You KNOW spring is here when...

[Bob23]

   I turn on my outside shower. Yep. It's kind of a ritualistic thing around here that when the OS shower is turned on, it's a sure sign that winter is behind us and a warning to any snow storms to go elsewhere.
   It's a classic outside shower with black tank overhead to heat the water. Yeah, I'm that cheap! Of course this time of year it takes a while but that's ok. It's free hot water the old school solar way!
Bob23...green before it was trendy!

[capt_nemo]

Bob23,

After you and me, good buddy, they done throwed away the mold!

Do hope your Sun shines brighter and warmer soon.

It's getting pretty darn hot some days down here in SW Florida.

capt. nemo

[brackish]

Yep, Spring is surely here.  In this area we know when the weather gets violent for a time.  Last night was rougher than a stucco bathtub.  Major tornado damage in Tupelo, but missed us by a couple of miles.  Haven't check on my boat, it was headed that way when all access to radar disconnected. 

[Saluki86]

Brackish,
Glad it missed you.  Noisy here in 'Bama last night too.  More to come tonight but not as violent (I hope).  For you too? 
Saluki.

[Saluki86]

Tornado damage to Bay Hill Marina in North Alabama this week.





I don't believe anyone was injured at the marina but 2 deaths were reported close by.

[Tim Gardner]

Oh the boatmanity!

TG

[skip1930]

Today in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin is a balmy 48 deg. F., wet and rainy. Windy out of the South-East.
Perfect for do nothing outdoors.

The whole summer is expected to be 'way cool' with crops going into the field late May or early June.

The Mobile Bay Coast Guard ice breaker [1977] was cutting ice in the bay last week up 'Nort by 'Deaths Door'. And this has delayed the placement of the navigation buoys using her barge and crane.

She ran 400+ % over budget for cutting ice. The crew is exhausted and yet she was dockside receiving one more tanker truck of diesel on Thursday.

skip.

[skip1930]

19 days ago [ and today is almost end of May ] a guy fly's into the Door County Cherryland Aeroport in his Cessna 310 and says he looked down on the waters of Lake Superior and saw large ICE PACs still covering large portions of the lake. We had a very cold winter in Wisconsin and "UP 'Nort ". Lake Superior usually doesn't freeze over.

Did you see the news story of people sunning on the beach during Memorial Day with ice bergs floating off shore?  Way cool!

A story that did not make the news;
One of our three ice breaker's assigned to the Great Lakes area was chugging through three foot of ice at 4 knots and comes to a screeching halt as she was unable to maintain forward progress because of a 14 foot ice shove she ran into. The 1000 foot taconite freighter [ 68,000 gross ton capacity ]  following the ice breaker was unable to stop and rammed into her stern. Crushing both bow and stern plates of the Coast Guard vessel and holing the empty freighter's bow. Both vessels are at BayShip Building for repairs. No word on any injuries.

Our ten 1000 foot Taconite freighters and a hand full of less haulers usually make about 71 round trip voyages each season hauling iron oar from the Michigan/Minnesota mines to the Indiana smelters. Not this year. Slow start and four vessels down due to ice/prop damage.

BayShip Builders is booked solid [ and hiring more ] with new builds and many more repairs. The ship owners must be screaming !! Look for the price of steel to go up.  {that in my insider trading tip. Sorry phil}

skip.