Damn you Google! Stop fiddling. And make it rain.

Google has disappeared the bestest little – and most convenient – weather widget ever, the one I’ve depended on for a few years. Now there’s only a link to a less informative source.  That’s a very Microsofty thing to do – and not very customer friendly.

See, I’m very interested in the weather today and the teevee won’t do it (I continually miss the eight-minute mark on The Weather Channel).  Down here, we’re in our 28th month of drought (barefoot caution: the grass will cut your feet), and today holds the possibility of up to an inch of rain.  (The year-to-date normal should be 10.9 inches. We’ve had 3.4. Pretty much in keeping with the last few years.)

I just grabbed this from somewhere – it’s the current Doppler. See that little segment between the two big fronts? That’s me.

Rain rain don’t go away. (and damn teh google!)

Rain, rain, come to stay . . . please

This year we had lots of rain in June and early July, which was so welcome. SW Florida has been in drought for a few years now. We worry about the integrity of the aquifers and salt intrusion. Only a good wet summer can fix things.

But now it’s stopped and there’s no sign of new rain in the seven day forecast. Lake Okeechobee is still very low, as are many of our rivers. So the worry is back. A nice mild tropical storm parked here for a few days would be perfect. But that’s not in the forecast either.

For those of us who stay in Florida through the summer, these afternoon rains are our private joy. They’re dangerous and romantic and I love them. They build in the east and slowly darken my sky. In the distance, I might hear a hint of thunder. (Is it thunder? I hope it’s thunder!) If I’m home I scurry out to the lanai. It’s exciting and the anticipation is keen; sometimes I find my fingers crossed.

If the rain does come it could be a violent squall or maybe just a polite shower. But whichever, it breaks the heat of the day; the temperature can briefly drop as much as ten degrees, promising a cooler evening to come.

But right now it doesn’t seem to want to come and it’s dry out there. I have my fingers crossed.

Let’s see Gov. Scott outlaw this

It’s been raining for three days here and no one is complaining. Rain in March/April is welcome; heck, rain at any time is welcome. Florida gets an average of 55″ annually, but we do have periodic droughts. When we run short, it’s partly because my State hasn’t quite figured out to retain enough of what we get.

In addition, municipalities and counties have been building runoff infrastructure for decades – as a result, water that should be replenishing our life-sustaining aquifer is being spilled into bays and estuaries and oceans, carrying with it plenty of nasty stuff picked up on the roads and golf courses. Stuff that kills living things. This is not good.

But rain is very good.