Close to Nowhere - Linda Jones


Thursday, August 23, 2007
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Close to Nowhere
By Linda Jones

Yes, it’s hot enough for me!

It’s too hot! And the next person who asks me “is it hot enough for you?” is going to get it, right upside the head! I’m not sure exactly what they’ll get, but you can bet it won’t be pleasant!

And have you noticed that no two people anywhere you are agree on the temperature it should be inside an air conditioned building?

At home, as long as the air conditioning unit will hold up to it, we can hang meat anywhere in our house. It might freeze, it won’t spoil.

Everyone who sits in our living room is swathed in a fleece blanket or a quilt. Sometimes both. Except for Pop of course. He’s the one who keeps the thermostat set on “freeze.” Then he fusses because we leave lights on and it’s driving up the electricity bill.

We never, ever discuss what it costs to hang meat in the house.

Officially, it’s hotter this year than in 1980, which was the previous recording-breaking year.

According to the www.weather.com/podunk website for Marshall County:

On average, the warmest month is July.
The highest recorded temperature was 106°F in 1980.
The average coolest month is January.
The lowest recorded temperature was -12°F in 1963.
The most precipitation on average occurs in March.

In 2006, there were 56.67 inches of rainfall, running from a low of 3.42 inches in August to a high of 5.98 inches in March.

That wasn’t nearly enough rain and this year is following the same drought averages.

At the beginning of the summer, USA Today ran an article on Southern drought conditions and the Mid-South was nearly 50 inches below normal for 2006. At the time the article was written, the Mid-South was already nearly 15 inches below normal rainfall. And, to the best of my recollection, I read that article in March.

According to the National Weather Service forecast office in Memphis, Tenn., we are in the D3-4 drought category (extreme to exceptional). D4 is as bad it it gets and according to their graphics, we’re right on the line between extreme and exceptional.

Also, according to the NWS, there is no precipitation anticipated in the next week or so.

I vaguely remember the drought of 1980. I also remember the few years of the El Nino weather where it was cooler and rained a lot.

I’m pretty sure I liked El Nino weather much, much better!

Along with the rest of us, I’m way too hot and really ready for a cool fall!

Was it me fussing about being too cold in my house?

Somebody, shut me up!

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