Just a quick note (Post #262) 7/22/2011

Hello readers. I’m guessing you all thought I’d died. Well, I have not. It has been over a month since I last posted. I am sorry to report I don’t have much to say.

I’ve used the Range Rover to haul some fence materials around after the micro-burst weather events we have had lately.

As you can imagine, wind that hard knocked down some fences. My daughter Lecia’s fence took a beating. My son Diet Mt. Drew and I put it back up as best we could. I lost a few cross pieces and my fence was leaning pretty hard. I used the Rangie again with a tow strap to pull it closer to plum. In the video off in the distance you can see the rain blowing side ways. There are lots of videos on you tube. Just check out keywords Norman Microburst.

We have also been experiencing the hottest weather ever recorded in Oklahoma. Just today, July 21st we have tied the hottest recorded month of August 1936. If you know any history you’ll know this was in the middle of what is know as the “Dust Bowl“.

You can read for hours on the effects of the Dust Bowl on the economy and the people of this region. While we have not yet had dust storms, it wouldn’t surprise me if we don’t break out of the drought, that we would have them next year.

In any event we are well on our way to 50 consecutive days of 100 plus as a high temperature. The highest temperature I’ve recorded this summer was 114.9. I was told it went over 115 that day but I didn’t see it. I have two thermostats on the front porch which is on the shaded North side of the house. Both of them registered that temp.

Here in Norman we are in D3. The D4 zone shaped like a penis in this map is south of us and if the Texas map is any indication we will be swallowed by D4 by late August.

I have no idea what the heat index was that day, I’m sure it was over 125 degrees F. Today we had another 108 degree day. The heat index today was 114F in Oklahoma City. The Severe Weather Forecast Center said there were no weather models that showed any relief in the future. That seems a little open ended, but I think they are getting desperate to be the first one to spot a break in this brutal weather.

We have already lost our 5 ton air conditioning compressor on the house. That was the cost of a BUNCH of very nice upgrades to the Range Rover to replace, nearly five grand. I am not excited to see our next electric bill.

So let me share this with you. On February 9th Oklahoma recorded its lowest temperature, a frigid -31 degrees F. If you take into consideration the low temperature for Norman that day was somewhere near -7 degrees F that gives us a 121 degree change in temps in six months. That’s extreme. It is not nearly as extreme as Nowata though. Seven days after their record low of -31, the temperature was 79 deg F; a 110 degree F difference!

So when you see me pack both my winter clothes and my summer clothes for trips within Oklahoma in February – April and October – November now you know why.

A contractor in our office who hails from Maryland put it best…how do you people live here with all this dangerous weather? We are humble in our response, “We’re Okies…we are build of stubborner stronger stuff.”

I can’t imagine living anywhere else. I can imagine a week in the mountains though. Anything to get away from this heat if only for a few days.

Thanks for reading and Happy Rovering.