June 18, 2009
“In the spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours." -Mark Twain
I guess that is why so many people love to watch the Weather Channel--all the different kinds of weather laid out colorfully before them with all its force and fury.
Thunder. Lightening. Tornadoes. Rain. Hail. Floods.
Rather intriguing and exciting, I admit, especially right now with our long streak of stormy summer weather. Personally, I still prefer to simply step outside and look at the clouds in order to obtain a good read on the day's weather.
It is a toss-up as to who gets it right more often, me or the weatherman.
As I was pondering this and the state of the atmosphere with regard to temperature, cloudiness, rainfall, wind and other meteorological conditions, I heard my husband shout from the family room where he was watching television. He sounded distraught.
"Oh, no. He's leaving. I think I just heard him say he's leaving the Weather Channel," my husband said in a very worried voice.
"Who's leaving, leaving what?" I asked.
"Steve."
"Who is Steve," I inquired, now mildly curious.
"You know who Steve is," he said incredulously, "The famous tropical, hurricane meteorologist! He has been on the Weather Channel for years."
Since I am not one to watch weather television and instead get the forecast by looking out the window, I had absolutely no idea who he meant.
I called my sister, she being a steadfast and faithful watcher of the Weather Channel.
"So, do you know who this weather guy is that could be leaving the Weather Channel," I asked her without offering any explanation for my out-of-the blue question. "Sounds like a big deal," I added.
"Since when do you care about the Weather Channel," she retorted. "I thought you were the one who gets the weather predictions by walking outside and if rain pelts you in the eye, you announce there is a 100% chance of rain that day."
Sisters are good at hitting you between the eyes with the truth when required.
"By the way," she continued, "I don't think Steve is leaving the Weather Channel."
I searched the web and found nothing about his departure since I do not want to start an unfounded rumor about poor Steve. Good grief, we are discussing Steve in our household so much he could be our neighbor.
In addition to Steve and the weather, now I cannot get a weather song out of my head. "Stormy Weather."
Harold Arlen wrote this classic in 1933 with Ted Koehler, and it was subsequently recorded by a variety of blues and jazz artists over the years.
Frank Sinatra, Billie Holliday, Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald, Etta James and a host of others sang it low, deep and sad. "Life is bare. Gloom and misery everywhere, stormy weather....Don't know why there's no sun up in the sky, stormy weather."
Wouldn't you know it after all this stormy weather talk, the sun is shining, hot and bright.
I can see it out my window just fine, too.
