As I may have mentioned (ad nauseum) I grew up in Colorado. Actually I lived there for 36 years. It follows that I do know a little about wild weather. Colorado knows how to do storms. Hail? Oh yeah. On two different occasions I witnessed baseball sized hail stones. Golf ball size was more the norm. I can remember times it would snow continuously for three days with an accumulation of three to four feet followed by a day of dazzling sunshine. By nightfall everything would be a mushy mess which would then freeze overnight.
(Near French Gulch, California)
In Pueblo, Colorado back in the 1950s we had a snowstorm that would have been perfectly normal in December or January, but this particular one showed up in the month of May. Power was out and a neighborhood grocery store put meat, milk, butter and frozen foods outside in the snow to try to keep from losing their inventory.
(Near Shasta Dam-- northern California)
In eastern Washington state I remember a snowstorm that literally shut down the whole town for days. No power, no mail or phone service. A few brave souls used snowmobiles and snow runners to deliver emergency medical supplies and food to those in need. It was a small town (population 5,000) so most of the elderly and those with medical issues were known.
(Lassen Volcanic National Park-- California)
The first time I visited the state of Florida (many years before I moved there) I learned the meaning of downpour. No point in turning on windshield wipers. We had just left Tampa and started across Courtney Campbell Causeway headed for Clearwater. Although in years to come I would be in other rainstorms very much like that one I was never again trapped in a car on a causeway. It was unforgettable.
(Near Igo, California)
The state of California has taught me much about wildfires. We recently had a fire season where over a thousand wildfires were burning across the state at the same time with tragic results for so many. Hospitals, fire stations and various businesses gave away breathing masks to the public. Smoke obliterated the sun for days.
I remember one year back in the 90s when I drove to work several days straight with my pictures and important papers in the trunk of my car, and hoped every evening when I drove home my house would still be standing.
(Local Home Depot-- Redding, California)
Besides the wild weather I have also seen some incredibly beautiful landscapes. It would be tough for me to choose one place to put at the top of the list. I wish I had pictures of all the places I've seen, but of course I don't. A lot of the reason for that is because I'm a lazy bum who is easily sidetracked and allows daily plans to fizzle so I don't get out often to take photos which is the reason I'm posting these that I took some time ago.
