Fun and Games

Okay, every day is not dull and uneventful.

My hard working hubby worked really hard and long on Saturday so we could take Sunday afternoon off. We hopped in the truck and started to drive east and didn't stop until we got to the edge. The edge of the country. This is the bridge crossing the Narragansett Bay between what you might call the "mainland" of Rhode Island and the little island or Newport. There is a lot to see in Newport and we didn't have time to see and do much. We took the trolley to The Breakers. It is a mansion that was built in 1895 by the Vanderbilt family. It cost somewhere in the neighborhood of 7 million to build it--way back then. It was their "summer cottage." Here is the entry gate.

Here is the front of the house. It covers one square acre and is--well you can get an idea of the height when you look at all the people standing in line waiting to get in.Here is a side view. It was hard to get the whole "cottage" in one picture.And here is the back of the house. The back yard was large enough (several acres) for me to get far enough away to get the wide shot. The inside of the house was something beyond my imagination. They wouldn't let people take pictures so you'll just have to take my word for it. Picture 70 rooms of "Look how much money we have!" built by a guy who was worth more than 100 million dollars at the turn of the century. The bathtub in the mater's bath was carved out of a single piece of marble. Pink alabaster was plentiful and the chandeliers--indescribable!Here is Rick standing on the porch of the children's play house that was in the side yard. It was complete with a large fireplace, a wood burning cook stove, a miniature piano, small furniture and real china. The tour guide told how the generations of children and grandchildren were taught responsibility. Even though they each had their own personal servant, each child was expected to hang up their own clothes. Poor mistreated little kids! Here is what us southerners would call the back porch. I tried to get a shot of the yard and porch at the same time. I couldn't get it all in my viewfinder.The grounds covered many acres. Some of the trees were imported from Japan and various other countries. I don't know what kind of tree this is or where it came from, but I wanted to take its picture because it was one big tree!
As majestic as the house was and as beautiful as the gardens were, none of it could compare to the view from "the back porch." The Atlantic Ocean in all its glory! The shoreline here is a rocky cliff. As we stood at the edge of the property and watched the rough sea, I tingled from head to toe and tears filled my eyes. The wind coming off the water was cool and the waves thundered when they crashed against the rock cliffs below. "Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, ... Who enclosed the sea with doors, when bursting forth, it went out from the womb; When I made a cloud its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band, and I placed boundaries on it, and I set a bolt and doors, and I said, 'Thus far you shall come, but no farther; And here shall your proud waves stop?'" Job 38:1-11.
There were many more mansions to see but we didn't have time or enough money to take them all in. They could not have been any more beautiful than the ocean anyway.

Newport is the Yachting Capital of the US. We made our way down to "the club" and took a few pictures of a BUNCH of boats. I'll post them tomorrow, so check back.

I apologize for the low quality of my photos here. We don't have Wi-Fi in the campground so I am using a cell card to post. It is so SLOW ! I have to reduce the quality of the photos to get them to upload. All you have to do is ask and I'll go back to posting higher quality, but this saves me some time and frustration.

Uneventful Day

I don't want any of you to get the idea that my life on the road is all fun and games. Most days are dull and uneventful. Like today. Rick has been trying to get caught up on paperwork, so this has been "my view from the couch" all day long. (Except for when I carried out the trash.)
This kind of excitement is nothing to blog about, I know. But a little while ago I had just a little more excitement than I was prepared for.

Because we have gray water but no black water hook-up (that's RVers lingo for-- I can take a shower and drain the sinks but can't empty the potty's holding tank) at this campground, we make sporadic trips up the hill to the public facilities. So a while ago, I decided that I needed to stretch my legs, get some fresh air, and "hike up the hill."

I was, well, sitting there minding my own business tending to business when I suddenly got the feeling I was being watched. Not good. I glanced down and saw a chipmunk sitting by my foot, gazing up at me. EEk! I was--well let's just say I was REALLY startled. The poor little critter's eyes bugged when I tried hard not to scream too loudly, and it took off like a shot!

It took a while but my heart did return to it's normal rhythm. I can't say about the chipmunk though. Poor little thing probably ran to his burrow and put a damp leaf on his head.

Perspective

You might want to drag out your atlas.

We just got back from going out to supper. We left East Haddam, drove through a town called Haddam, another named Chester, and finally stopped in Deep River to eat. Now for all my friends and family in Texas, I know you are thinking, "Why did they go all that way just for supper?" If you were to leave Amarillo and drive through three other towns before stopping for supper, you would be really hungry and you may need to get gas before you could start home. Don't worry about us though, we only drove about six miles to find some pizza.

Perspective--apparent relation between visible objects as to position, distance, etc.

Just to help you huge-minded Texans get a mental picture, or a proper perspective--you can fit about four, count them, 4 states of Connecticut into JUST the PANHANDLE of Texas. The reason we drove through three towns before stopping to eat? We had to go that far to find a restaurant with a parking lot large enough to park our one-ton truck! I kid you not!

Well, maybe. There is one parking lot in East Haddam that is large enough for our truck, but we have eaten there already and we wanted to try a new place. Still we ended up parking in the lot of a grocery store and walking to the pizza place. But you know we didn't have to walk far. If we had walked very far, we would have ended up in another town! This is a tiny little state with tiny little towns which have tiny little streets and tiny little parking lots, and they are connected by tiny little winding, hilly roads. (Paved? Yes, but not wide enough for me to want to call them highways.)

There is no "out in the country." Every town borders another town but many houses along the connecting highways obviously have acreage so you have the feel of being in the country. The other day we were driving down a street that was the dividing line between towns. The school of one town was across the street of the city offices of another town. Crazy!!! And we are not talking one big city and it burbs either.

I'm not being critical of this tiny little place at all. The scenery is beautiful and the temperatures are pleasant. We are glad to be working and we are always happy to see new places. It is just hard to shrink my thinking enough to get a grasp of my surroundings.

On our way here from Minnesota, we spent one night somewhere in Pennsylvania. We talked with a lady that lived in that area. She asked us where we were from, and we tried to explain that we live in Texas but had come from Minnesota. She remarked that she had "gone out west once." She said, "When I got to Ohio, I had to turn around and come back to the real world."

When we were out of her range of hearing we laughed so hard. If Ohio is "out west" then we must have come from a whole 'nother country! Oh wait! We are from Texas, so I guess we did!!

All this makes me think about how our perspective shapes our opinion and beliefs.
Another definition of perspective--mental view of the relative importance of things.

How easy it is to become the center of our own tiny universe. The importance of the things and the people around us is relative to their position or distance from us. Humm. I'm guilty too many times. Sometimes I get so caught up in my own busyness, worries, or whatever, that I lose the big picture.

Thank goodness God's got the right perspective. Thank goodness that He has no problem understanding the "smallness" of Connecticut, the "bigness" of Texas, and the vast reality of eternity! To help me keep a good view of the importance of people and things in this world, I think I'll keep God at the center of my universe and my atlas close by.

Discussion on Capitol Hill

I used to rant about a lot of things: things that were important to me or things that upset me. I don't think I rant as much as I used to because 1) I'm too tired & 2) I found ranting did little to change anything.

But I just read an article that makes me want to rant! Gender Confusion goes to the Hill. Please take time to read it.

Can you believe that today your tax dollars (mine too) paid law makers to discuss what to do about folks who don't know if they are male or female?

How can a person honestly say they don't know what their gender is? I say, send them to a smart doctor for a complete physical exam. There are ways of telling the difference, and if they slept through health class, a doctor can tell them what they are.

Of all the "issues" before our elected officials, this has to be one that would make them want to call in sick! I know thinking about it makes ME sick! Thinking about how quickly the American moral condition has slipped into the gutter makes me even sicker. We pay men and women to write laws that restrict living a godly, decent life while promoting and favoring perverted lifestyles that will destroy our families and our nation.

What ever happened to the idea that the majority rules? I doubt that "transgenders" make up a majority of the American people. So why is there a discussion going on about whether special allowances should be made for this group of confused people? I'm sure that there are a lot of folks that are confused about many different things. Legislation can not be made or enforced to favor every confused soul walking around.

I ponder... There is a good chance that confused people may change their minds from time to time, day to day. So what happens when laws are put in place to favor the ideas and beliefs embraced by a confused minority and then that confused minority changes its collective confused mind? Do new laws have to be written, again? Where will it end? Will my tax dollars have to pay for sex-change operations for this confused minority?

If the gay activists continue to get their way, someday my sweet innocent granddaughters may enter a public restroom (designated neither "ladies" nor "gentlemen" because that will be illegal) and see a man who doesn't know he is a man, lifting his skirt to use the facility. (Excuse me while I go vomit.)

How long will we let this go on? How long will our God, our Creator and our Judge, let this go on? God, forgive us! God, help us!!

Good Money and Fake Weeds

I like ferns. Don't know why really, but I think they are lovely. Ferns don't grow where I live. Maybe I like them simply because they are "different."

When we drove through Pennsylvania I was amazed at the forest floors. They were thickly covered with these gorgeous ferns. I repeatedly asked Rick to pull over so I could try to dig one up to have for my very own. I was teasing (sort of) and he was in a hurry, so I don't have a fern.

I was pleased to see that ferns grow here as well as in Pennsylvania. I walked around the campground today and took a couple of pictures. Monday when I was enjoying my time out with the girls, I said something about my fascination with these lovely plants. I even told them about how I bought a "silk" fern from Hobby Lobby just so I could have one.

Joyce said, "We call them weeds here." -----

I'm still trying to deal with the emotional distress. A voice in my head keeps saying, "You spent good money on fake weeds!"

I wonder if the Hobby Lobby here sells fake tumble weeds? And if so, would one of these New England folks buy one, thinking they had a thing of beauty? For just a little while I felt silly for buying a fake weed to decorate my home. But not as silly as I would have felt if I had actually tried to dig one up to haul around with me.

After pondering this a while I've decided that one woman's weed is another woman's prized house plant. So the next time I'm home I'll proudly blow the dust off my fake fern and thank the Lord that a Yankee didn't catch me digging weeds in the woods!

P.S Please continue to offer your thoughts on my writing assignment--the how-to article. (See yesterday's post.)

I Need Your Help!

I did it again! I left the house without my camera! AUGH! Yesterday three very sweet ladies picked me up and took me to see the Gillette Castle. And I forgot to take my camera. So while they were having a time snapping photos, I made mental pictures. It's hard to post those on a blog.

First let me tell you about the sweet ladies. Joyce, Heidi, and Carla are the grandmother, mother, and sister of my "favorite" (and so far my only) son-in-law, Tony. Joyce lives in Rhode Island and Heidi and Carla live in the Carolinas. Heidi and Carla are on their way to Maine to visit Heidi's parents and stopped in Rhode Island to visit Joyce. And all together they made my day by making the drive to Connecticut to visit me! I feel special. I had a blast. It has been a long time since I had any time "out with the girls."

Their visit makes me think about the sweet mercies of my God. When my daughter married Tony, that crazy kid from up north, God knew that I would be in Connecticut at this time, and He knew how much a little "sister conversation" would bless me. It is so cool how God works the most major events and the tiniest details in our lives together for our good.

I'm not going to tell you about the castle in this post because I have every intention in going back WITH MY CAMERA and my husband. I'll tell you all about the castle after that. But all of that is not what this post is about.

I need your help. You know I'm taking a writing course, and my next assignment is to write a how-to article. How to make, or do, or be something. You know the type of article. The field is wide! Anyway, I'm stumped. I've done a lot of things in my life but I'm not an expert at anything. I can do research on a topic, but I must have some experience or expertise in order to write effectively.

What would you, my readers, like to see me write about? Some of you know me well and some of you don't, but that doesn't matter. I want your opinion. I NEED YOUR HELP! What do you want to know how to make, do, or be? Leave your comments, PLEASE. My "how-to" waits on you! Thanks in advance! I'm excited to get your input!

Time Flies...

I've decided that time flies whether you're having fun or not. It's not that I'm not having fun. I guess if the old saying is true I must be having a blast because, GEE WHIZZ, where have the last four days gone? I posted here last Thursday, I have no idea what I did Friday, (can't remember), Saturday I worked on my writing assignment, then yesterday...

Setting: Sunday--Rick is working at his desk completely zoned out to anything else around him. I'm reading and just kind of wasting time. My phone rings and it is Kaleena, my oldest child. I step outside so my conversation doesn't bother Rick as he is on the phone with insureds.

Lavonda: yak-it-ty yak-it-ty yak (Time passes, morning turns into afternoon, so conversation ends and I go back inside.)

Rick: Get ready and we will run to Wal-Mart.

Lavonda: Slaps on some make-up, puts on shoes, grabs purse.

We get in the truck and head out in search of a Wal-Mart. In no time at all we are a few miles down the road and pass through a few little towns. I start to see road signs that indicate we are on our way to an outlet mall.

Lavonda: (Thinking to myself) SWEET!

We eat lunch, we shop, then its back in the truck to hunt, once again, for the nearest Wal-Mart.

A little time and a few miles pass then road signs indicate we are headed for Long Island Sound.

Lavonda: You're taking me to THE SOUND? And I didn't bring my camera!

Rick: Why not?

Lavonda: You said we were going to Wal-Mart! I don't usually take my camera when I just go to Wal-Mart!

Rick: Well you should.

Lavonda: (Thinking to myself) Mental note--always take your camera every time you leave the camper, even if you are just going to Wal-Mart.

***************

Rick had his rinky-dink camera in the truck so we used it to snap a few pictures. They are nothing to rave about, but just in case we don't get to go back to the sound while we are in Connecticut...here ya go.

I don't know who these people are but they wouldn't get out of the picture.

Rick was a little chilly. The sea breeze was nice and cool.

I can't go to a beach and not get my feet wet. And it wasn't until AFTER we played with the hermit crabs we found in the shallow that we saw the sign that said, "Do Not Disturb the Wildlife." Oops!

In case you are wondering, yes we did finally find a Wal-Mart. We bought groceries and came back to the camper. It was a fun afternoon. I guess that's why time flew.

Boys and Girls, Are These Pinecones?

For those of you who have been reading my blog for a while, do you remember the pinecones we found when we were in southern California? (If you are a new reader, this post is linked to the post I am making reference to.) Well now, get a load of these cute little Connecticut pinecones!
It makes me laugh! I guess if you compare the size of the two states, you couldn't expect anything different! I just love it.

I know, I'm too easily amused. But still, I can't get over my God's creativity. I think about how board I get when I make Christmas cookies. I cut a few trees, then a few candy canes, then a few bells--because just one shape gets dull, FAST! I'm guessing when God was creating pine trees (and cones) He entertained himself with variety. A few average ones, a few gigantic ones, a few tiny ones... I hope He enjoyed creating them as much as I enjoy gathering and comparing them.

Find joy in the journey! (And in the forest!)

Highway Rolls on Forever

I feel like I'm trying to come out of a two week coma. Miles and miles, town after town, then suddenly you don't know what state you are in. The last few days have taken us through parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, (and a wrong turn took us through a tiny part of Michigan) Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Connecticut. And only a few days earlier we drove through parts of Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Iowa, and then Minnesota.

I don't have jetlag exactly, but I've got some kind of lag going on for sure! The only way I have of knowing where I am is by looking at the campground map that is on my table. It has a Connecticut address on it, so I'm assuming that is where I am. Sometimes as we travel I ask my husband where we are. He usually knows and I feel reassured. But the other day I asked him, and with a glazed deer-in-the-headlight stare, he told me he didn't know. I knew at that point we had been on the road too long!

I managed to take a few pictures along the way this time. They aren't great because roads are bumpy and it is hard to focus on anything whizzing by the window, but I thought you might like to see them anyway.

The interstate we needed to take through Wisconsin was closed because of flooding. We were stuck, over two hours, on the highway until we were finally able to take a detour around washed out bridges and flooded roadways. We had to go about 100 miles out of our way, but we ended up driving through rural Wisconsin. I saw some of the most beautiful scenery I've seen in my life. It was enough to make one want to stand up and sing "America the Beautiful!"

I don't know why I didn't take any pictures of the beautiful farms and hills. I guess I was too busy just trying to take it all in. But here are a few pictures of a small town that fell victim to one of Wisconsin's overflowing rivers.

And on the horizon, more storm clouds were building. We manged to avoid any serious weather conditions as we traveled. God was good and our trip was without incident.


I am thankful that God created my body as He did, so that the images I see are transferred to my brain, my memory, and eventually nestled in my heart to cherish. If my eyes alone tried to hold the beauty of creation I was allowed to see, they would have surely popped! All I can say is that if you have a chance to visit the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania or the farms of Minnesota and Wisconsin, don't pass it up. Words can't describe what you will see.

When we went through Indiana we took a few minutes to visit the RV museum in Elkhart. Being full timers we found it interesting. I had no idea that they even made RVs back in the 1920s and 30s. In the post below you will see pictures I took as we went through Chicago. That's one place I never really wanted to go, but now I can say I've been there.

Chicago

Here are a few pictures I snapped from my shotgun seat as we made our way through Chicago. It took us about two hours to get through the city on the interstate and it was not even rush hour! We had to pay (it seemed) dozens of tolls all the way through the city and its suburbs. At least I can say, "I've been there." We did not have time to stop and sight-see. We really didn't want to.
At times traffic was stop-and-go. At times it was stopped completely. And at times I wanted to cry, "Slow Down!"

Rick did a great job maneuvering our rig through the traffic. I tried to keep my eyes and mouth shut. My fingers were white from clutching the arm rest and I had a tension headache by the time we were through the city, but we made it out alive!

I am a country bumpkin. I know Chicago is a place I would never want to live. All the houses we could see from the interstate were just a few feet apart--so congested--and the high-rise apartment buildings and condominiums are just not my idea of comfortable living.

I think if God asked me to move to Chicago, I'd probably ask to see his credentials.

Rick commented that no job, paying no amount of money could make him live in a city like this where the traffic is so bad, the drivers so crazy, and the trip to work every day so costly. I laughed and reminded him that there are some people that would say that no job, paying no amount of money could make them pick up at a moment's notice, drive over 3000 miles in a two week period of time through such big, congested cities, paying so much for fuel and tolls. To each his own.

It Was Nice While It Lasted

I know I'm not in Louisiana or even the Texas Panhandle when I see a sign like this.

Here are some of the pictures I promised you. I took them as I walked along the trail that runs through the camp ground. Some of the pictures are taken from the bank of the Minnesota River which is one of the campground's boundaries. This bridge crosses a little stream (which is currently swelled far beyond it's usual size) to a beautiful path. I think if you follow this path it will take you all the way to the next town. I won't have the chance to find out for sure.Looking up between the trees in the wooded area--filled with song birds--so peaceful.As I walked along through the trees I saw "open water."

Not really a lake, not really a stream, just "open water."

There is an abundance of cottonwood trees. And they have been doing what cottonwood trees do! Here is a big wad of cotton along the trail. Check out more of my pictures at http://www.flickr.com/photos/lffp/ and you will see one where the cotton almost looks like snow beside the trail. Could one tree possibly have compassion for another tree?

May we all have such a friend when we need one!

Woodpeckers can be heard hammering away in the tree tops. Here is the evidence.

Here is a spot of solitude that I looked forward to using.

And this is the view of the Minnesota River from the bench. But alas, I will not be reading my book in the shade of the maple trees on the bank of the river. Rick's bosses (he has many) have changed their minds AGAIN as to where they think they want him. This afternoon we will pack up and hit the road. This time we are headed for Connecticut. We are not for sure what town we will end up in, but we suspect it will be in the New Heaven area. We are a little disappointed because we like Minnesota, and because we are paying almost $5.00 a gallon for fuel. In the last nine days we have driven over two thousand miles with another 1,300 or more ahead of us by the week's end. We average between eight and nine mpg pulling the camper. (Groan!!!)

Oh well. I feel a bit like Scarlet...I won't think about that now. Tomorrow is another day. The next time I have a chance to post here, who knows where I'll be. So until then---

Another Day, Another City

We made it, safe and sound. Many, many hours on the road and even more $$$ spent on diesel, (OUCH!) but we made it. We are on the southwest side of Minneapolis, MN in a town called Shakopee.

The campground where we are is more of a "campground" and less of a "RV Park" than where we've been lately. And be sure it is no "Resort!" It's not bad though. We've got lots of trees, are located on the banks of the Minnesota River, and down in a valley. It has a restful feel even though we are near railroad tracks and get all the benefits (what ever they may be) of every train whistle blast--morning, noon, and night. Wi-Fi is not available except at the office up the hill. Right now I'm using Rick's wireless cell card, but it won't be available to me all the time. So if I'm able to post very often, I'll be hiking up the hill to the office. That's okay--I can use the exercise. The trees are so thick we can't get a good shot at the southern sky so we can't use our "Dish." Oh no! What am I going to do without the Weather Channel? I guess I'll just have to "Rough It."

I did take a little walk this morning to check out my immediate surroundings. I'll keep you in suspense for now, for a picture is worth --- well you know the rest, and I didn't have my camera with me. Sometimes it amazes me how much our great nation differs from state to state. A week ago I was singing, "Oh give me a home where the crawdads roam," and sweating by 7:00 in the morning. Today I am in the land of 10,000 lakes and I almost needed a jacket while I was on my walk. I'm feeling sorry for any of you suffering in the summer heat. Really, I am! If it makes you feel any better, know that I am enjoying the 68 degree day here an extra amount on your behalf!!! This place is nice in the summer, but I don't think it is where I want to be during the winter. After all, I am a southern gal. But, I'm going to make the most of being so close to the Canadian boarder while I can.

Rick's claims have been rolling in. He has almost 50 at this point. He has booked appointments over two weeks out and still has more to make. He always feels a little overwhelmed the first few days until he gets settled in and starts making his routine work for him. But he is good at what he does, and he'll be closing out files right and left before you know it. But you can pray for his stress level anyway. (Rain is in the forecast and that will slow him down and make him feel behind.)

We are camped in the Minnesota River flood plain. There has already been a lot of rain around here, so I would just as soon see some dry days myself. If we start to float away, I'll let you know.

Check out my map link and my weather link so you can get an idea of where I am and what it is like here. I'll take my camera when I go out next time so check back soon!

Quick Update

We've been caught up in the rush of life and the wind of West Texas.

I've lost track of time and I don't remember what happened when, but Rick's company rushed him to finish up in Louisiana so they could send him up north. So, Tuesday (I think) we left Duson and went to Houston to see daughter #1. Wednesday we headed to Amarillo so Rick could get some more work done on a troublesome tooth. Today is Saturday and Rick is making his phone calls and setting appointments for next week. Tomorrow we will hit the road again with our destination being the west side of Minneapolis, MN.

We've enjoyed getting to see all the kids for just a short time. I will spend the rest of the evening doing some laundry and trying to regroup and prepare for the long trip ahead. (About 1050 miles.) Once again...I'll catch ya on down the road.

Hurricane Season Is Here

So, what are you doing? Ya know it's bad when I'm sitting here watching The Weather Channel. I don't think I'm going to tell you how often I watch The Weather Channel. We have satellite TV. (We carry our dish around with us everywhere we go. I think we get about a billion channels (if you count the Sirius Radio stations) and still there is nothing to watch. So, we watch the weather.

One of my favorite songs is Forever and Ever, Amen. Remember that one verse? I'm gonna love you forever...As long as old men sit and talk about the weather, as long as old women sit and talk about old men.

I guess we are getting old. When I was younger I thought it funny that my mom would call me just to see if we got any rain, and if so, how much. Now I'm calling her to see how much rain she got at her house. (I know she got some because I watch The Weather Channel!) After we discuss the weather, then we often discuss our "old men." I hang up and laugh at myself every time.

Anyway, we watch a lot of The Weather Channel. Part of the reason is because bad weather means beans in the pot for us. Bad weather plus big trees (fallen on houses) might even get us a piece of chicken and some salad to boot. I've heard my husband say, "Trees are our friends." So the weather is of great interest to us.

Now don't get me wrong. We are not heartless vultures. We hurt and pray for the folks whose lives are disrupted and devastated by the storms. But the fact is, when a home is damaged in a storm and the owner needs to collect on his insurance policy so he can have repairs made, my husband is the guy who works to make sure that person gets the cash he needs. Some careers are not glamorous nor favored, but necessary. Such is the undertaker, the janitor, and the catastrophic adjuster.

Now that hurricane season is upon us, (the first tropical storm has already come and gone) I not only watch the weather channel, I check the National Weather Service hurricane page regularly. Even before storms are approaching our coastlines, I am checking out the waves coming off the African coast.

What's that you say? "Get a life?" Yeah, well...it keeps me off the streets and out of trouble.

The moral to this post? Into every life, some storms will come. Watch out, be ready, and thank God for those folks who help you get back on your feet again. (And it never hurts to watch the weather channel.)