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July 10, 2007
:: Savanna Portage
The above picture is of Lake Shumway in Savanna Portage State Park, about 17 miles northeast of McGregor, MN. I took this while enjoying my morning coffee around sunrise on Saturday morning (July 7th). Mrs. Pierre and I took a mini-vacation over the 4th of July, first visiting my in-laws at their summer place near Hinckley, MN over the 4th and 5th, and then heading up to Savanna Portage for the weekend. We also took the boat along to fish Big Sandy Lake, near the camp.
The campground and park is beautiful, like so many MN State Parks, and had relatively new shower and restroom facilities to augment the well kept, sheltered, and shady campsites. The campground is adjacent to Shumway, one of four lakes within the park which are fish-able, but only from shore, or a boat with electric motor. Our campsite was a "shoreline" site, with a 150 foot path to the lake. The only drawback on our stay was the infestation of deer flies. We tried to keep perspective when visiting the ranger station and interpretive center, which displayed journal entries of early pioneers, voyagers, and explorers all describing the horrid conditions in which they portaged from the Lake Superior and the St. Louis River to the upper Mississippi River via the "Savanna Portage". They all complained of "blood sucking insects" as well. One can only imagine the infestation in the late 18th century.
Posted by pierre at 2:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 3, 2007
:: Lakeville Wallcloud
KD0ASB was out storm spotting for Metro SKYWARN this afternoon and evening. Being that I am still not hooked up with a decent mobile rig, I am relying still on my father-in-law's HT. It hits the repeater at 5W if and when the position and conditions are right...meaning I can't stray too far from the Twin Cities Repeater Club receiver sites in Burnsville and Credit River. I am having a good day if I can hit it from my home, from indoors (which I have several times).
Anyway, the first cell was developing in central and southern Scott and Dakota counties when the SKYWARN net went on informal activation. I headed south to Airlake airport and had some really good views of the back side of the storm. There were several lowerings and I was eying a non-rotating wall cloud for about 5 minutes, and it went back into the main storm as it pushed off into Farmington. I retreated back up Cedar Ave to home base and checked up on radar, etc. By this time it was around 5:30-5:40, and the net had already gone to "formal" activation per National Weather Service request.
The next round (or cell) that was bound for Lakeville was located in southern Hennepin, moving into northern Scott (just crossing the river from Bloomington into Savage). One of the spotters in Savage broke in with a rotating wall cloud report. I immediately hit the road to higher ground to take a look...it would be headed right for us.
Walking outside, it was extremely ominous...quiet, still and dark. Clouds overhead were moving in different directions. I knew it was close by. I went to North Park, which is higher up and in more of the clear from the surrounding neighborhood canopies of Oak, Ash, and Maple trees. As the edge of the rain shaft nicked the park with light rain and a gust of wind, I observed the wall cloud, just to the southeast...and it was beginning to rotate! I called the the report. Within a minute later, another spotter in Apple Valley confirmed hail from the same cell. Here is a closeup of the radar at the time of my report of the wall cloud. The pink arrow points to my approximate location (I would be right at the tip).
Notice the notch-like echo? Not exactly a hook echo, but notches denote some sort of circulation is trying to get started. I looked in the truck for my camera...I HADN'T GRABBED IT!! Argh! So, the lousy camera-phone shot at the top of this post is all I got. Lesson learned for next time! Regardless, it was exciting...this would be my second official report to SKYWARN as a ham (the first being a hail report back in late May).
Posted by pierre at 8:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 2, 2007
:: Obligatory iPhone Post
iPhone debuted over the weekend, and this morning's news headlines say that over 500,000 have been sold! Whoa! Now, since iPhone is only serviced by AT&T (thus far), and assuming that their stats are accurate, this means that 50% of iPhone customers are roll-overs from other providers. That would mean not only huge income for Apple, but AT&T as well. Analysts only predicted 3 million iPhones would sell in the first six months, and we will not really know the outcome until after the Christmas rush. However, all iPhones reviews are generally...well...great! And as shipping from Apple and restocking at Apple stores catch up from the debut sales frenzy, this trend could very well continue.
link to news source
link to another blog with this info highlighted...thanks Phil!
So, as part of my post, I thought I would give my Top Five Reasons Why I Want an iPhone, and then the Top Five Reasons I Can't/Won't Be Buying an iPhone Anytime Soon:
Top Five Reasons I Want an iPhone
5. I have always wanted an iPod
4. I have always wanted a phone with internet
3. That sweet touch screen interface
2. Hello, finally someone introduces a product that acts like we are in the 21st century!
1. I am sick of my RAZR, which now everyone has, and has started to get "old"
Top Five Reasons I Won't be Getting and iPhone
5. Someone else pays for my RAZR and the AT&T Plan that goes with it, and I am pretty sure that they won't be adding iPhones to the list of supported phones I can replace my RAZR with
4. I am Mac-illiterate
3. I don't even have an iPod
2. 2-4 weeks wait time (I would want it NOW)
1. Why would I drop $600 to get "in" on the new hotness? Holy waste of money, Batman!
Posted by pierre at 10:31 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack