dade County Schools are already closed tomorrow, but so far the Palm Beach County Schools have said they will only cancel if the winds are 35 miles/hr or higher tomorrow-unsafe for the school buses to run. It doesn't matter if we get a foot of rain, but if the winds are higher than 35 mph-so both of my kids are hoping for that of course. They never think about the fact that if they have the day off, that means that another scheduled day off will now be a make up day. I hope that this rain creeps into areas that need it before raining itself out. Stay safe in all of this crazy weather-dust storms, heat, hurricanes, etc...

It's rained all day here Ela, thanks. Really, they close school for winds of 35 mph? They don't even do that here. Then again, it has to be a serious blizzard like the one the winter before last to make them close schools at all. I think more schools get closed for having building mechanical problems then weather issues. That said, this past month there has probably been less wind then I ever remembered out here on the plains. Even todays rain has been pretty much straight down. Pat it's kind of funny, 92*F doesn't even feel that hot anymore. Thankfully no major fire problem issues. Which is amazing, as many people around here are pretty complacent when it comes to fire safety. Good thing it's raining. Only about a month before the Chicago Concert.

Hi Lunies! Just a note before I get ready for bed . . . and the work week ahead! This weekend, we had a little bit of rain (very little) but we had very grey skies overhead -- always that threatening appearance -- the kind that makes you not make big plans for outdoors! I've been listening to the weather here re: Isaac and was wondering about you Laura -- glad to know that all is okay where you're at. Zen -- You are so right, 92 doesn't even seem hot anymore -- it's all relative I suppose and this summer really put it to the test. Hoping this upcoming week goes by quickly enough, since next weekend will be Labor Day weekend and I'm going to have the girls (Rowan and Emaleth) here for the long weekend. I'll pick them up on Friday afternoon by train -- they love taking the train and it's not bad at all, especially on a holiday weekend, makes my life easier, rather than driving in traffic. They stay with me until Monday and then will return home Monday afternoon. The start school on Wed. I'm hoping for a nice weekend next weekend so that we can do some of the things we didn't get to do when they were here in July -- it was 100+ degree days and we had to skip some of the outdoor stuff we usually do. Well, have a great week everyone and have a safe and happy holiday (Labor Day) for those of you who celebrate it.

It has been raining all day, but it is getting worse and worse since about 10pm. The storm is gathering strength, and the feeder bands are passing over us and it's been almost constant lightning, thunder and really strong wind gusts, and heavy rain for the last several hours. One of the feeder bands that is over us stretches all the way down to Cuba funneling humid air, and fueling bands of thunderstorms. Now we're under Flash Flood Warning, Tornado Watch, Tropical Storm Warning and having wind gusts over 30 mph! It's midnight, and my daughter can't sleep with all of the thunder and lightning. Now I'm wishing there was no school for my kids tomorrow!

School officials just held meetings and cancelled school! Considering that it's 1:20am and my kids and I are all still awake...I'm grateful. Transformers are exploding nearby, it's still pouring and thundering. My dog is shaking from fear from the thunder....and somehow my husband is sleeping through all of this! There are more than 20,000 people in Palm Beach County with no power, over 11 inches of rain has fallen, and it's still coming down! I'll update with the attempt to sleep tomorrow. I hope we don't lose power...it's flickered on and off, and there was a loud explosion nearby, but still power so far. I feel badly for the areas that will be affected by this strengthening storm once it hits land.

Goodness! Stay safe Ela.

keep us updated Ela ! and stay safe. From what you wrote, It seems that the elements are out of control.

Sipping my coffee, and not fully awake...all is fine. The storms are still rolling through my area, but not with as much intensity as last night. Parts of our county are flooded and without power, but we are used to this sort of storm. The surprising thing that caught a lot of people off guard, is that as much as the eye was moving further west, and had passed Key West, conditions didn't improve here, they worsened. That's why the School Supervisor was contacted at 1am and held a meeting and then decided to cancel school. Sometimes even with all of the technology helping to predict, unpredictable things occur like the way the storm split itself and continues to feed off of the moisture and heat of the water here in East FL, as it moves towards Louisiana and Mississippi. It's a dangerous storm, and I hope they evacuate the areas that are vulnerable like New Orleans. Thanks for your concern~we're sleepy here, but fine.

Hi lovelies! Isaac is throwing a gorgeous thunderstorm our way, which makes me happy as storms are always calming for me. That and this part of Texas really needs the cooling rain.

Ela, glad you weathered the storm. My Father had a portable gas generator, because his subdivision was way out in the country near Okeechobee. Not exactly on anyone's priority list to bring power up. Though if he was still alive, after the 2005 hurricane season, he decided if that ever happened again he was going to go somewhere else for a while. Good thoughts for those still in the path of Isaac. As for us, it seems the remnants of Isaac should reach my area Saturday. This morning of course, WGN put Isaac from Love Boat's picture (several of them) on the path of Isaac. If you get WGN, it may not give you your traffic and weather, unless you are in the Chicago area, but they will make you smile. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5EFYJfYf78 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_VRlkPsSf4

Thanks for the news Ela, have a good rest after such emotions !!!

A listen to "to watch the storm" from Hackett's cd ? My favourite on the album http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TS4dCwrBLgk

Hi there Lunies! They were able to save Pine and Featherville thank God. They started letting people back in to check on their homes a few days ago. There is another fire up near Stanley, Idaho, up at the base of the Sawtooths, and there have been some more evacuations near there. My kids got through their first week of school, too. Everything went pretty well. I have four hills of pumpkins planted and it's been so hot they weren't getting any pumpkins on them. We finally got one that set a few days ago. I've talked to others and they have had the same problem.