Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

I live in the Midwest (about 50 miles north of Detroit) so when I see a snowflake, I know what it means. It's only the first flake of about a bazillion more to follow. I'm too old to enjoy making snowmen and my grandchildren live too far away to build one with them so when we had our last snowstorm a couple of days ago that resulted in 8" of the white stuff (with major blowing and drifting), I was glad to see the person who takes care of my grass in summer and the snow in winter arrive with his snow plow. What would take me a couple of hours to shovel gets done in about 15 minutes with the plow.

I've lived in Michigan for 35 years. Before that I lived in New York and Massachusetts. When I heard about the tremendous amounts of snow that they received in the various states on the East Coast in the last two weeks, I was glad I wasn't there anymore. With miles of roads and highways and runways to try and keep clean, I know that a Curtis Snow Plow was worth it's weight in gold. Some of the cities that were badly hit don't have the equipment to battle the severe weather as it's not a common occurrence to get any snow, never mind the amounts that were dropped in many areas.

More people have purchased snow removal equipment this winter season than usual due to the large amounts of snow that have been deposited in many areas. On February 10, 2010, the Weather Channel reported that out of all 50 states, only Florida and Louisiana had no snow. My son-in-law who lives in Kansas is constantly battling the weather. The Heartland is a fierce place in winter and he insists that one of the best investments he ever made was in a SnowSport Snow Plow. It's saved him from many hours of backbreaking work as he owns 5 acres of land.

Blowing In The Wind

Wind, as defined by Wikipedia, is "the flow of air or other gases that compose an atmosphere." It plays a very important part in our existence. Without it, we'd all fry from the heat of the sun as it makes up the bulk of movement of the air. Adversely, too much wind is equally dangerous with surging tides engulfing whole towns and cities. Weathervanes show the direction of the wind. The word "vane" comes from the Anglo-Saxon word "fane" meaning "flag". In my post of 7/2/09, I raised the question of whether wind turbines are slowing down or not. As stated, there has been an increase in the number of low or no wind days in the Midwest and wind measurements show wind speeds falling along parts of the Northern Plains. Wind, a power source of the green energy movement, is dying down.

People have watched and tested wind changes for centuries as it is important to know for both work and play. Occasionally, you'll see a person stick their wet finger in the air as a cost effect weathervane. My grandfather used to do that. I remember going to visit my grandparents on their farm. It was a typical one with the red paint chipping off the barn, the pig pen (they were really prickly to touch), the cows and other animals. I loved to watch their weathervane turn. I don't remember if it had a design , but knowing them, it was more utilitarian than decorative.

Weathervanes now come in fabulous designs and are made of different materials such as the two shown. Those made out of stained glass catch the sun's rays to make it seem like you're looking at a rainbow. The ones made of polished copper add elegance whether mounted on a roof or standing in a garden. The selection of styles and designs is huge and can be matched to hobbies or collections. Animals, mythical objects and creatures, sports, transportation, lighthouses and celestial are all represented in weathervane designs. The sky's almost the limit when it comes to choosing one to fit your style and personality.

wind turbines slowing down?

Is climate change affecting wind turbines, a source of power? Wind, a power source of the green energy movement, seems to be dying down across the United States. and the cause may be global warming.

Sandra Pryor, an atmospheric scientist at Indiana University says there's been a jump in the number of low or no wind days in the Midwest and wind measurements show wind speeds falling along/east of the Mississippi River. Texas and parts of the Northern Plains don' t show as much slowing. Northern Maine, western Montana, Michigan and Georgia show some of the biggest drops in wind speed.

One of the things Pryor said that can slow wind speeds are changing conditions such as growing trees or buildings being erected near the wind gauges. These can skew data.

Several other experts agree that there are signs of decreasing wind speeds and that global warming is probably the cause.