Let’s just get something out of the way; I love weather. I love to watch the weather, I love to guess the weather, and I love to complain about the weather. I love weather. If you have read my “Who’s That Girl?” page you already knew that. However, I think this weather thing requires a special mention. My boss calls me ‘weather girl;’ I might have a problem.
Over the course of this blog, I will make many posts, tweets, and comments related to weather. I just will, I can't help it, it's what I do. It might get tiresome to the reader; it might get redundant. But it’s my voice on this thing so far and my voice tends to be weather focused at times. If it’s too much, just drop me a note. If it’s entertaining, well that’s ok to comment about too. If it’s scientifically or otherwise fascinating, email me about starting a weather fan club. I might be interested.
So, what is it about the weather? I think it goes back to my tortured middle school days where I learned to write poetry and got kind of good at it after awhile. I thought so at the time at least. There is something about using poetry to express oneself; and there is something about writing poetry while watching the rain, snow, or a storm. These days, I tend to curl up with a cup of coffee, and a journal or my iBook G4, and write the day away; though I rarely write a poem anymore. (In case you couldn't guess, it's raining in Seattle as I type this.)
When people ask me what brought me to Seattle, my first answer is always, “the rain.” It’s true. I have loved the rain since I was about 12 years old. Seattle was always associated with the rain so my curiosity grew. When I moved here, I got hooked on the weather blog at KOMO4 . I know I complain about the rain but the truth is, I love these cool, rainy days with low humidity that we have. Going back east is going to be quite the adjustment. You know, with the high dew point and all (right Dad?) Besides, come on, thunderstorms are cool.
On a serious note, my condolences to the man who just lost his fiancé earlier this week by a lightning strike near Asheville. This is a tragic story and a sad reminder of the power of weather. See below.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) - Richard Butler wanted his girlfriend to think they were just taking a scenic hike in the North Carolina mountains, but he had a secret plan. When they got to the top, he planned to pull out a ring and ask her to be his bride.
Lightning struck three times as the Knoxville, Tenn., couple were on Max Patch Bald, near Asheville. The third hit Butler, 30, and his girlfriend, Bethany Lott, 25, killing her on Friday, he told the Asheville Citizen Times. He suffered third degree burns.
"She didn't say anything, and I turned around and she was laying a few feet away, and I crawled to her," he told the newspaper on Monday. "I did CPR for probably 15 minutes and the whole time was trying her cell phone, but I couldn't get anything out."
He described the lightning strike.
"I was spun 180 degrees and thrown several feet back," he told the newspaper. "My legs turned to Jello, my shoes were smoking and the bottom of my feet felt like they were on fire."
His mother, Janet Delaney, said her future daughter-in-law loved the mountains.
"She hiked thousands of miles and spent a couple of years in Utah just hiking," Delaney, also of Knoxville, told The Associated Press.
She and her son are mourning instead of celebrating the joy the engagement would have brought.
"The first couple of times I met her, I felt she was my own daughter," Delaney said. "She made my life complete and my son's life complete."
Heavy rain let up as the two walked toward the bald, but more bad weather returned including the lightning, Butler said.
"Her last words were, 'Look at how beautiful it is,"' Delaney said.
Butler turned around to see his fiancee lying on the hill.
Unable to carry her down the hill, Butler drove to the first home he found. A father and his son, who was home on leave from the Navy, jumped in Butler's truck and raced back to the bald.
"They stood on the top of the hill doing what they could for probably 20 minutes until the rescuers got there," Butler said.
After rescuers arrived, they tried unsuccessfully to resuscitate Lott. Services for her will be this week in New Tazewell, Tenn.
Butler suffered third-degree burns, but Delaney said he hasn't been to a doctor despite her urging him to go. She said his emotions seem to be in good shape.
"He's holding up better than I thought he would," Delaney said tearfully, adding, "He's going to try to go on."
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Associated Press Writer Joe Edwards in Nashville, Tenn., contributed to this report.
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