I miss rain. When I was seven, we lived on West Ansley in south San Antonio. Three Dennis families, lived side by side, with six acres among us. It was my last innocent summer in many ways. In just a few months Blackie, my devoted Cocker Spaniel would be dead. Nineteen days later, I would…
Read more My First Great Adventure Was In a Torrential Storm
Following the severe weather and flooding in South Texas during Hurricane Hanna, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton today warned that state law prohibits price gouging in the wake of a declared disaster. Under state law, once the governor issues a declaration, vendors are prohibited from charging exorbitant prices for necessities such as drinking water, food, batteries, generators, towing, clothing,…
We passed up going to WonderWorks in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and I instantly regretted it after we left. Driving away toward the Great Smokies National Park, I suddenly remembered a Facebook post from a friend, Janie Buys, a few years ago mentioning the attraction. It seems she had doubts about visiting it with husband Phil…
Read more 10 Clever Facts We Learned at WonderWorks in Branson, Missouri
There was a fierce storm in Santa Claus. “It’s a hateful rain,” proclaimed Dodie as we traveled farther away from Louisville as fast as we possibly could. Earlier we stopped in Frankfort, Kentucky to pay our respects at American frontiersman Daniel Boone’s gravesite. He’s buried next to his wife Rebecca at one of the most…
How much wind would it take to blow you away? Depending on what you weigh, the strongest sustained winds a large man might be able to withstand without getting blown away is near 70 mph. The maximum gust he could stand without getting blown away is roughly 95 mph. Severe Weather Events The following weather events are the most common while…
Years ago, before the days of cell phones, I was tent camping at Garner State Park in Texas with friends and had no way of knowing danger was ahead. Lightning, strong winds and heavy rain were our only notice in the middle of the night. Concerned of flash flooding from the Frio River, we bit…
Seven foot, three inch Mike McCormick walked up to the Alamo with a smile in his eyes I had never seen before. He shook his head in disbelief–in wonderment that he was really there. His ballcap came off and he placed his hand on the front wall between the historic door and right window. “I…
Even before the global pandemic of 2020 we were prepared in the event evacuation was needed. For many years I lead the Emergency Command Center for H-E-B Food/Drugs during various disasters throughout Texas. This included strategic and tactical mitigation, preparation, and recovery operations for scores of hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, fires, nearby hazmat incidents, etc. In…
