Its Raining, Its Pouring .....

We have had a few dry weeks here but today the heavens opened again and we have had non-stop rain all day, about 25mls (1") since 9am - cold, bleak and very wet.  We ended up having 57mm (over 2") for the 24 hrs.

Cardigan for Abi in purple twisted fern pattern

Was intending to paint but it has been so dark; I don't like painting without natural light, hard to get the colours right so instead I played on my computer, did a few more rows of knitting and read a little; actually it was really the sort of day to stay cuddled up in bed!

Checked the BOM radar/forecast and it looks like more of the same tomorrow.  It may be wet and miserable but at least I don't live in the US.

The amount of tornadoes ripping through there is amazing not to mention that the strength of them is so severe.   I read on the weekend that there were 506 twisters for the same period last year - there have been 1151 this year!! 

On top of that they have had so much rain in the same area that there is serious flooding in fact it is the worst flooding to hit the central US in more than 70 years; Central Montana is having its worst since 1917!!

You have to wonder what is going on in the world - are the conspiracy theorists correct when they blame HAARP and similar installations for all this?  You really have to wonder if the experiments on weather modification and the ionosphere that HAARP admit to have something to do with all this natural distasters that are fast becoming unnatural!

Had another play with my coloured pencils - was pleased with this outcome of a rockmelon slice - sorry the photograph is bit blurred - mind ,there are over 20 different colours used to achive this result.....lol.

Not sure what I will try next - been looking through my stash of photographs trying to decide what to have a go at.


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Woohoo....

Made myself go out today - still finding it very difficult to leave the house for any reason and I really had to force myself to get out the front door.

Took myself to Prospect Reservoir to sit in the sun and read while I had a coffee (took a thermos full); about 5-8 minute drive away.

There were a fair number of people there considering it was a weekday but I think some were local workers who just wanted to get out for a while for lunch etc and sit in the sun.

Took some photos of one of the valve houses; the one that reaches out into the reservoir; loved the reflection in the water.

These valve houses were completed in 1887 and are excellent examples of colonial architecture. Under the upstream valve house there are three levels of valves for drawing off water from the reservoir. The  downstream house contains valves and meters to control and measure the flow of water. The valves were supplied by Glenfield of Kilmarnock, Scotland and installed in 1882, the meters were added in 1907. This original system remains in use.

Anyway, there was an interesting tree there and I decided to wander over and get some photos.  I was clambering over and under it trying to get some interesting shots whilst muttering to myself when I heard someone ask if I always spoke to trees.

It scared me because I hadn't seen anyone around near it but I managed not to scream out loud and make a complete fool of myself ....lol.

Anyway, it was a very attractive man who had come up behind me.  I told him I hadn't realised I was talking out loud and he laughed and said it was okay; he spoke to his computer.

We chatted for about ten minutes before he said he had to get back to work.  He then asked me if I lived in the area and would I be interested in meeting up after work for a drink.

I was extremely flattered but he looked to be around late 30s, early 40s so I politely declined.  He bade me goodbye and we parted company. 

I tell you having an attractive member of the opposite sex appear to be interested in talking to you does great things to the self confidence; a real boost, even if he was only a babe.....  Drove home feeling very invigorated plus I got some great pictures ......  rotfl.


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This and That ....

Not much happening in my corner of the world lately - is that a goods thing or a bad?  Not sure ..... lol

The weather has started to show us that winter is just around the corner; we have had a few days where the temps dropped to 2 overnight and one where it was 0.  Not sure if that means we are in for a colder winter or not.

At least the heavy rain battering the country has stopped -  one of the strongest La Nina events on record has officially ended.

Wonder what next season will bring - La Nina or El Nino? 

Haven't done much artwork, in fact haven't done much of anything lately.  Going through a bit of a rut at the moment.  Too many things happening at once most of which are not conducive to a pleasant life....lol.

But I have had a couple more plays with my coloured pencils.  I am enjoying the results but do need to do a lot more work with them to achieve something good.  Will keep playing to see what I can do and try and push the envelope a little.

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Tropical Storm Aere-Western North Pacific Ocean

In a time series of imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite, the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument showed Tropical Storm Aere's progress over the weekend on May 6 at 16:59 UTC, May 7 at 05:29 UTC, and Monday, May 9 at 05:17 UTC. Infrared data basically takes the temperature of a tropical cyclone's clouds and the coldest areas indicate the strongest thunderstorms and areas of heaviest rainfall. Those coldest cloud temperatures (highest, strongest thunderstorms) and are as cold as or colder than -63F/-52C.

On May 6, when Aere was a tropical depression (03W) it appeared to be more concentrated with the heaviest rainfall and strongest thunderstorms over open ocean. By Saturday, May 7, those heavy rains overspread land areas. On Monday, May 9, the circulation seemed to become weaker and convection seemed to appear more scattered and has decreased in AIRS imagery.

Warnings are still in effect in the Philippines as Aere continues to move north. Public storm warning signal #1 is in effect in the following provinces: Luzon: Quirino, Ifugao, Mt. Province, Kalinga, Apayao and Batanes. Public storm warning signal #2 is in effect for: Luzon: Cagayan, Babuya and Calayan.

The four fatalities caused by Tropical Storm Aere occurred in Balatan, Camarines Sur where a landslide took three lives, and another person drowned in floodwaters in Leyte. Radio reports also noted that nine people at the Manila airport were injured when lightning struck a plane on the tarmac on May 7.

Tropical Depression 03W-Western North Pacific Ocean

Tropical Depression 03W near the Philippines, according to data from NASA's Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite. NASA's Aqua satellite confirmed the data through cold cloud-top temperatures and rain continues to fall in the Philippines today where the storm has been given the local name "Bebeng."

System 93W strengthened into Tropical Depression Three early on May 6 and is forecast to move toward Luzon late into the weekend. At 1500 UTC on May 6, the center of TD03W was located east of Visayas about 460 nautical miles east-southeast of Manila, the Philippines near 11.9 North and 138.0 East. It was moving toward the northwest at 3 knots. Maximum sustained winds are near 30 knots.

On May 6, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) had not issued any warnings in the Philippines. The forecast from PAGASA on Friday, May 6 noted that clouds and scattered showers would affect the Bicol Region, Visayas and northern Mindanao, with thunderstorms developing over the Bicol Region and Visayas. Some of the rainfall could be heavy in those areas and may trigger flash flooding and landslides.

The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite, managed by NASA and the Japanese Space Agency flew over Tropical Depression 03W on Friday, May 6 at 0837 UTC. TRMM noticed that the storm's rainfall was still concentrated on the western side of circulation, although the northern and eastern areas of the storm were also showing rainfall. Only a couple of very small areas of heavy rainfall were seen in the TRMM image around the northeastern fringes of circulation. In those small, isolated areas rain was falling at about 2 inches per hour. Rainfall around the rest of the storm was moderate, falling at rates between 20 and 40 millimeters per hour.

System 93W-Western North Pacific Ocean updates

An infrared image taken from the AIRS instrument on NASA's Aqua satellite on May 4 at 17:11 UTC showed large areas of strong convection on System 93W's west and southern edges, where thunderstorms have very cold cloud-top temperatures (-63F/-52C). That strong convection remained on the low's western side on May 5.

On May 5, System 93W's circulation center appears to be near 11.1 North and 128.3 East, about 475 nautical miles east-southeast of Manila, the Philippines. The surface winds are still estimated between 15 and 20 knots. System 93W is still in warm waters that will assist in its strengthening as it continues moving to the northwest near 8 knots.

The eastern Philippines are already experiencing some light rains from System 93W. At 12 p.m. EDT on May 5, the city of Legazpi, Philippines reported light rain with a temperature of 25C/ 77F. The minimum central pressure was 29.80 inches and falling and winds were blowing from the northeast at 5 mph. Thunderstorms are in the forecast for Friday, May 6 and Saturday May 7, as System 93W moves closer.

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System 93W-Western North Pacific Ocean

System 93W is a large low pressure area in the Western North Pacific Ocean that appears poised for tropical development in NASA satellite imagery.

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) instrument that flies aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured both an infrared and visible image of System 93W on May 4 at 01:53 UTC. The width of the AIRS image track is 1056 miles, the width of System 93W appears to be approximately 800 miles from west to east. The AIRS imagery showed an improved low-level circulation center and unorganized, but deep convection. Convection is rapidly rising air that forms the thunderstorms that power a tropical cyclone.

The strongest convection appeared around the center of System 93W's circulation where cloud-top temperatures were measured to be as cold as or colder than -63F/-52C. Cloud-top temperatures are important because they tell forecasters how high thunderstorms are, and the higher the thunderstorm, the colder the cloud tops and the more powerful the thunderstorms.

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System 95B-Northern Indian Ocean updates

The ragged low pressure area currently sits several hundred miles from Sri Lanka. The system appears to have fallen apart on infrared satellite imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite today.

On May 2 at 0654 UTC, NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the low pressure area called System 95B in the Northern Indian Ocean. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument that flies aboard Aqua, captured an infrared image of the low that showed a disorganized storm. Estimated sustained winds have dropped to 15 knots and the estimated minimum central pressure in the low is near 1010 millibars.