July 24, 2011
The I'm Meelting Map of the USA:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcUkZQUkQXk&feature=player_embedded
Liz and Dan,Thinking about you as we saw that the Willmar, MN area had 117 degree temps today! Wow - come down and spend some time with us - it is a 'little' cooler down here!--Sue--
Yesterday was the fourth day this year that the temperature went over 90 degrees in our town.
Landon knows how to keep cool. - Land Slide!
Interesting Heat Index 115 versus Temperature 100 though. Sensationalism to attract viewers?
But here is reliable Friday info from Dad's thermometers:
Hi Pete: How is the weather up there? Hot enough? It's 104 here in front of the office on the north side of the house in the shade and 110 in the kitchen on the west side of the house in the sun. Can you beat that? Dad
No Dad, we only reached 99.1 today. We lost.
And records show that was the hottest we've ever been. In Aug 2001 it was 99.0
But even our ice cream trucks found it difficult.
Actually Mary and I were gone all day Friday. We had planned to take our granddaughter Allie to NYC as she requested, but went to Boston instead because of the hot forecast, and sewage issues in the Manhattan rivers. Good thing we did. From the NY Times, who reported on the tragedy in NYC the next day:
Boston started out in the high nineties in the morning when we arrived, and had me locked down. But don't worry. I can take the heat.
And it eventually reached 103, but we survived.
Allie used some of her birthday money at the Faneiul Hall Crocs store for trinkets on her new shoes.
We had a wonderful day with her
MORE CLIMATE STUFF
At first I figured I don't have an hour to watch this Climate Change debate from Australia, then I realized what was on TV.
Subject: Paris - World's first 26 Giga Pixel Picture !!
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Paris-World's first 26
Giga Pixel Picture. Enjoy It consists of
1.665 full format pictures with 21.4 megapixel, which |
| More on Europe |
| Dear friends: Prior to coming to Amsterdam I contacted the
only kayak club in existence here and arranged to go out with them on their
mid-week paddle. Their Club consists of about 7 or 8 shipping containers
lined next to each other where they keep the boats and one serves as an
office and changing room. The facilities are functional but not great.
Blessed are us who have a wonderful boathouse in New York City. Though the
location was rather obscure I managed to find the place ((behind the old
Veemarkt (meat) market)), and a group of 5 assembled at 7PM on a rather
misty and cool evening. Given that the club is somewhat outside of the city
proper we initially paddled on a large waterway that led us to the harbor of
Amsterdam, where the conditions were somewhat similar to our own Battery.
There was quite a bit of boat traffic there including ferry's, tourist
sightseeing boats, barges of all sizes, and ships that go up the Rhine to
Germany and other parts. The water was quite churned up in parts. As we
proceeded in a single line we were detained by the Amsterdam Harbor police
and led into a small channel. Now, though I don't speak a word of dutch I
recognize a lecture from a higher official when I hear one. We listened
politely to his talk about how dangerous it was what we were doing. My
new-found dutch friends remained quiet and did not argue. None of them was
carrying ID which seemed to make matters worse. After we went through the
planned route with the police-guy he ultimately let us go. Not clear whether
it is not legal to paddle the harbor; this had never happened to them
before. After this small mish ap we entered the Amsterdam canals and it was
one of the most extraordinary paddling experiences I have ever had. As
evening settled on the city, viewing it from the waters of this intricate
web of canals was just wonderful. For some strange reason there was very
little boat traffic and it seemed as if we had the whole city for ourselves.
We paddled the Herengracht and the Princengracht and various connecting
smaller channels in-between. And though I have been here before, viewing the
city from this perspective was quite a different feeling from what I have
ever felt here before. People stared at us from the bridges which indicated
to me that that Kayaks are not a common sight in these waters. We finally
made our way to the other side of the city where we run into a large boat
with about 10 rowers on each side. In the misty, somewhat foggy evening it
looked like a Greek tryreme from an ancient time. We sprinted to catch up
with it but were out-paced. (These sea-kayaks just don't go as fast as our
light fiber glass boats back in New York). When we finally reached the Club
it had started to rain in earnest so we dried the boats quickly, put them
back in storage, and absconded to the local bar where we occupied the "kayak
table" where these guys usually assemble to have a few beers after their
trips. Their rule is that they should not stay drinking longer than the time
they spent on the boats! Seemed sensible to me. As we had paddled about 15
kilometers in a little over 2 hours, that gave us plenty of time to have a
few beers and talk shop. A wonderful experience made possible by the instant
camaraderie of fellow kayakers, which is the rule everywhere. Regards,
Antonio. |
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Allan and Marie,
Pete 