Thursday, August 24, 2006
Hail to the weather
gods…
Today we had an exciting weather day all over the metro area. Coon Rapids was no exception. I was closely watching the radar all day when I heard that distinctive ‘clink’ that I have come to associate with hail. I got excited as I grabbed my camera and headed out onto the balcony. The hailstorm started here at about 1:45pm and continued through 1:50pm. When all was said and done, there were dozens of large white hailstones down on the grass, and I quickly switched into scientific mode and headed downstairs to collect samples…once a meteorologist, always a meteorologist. I began collecting hailstones and placed them in a glass to try and minimize handling, which would have lead to extensive melting. I was just about to head inside, after collecting about a dozen specimens, when I found an enormous hailstone in the grass. I immediately grabbed it and ran upstairs to store it in the freezer to keep it in pristine state. Soon after, I began to measure the stone, and came up with the following measurements: length: 2 ¼”, heights: 1 ¾”, circumference: 7”. You can see the images of the stone below. Although I admit that there were numerous reports of larger hailstones throughout the metro area, this is the largest hailstone that I have ever personally seen with my own eyes. I’m kind of proud of my hailstone. I’m in awe when I try to fathom what updraft speed must have been required to keep the stone afloat in the atmosphere. However, I don’t know if I’ve become quite bored enough this summer to actually go ahead and calculate that speed, so I’ll just philosophize about it instead…or maybe not.
I suppose I should go pack. I leave so early in the morning tomorrow that I think it might still be classified as the night. Where am I going, you might ask? Well, the family is going on one last holiday together before I bugger off back to Scotland. We’re driving to South Dakota. I know that may not seem like the most interesting of places to visit, but I beg to differ. I’m planning on dragging the parents to Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, Jewel Cave, and wander around the Black Hills and the Badlands. My flatmate in Scotland did have this amusing observation about Mount Rushmore: “Really, Americans are the only people in the world to look at a perfectly good mountain, functioning in all the glory a mountain should be by being picturesque and then go and carve people’s bloody faces on it!! They weren’t even remotely attractive men!! Shall never understand.......” I had to laugh, because I absolutely agree with that…she hit the nail right on the head with that one. My stepdad wants to visit Deadwood, and my mom likes the fact that literally the whole city is one big casino. I’m not too keen on the idea myself, but parents (especially when the vehicle is theirs) hold the power to veto children. Ah well, I’m sure that there will be some random thing or attraction that I want to visit that my parents won’t, so I’ll get even. Our trip is only through the weekend. That’s great though, because then there is only four more days until I leave again for Scotland. I’m so incredibly excited that I can hardly wait. I’ve received such heart-wrenching email pleas from my friends over there, that I was forced (it really didn’t take much prodding though) to call and change my airline ticket to an earlier date (my original departure was September 19, and is now scheduled for August 31). The only thing that might hinder my plans is the possibility of a NWA flight attendant strike. That, and that pesky plane-terrorist thing. But I’ll say this, neither one better get in the way of my getting back to my precious Scotland!