I've got a couple of places to go and people to see this morning, so actual writing and blogging here at Written Inc. will have to wait until later today. But as the crisis in Europe widens over the erupting volcano in Iceland (for the record, the earth is spewing from a vent in the Eyjafjallajökull glacier. Say it 10 times fast. I'll wait. But I digress) I find myself thinking back to the contrail-themed entry, Painters of the sky, that I posted here early Friday.
When I first wrote it, the full extent of the eruption hadn't become clear. So I wasn't particularly focused on the near-full shutdown of western European airspace and the billions of dollars lost and incalculable inconvenience caused. Now I am, and I'm reminded that for all the technology in the world, we're still very much subject to the seemingly random whims of this incredible planet of ours.
Your turn: Got a power-of-nature story to share?
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When I was in 9th grade we lived near Gary, Indiana. In January we had a week of unseasonably high temps with severe thunderstorms and even tornadoes... this was on Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday the temperatures simply plummeted and it began snowing.... and snowing... for three days and nights and ended up with over three feet of snow. Then the drifts... well, we had one door.. in the basement that opened IN and that was the only door we could get open. Never before or since have I seen so much snow nor have I seen things simply "stop" in the midwest.
Of course if this had happened in Mississippi we would have still been recovering.
Is Europe 'cut off' from the rest of the world? ... Temporarily ...
So far, in my 78 years, I have escaped anything more horrendous than a couple of hurricanes during which I was safe and dry, This one stopped my youngest daughter and her family from a trip to Ireland, and brought them instead to my home. So it turned out to be a blessing to me. So I really can't complain a lot about Mother Nature.
People have been able to sit in their gardens enjoying the spring sunshine without the whine of jets passing overhead from early morning until late at night. The skies are peaceful and cleaner. Some people have reported hearing an unusual tweeting sound – but this comes from birds!
Strange as it is, with a very high percentage of Northern European commercial air traffic grounded, due to the risks associated with the ash cloud from the Eyjafjallajokul Volcano, a Major NATO military drill is taking place.
I have not found any reports of military aircraft involved in the exercise ‘Brilliant Mariner’, being grounded due to the dangers posed to other aircraft.
It does seem rather strange that while volcanic ash is keeping all commercial aircraft on the ground around the U.K. this exercise is taking place.
http://just-me-in-t.blogspot.com/2010/04/who-gets-to-fly-when-and-who-decides.html
hey... I remember when St Helens erupted in 1980.
Oh yes... the ash ruined many a car engine. The state troopers had huge filters installed on the front of their cruisers -- as did many of the other "must" move vehicles.
ps. to "just me'
I read in the news today about Nato jets having engine damage
[waving at Pamela] I grew up in Washington State and was there when Mt. St. Helens blew her top. It was a month later when the university let out for summer that we were lucky to be able to get my sister from college. There was still plenty of ash along the side of the roadways.
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