dual personalities

Tag: weather

November 19, 2025

Humble yourselves

by chuckofish

I have had a very busy week so far and yesterday was particularly aggravating. I had to go down to the monolithic and intimidating BJS medical center where parking is always an adventure. I had to wait for over an hour for my appointment which took 10 minutes. Zut alors! but c’est la vie. After that, I went to the Link Auction house, also in the CWE, and picked up some items I had won at last weekend’s auction. I could not fit it all in my car so I will have to go back today. (The boy had to come over to my house and help me get one large item out of my car!) Life is complicated.

Driving home from the CWE, I avoided the highway since it had been jammed up going down to the city, so I was once again shocked to see the devastation from the May 16 tornado in Forest Park. All the big trees are just gone from Lindell Blvd and all the way down Wydown in Clayton. Many of the mansions still have boarded up windows and tarps on the roofs. Mother Nature can sure be rough. But she helps us keep our perspective.

And then, last night, I had a Kirkwood Historical Society board meeting, so I was out after dark! Good grief, Charlie Brown!

I will stop grousing now in order to remind you that today is the birthday of Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov, the Russian composer, born in 1859. He was a student of Rimsky-Korsakov, whose influence was quite strong. I remember this selection from records we listened to in my childhood:

Enjoy!

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
–I Peter 5:6-7

(The photo at the top is of a scene typical of the arrangements I find when the wee laddie has visited my house. He came with his Dad yesterday.)

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March 19, 2025

“I met a traveler from an antique show/ His pockets empty, but his eyes aglow.”*

by chuckofish

The sun is out and the yard is cleaned up. One set of storms is behind us. But we are still feeling a bit disheveled.

Over the weekend we went to an estate sale in South County where the owners had been greatobsessive collectors. The wife collected dolls, which brings to mind those scary houses where the rooms are filled with those dolls you used to see ads for in women’s magazines–

but these were nice dolls from foreign countries and she had quite a good collection. I have a similar (much smaller) collection which is in the doll case at daughter #1’s house. We had fun looking at this huge collection which was housed in a lighted, built-in case, but did not consider actually buying any of the dolls. Until we saw these two:

Lord Cadogan
William the Conqueror

Handmade in England, back in the 1950s (?), they are beautiful. They remind me of the huge collection of dolls which was on permanent display at the school I went to growing up. I’m sure they are from the same source. Anyway, I knew no one would want them, so I rescued them–for a song (minus Lamar’s generous discount). I’m not sure where I will put them, but for now they are safe at my house.

Oh, people and their collections! I do not really understand them. It takes a certain kind of addictive personality to really go all out; we see it not infrequently when estate-sale-ing. It is a good thing to remember that you can’t take it with you, and unless your children share your obsession, it will all end up in an estate sale. (Or else in the Saint Louis Art Museum if you are Morton May.)

Collecting is a curious art,
From treasures in a chest.
The value of what’s gathered there
Is in the one who’s blest.”

–Emily Dickinson

This was interesting: 100 years ago, on March 18, 1925, nearly 700 people died as a massive tornado raced across Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana for several hours. Unlike most tornado outbreaks, this was a single, long-tracked twister, ripping primarily through southern Missouri and Illinois. Yikes!

From the I-don’t-ever-want-to-hear-the-word-‘misinformation’-ever-again department, here’s Anne on kooks and cranks, the MSM and the NYT: “For sure it backfired. But still, see, you’re still being judgemental, and you’re not in a position to do that. You can’t judge other people’s motives until you yourself have come clean. You weren’t right on the merits, and other people were, whom you shut down. Until you, the New York Times, breaks down and says sorry, there won’t be any possibility of institutions being rebuilt in a trustworthy manner.”

And as someone noted, due to park ranger cutbacks by DOGE, bears are now tasked with fixing fallen cones…

Have a good day!

*Ogden Nash

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March 17, 2025

Be thou still my strength and shield*

by chuckofish

We had quite a storm on Friday night–wind, rain, hail–the whole nine yards. Luckily for us, there were no tornadoes in our immediate area.

Our internet was out, so we couldn’t watch our local TV weathermen, which was troubling. We never really knew if we needed to go to the basement. But we had a text thread going with our three children…

Anyway, we are all right. Spring storms are par for the course here, although you never really get used to them. When I was driving over to daughter #1’s house on Sunday afternoon, I had to detour around a large tree that was blocking Price Road!

The further excitement of that stormy evening was when I was awakened at 4:00 in the morning by a dog howling outside. I thought how odd, but went back to sleep. Then at 4:30 a.m. I heard it again. I got up to look out my window, and lo and behold, there was a large coyote in my front yard! He ambled across the street and disappeared behind the neighbor’s house. Zut alors!

Well, it was a very busy weekend besides the weather, indeed, with lots of activities. The twins earned an A+ for behavior in church. But for now, I will leave you with a reminder that it is St. Patrick’s Day today, so it’s time to watch The Quiet Man (1952)…

I love this Simpson’s version of the famous kissing-in-the rain scene with JW’s yellow skin showing through his rain-soaked shirt.

In other news, I have my semi-annual cancer check-up today as well, and an infusion, so Fun Times. Onward and upward.

*William Williams, 1745, Guide Me, Oh Thou Great Jehovah

6 Comments
March 13, 2025

And the land shall yield its increase*

by chuckofish

The weather gurus are preparing us for severe weather (Damaging Winds and Isolated Tornadoes Possible!) on Friday, but in the meantime, we are enjoying sunny skies and moderate temps. Spring appears to have arrived. The daffodils bloomed a few days ago!

There are buds everywhere…and I filled up my first yard bag with detritus!

In other news, March’s full moon, known as the Worm Moon, will pass into Earth’s shadow tonight, or early on March 14, depending on the time zone. This eclipse, we are told, will be visible from the Western Hemisphere. The Old Farmer’s Almanac gives you specific moonrise times for ZIP codes across the U.S. So check it out!

And Happy National Elephant Day (in Thailand)!

*Leviticus 26:4

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February 13, 2025

Onward and upward

by chuckofish

When did we start naming winter storms? I had no idea that this was a thing. We are told that Winter Storm Illiana is upon us and that Winter Storm Jett is on the way. Good grief, Charlie Brown!

I wouldn’t be concerned but I am supposed to drive up to Mahomet, IL today and return over the weekend. It appears that I might get stuck there. Does that matter? Well, I do have that DAR Presidents Day event on Monday at which daughter #1 is officiating…bad weather does complicate things, doesn’t it?

But I am motivated to see these little Valentines…

So I’ll be heading out shortly.

Meanwhile, this is important: 10 things your children should know about you. I am always amazed when people know hardly anything about their parents or grandparents because they really haven’t spent much time talking to them (about things that matter).

And this made me laugh…

So please pray for travel mercies and that Winter Storm Jett doesn’t materialize ahead of schedule!

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February 11, 2025

It’s a twister!

by chuckofish

Yesterday was the anniversary of the February 10, 1959 “tornado outbreak” in St. Louis. I was not-quite three years old so I don’t remember it and luckily we lived in a part of town that was not hit. However, the F4 tornado did sweep through my current stomping grounds–Warson Woods, Rock Hill, Brentwood–on its way to the city.

It toppled the Channel 2 television tower and one of the Arena’s two towers before moving on to devastate the area around Boyle and Olive Streets (Gaslight Square).

The tornado was on the ground for at least 35 minutes, traveled 23.9 miles (38.5 km), was 200 yards (180 m) wide, and caused $50.25 million is damage. 345 people were injured and 21 others were killed, making it the third deadliest tornado in the city’s history.

Interestingly, the heyday of Gaslight Square was actually kick-started in the aftermath of the city’s 1959 tornado outbreak, which caused severe property damage but also led to an influx of attention and insurance money. Business owners took advantage of this to revitalize the local economy. It became a very hip place to hang out–even my parents went there. Entertainers who performed in the clubs included: Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand, Judy Collins, the Smothers Brothers, Phyllis Diller, Woody Allen, and so on…

A 1962 episode of the TV show Route 66 titled “Hey Moth, Come Eat the Flame” was set and filmed inside The Darkside jazz club. How cool can you get?

Gaslight Square didn’t last long, however, and the Board of Alderman, who had officially renamed the district on 24 March 1961, retired the name in December of 1972. Easy come, easy go. C’est la vie.


P.S. I watched the Route 66 episode and besides the scenes in Gaslight Square there are scenes shot at the Chase Park Plaza on Kingshighway and the old Rock Hill quarry (which is mostly filled in now) and in some bowling alley I could not identify. It’s worth checking out for that!

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January 7, 2025

When it got cold

by chuckofish

Well, we are firmly encased under a blanket of snow. And it is quiet–so quiet–in my neighborhood. No cars, practically no one walking by. No leaf blowers. Very nice.

I suppose I should bundle up and go outside, “But for now I am a willing prisoner in this house,  a sympathizer with the anarchic cause of snow.”   (I really like this poem by Billy Collins about snow.)

And here’s an old song which uses the phrase “We bundled up”.

Our driveway is going to be plowed on Wednesday, so until then, we are stuck at home. I can dig it. Hang in there and I will too.

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January 6, 2025

 Faith holds wide the door*

by chuckofish

Well, we were warned about the blizzard conditions that were coming all last week and so were prepared to be home for several days. In fact, I did not leave the house all weekend, but stayed holed up in my cozy domicile. I had plenty of wine and nibblies, so I was not overly concerned. We were lucky and largely dodged the bullet, unlike Kansas City where conditions were pretty dicey. But we did experience “thunder snow” which sent our weatherpeople into paroxysms of delight. Flyover weather–par for the course.

Church was cancelled and so I watched (on YouTube) the service from last week when we were in Mahomet. It was interesting to watch from the virtual balcony and good to see all those familiar communicants. They sang “O Little Town of Bethlehem” which was nice to hear, since we had not sung it earlier during the Christmas season. The lyrics* by Phillips Brooks are so good.

I took down all the Christmas decorations (and two trees) which is quite a job and takes hours and hours. Daughter #1 came over on Friday and helped me, but it is a multiple-day event. I’m sure I will continue to find Xmas items that have escaped my attention for weeks to come.

Today is Epiphany, so don’t forget to watch 3 Godfathers (1948). I watched it over the weekend and it is just a great, great movie. You will recall that it is a loose retelling of the biblical Three Wise Men story in an American Western context, starring John Wayne, Pedro Armendariz and Harry Carey, Jr. It is also the birthday of our lovely daughter-in-law (daughter #3). We will celebrate as soon as the roads are cleared and we can synchronize our calendars!

Here’s Sinclair Ferguson’s resolution for the Christian life. “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

It is very frustrating not to be able to include photos on my blog and daughter #1 and I are working on figuring out what to do. I probably will be starting a new blog, perhaps on Substack, very soon, so keep checking in and I’ll let you know.

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May 28, 2024

Till the ductile anchor hold

by chuckofish

Yesterday, of course, was a beautiful sunny day with nary a cloud in the sky. We had no plans other than cleaning up from the day before. C’est la vie.

Yesterday was also the birthday of Walt Whitman, so I read some poetry.

And here’s Bob Dylan’s hat tip to W.W.:

Have a good (short) week!

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February 29, 2024

The wind blows where it wishes

by chuckofish

Today is leap day. As you know, nearly every four years, we add an extra day to the calendar in the form of February 29. These additional 24 hours are built into the calendar to ensure that it stays in line with the Earth’s movement around the sun. While the modern calendar contains 365 days, the actual time it takes for Earth to orbit its star is slightly longer—roughly 365.2421 days.

Meanwhile the temperature dropped 60 degrees yesterday–from a record high of 86 on Tuesday to lows in the 20s. Wind chills in the 10s. The weathermen are loving it–getting to say things like “weather whiplash” etc. But we’ll be back in the 70s by the weekend, so no apocalypse yet. I am just glad we didn’t experience any tornadoes because of the “fast changing air masses”. Weather is endlessly fascinating because we cannot control it, despite our Power Dopplar radar scanning the skies.

This is a good one by Darryl Dash. “Big dreams impress, but ordinary faithfulness delivers. We tend to overestimate what can be done through large initiatives, and underestimate what can be done through ordinary obedience, persistent prayer, and sacrificial love.” The author also quotes Wendell Berry and that got me reading some Berry poetry. He is a favorite of mine. Here’s another good one:

He wrote this poem in 1967, but it sure resonates today.

Now go in peace to love and serve the Lord.

P.S. The flowers are in Don’s yard, not mine!

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