THE McCAIN-RIDGE CAVALRY RIDES TO CUSTER HILL -- Just A Minute Radio for Tuesday 110719

We have a bunch of 'hot' days coming along – with 'heat events' promised by the WX bureau folks…

 

By the count of the NWS there have now been two tropical named storms come through the starting gates for the hurricane season of 2011… The next one – they say is named "Cindy." Just so you'll know when she comes a-knockin' or a blowin' or whatever.

 

Everyone agrees it's been a most unusual season thus far. The heat wave that has been moving across the Midwest the last few days has been pushing the tropical storms out in the Atlantic. Obviously one of those examples of it being "An ill wind that blows no one good!"  So, aside from the waves rocking the occasional freighter, tanker or off-track cruise ship – I think we may thank the Lord for those two not being able to come ashore because of the hot weather.

 

Now let's see what else we can do with summer.  –  I thought these are supposed to be the 'winding down' of the 'dog days' that appear when the Romans referred to the dog days as diēs caniculārēs and associated the hot weather with the star Sirius. They considered Sirius to be the "Dog Star" because it is the brightest star in the constellation Canis Major (Large Dog). The Almanac says the Dog Days began this year on the 3^rd of July and should end on the 11^th of August – which is still a long hot time away!

 

I'm trying to come up with a way to satisfy the grey squirrels that populate our back yard… eat more than their share of the sunflower seed I put out… and sort of scare off the bird population from the bird feeder. A couple of weeks ago the wind – racing through some tulip poplars that stand around the house – and that the insurance company required me to trim back so they would not damage the home – well the wind broke off some fairly large limbs – even after trimming… and one of them smashed the bird feeder to smithereens.

 

I've never quite known the measurements for smithereens… but I guess it's small enough. If you have a convenient measurement send it along please. And if you have a workable idea about keeping the squirrels clear of the bird feeders's I'd be glad to have it.  E-mail is n4zhk@arrl.net and I'll send back a picture once I get the miracle squirrel feeder built. (J)

 

Well… I don't want to get overheated with all the excitement. Have a great day!

 

Cordially, IN HIM

Jack