Sunshine on Our Shoulders

makes us happy. At least, it's shining here in south Anchorage. After a long, grey day, it's a welcome sight. We hit 52 yesterday, and could again this evening, if the sun remains long enough.

There are big dark clouds sliding this way, across the Chugach Mountains, and AccuHunch guesses we'll have clouds & sprinkles for the foreseeable future. Jolly.

It was a bit of a crazy day at work, one of those days when everyone around you is in a frenzy about something ... and occasionally, the edge of the maelstrom sucks you into the middle. I did my best to deliver requested reports quickly, ducking back out as soon as I could.

Sunrise was at 6:02 this morning, and sunset will be at 9:53. Add in the 45 minutes or so of light before and after, and it makes for a nice, long day. I wish we didn't have to wait so long for this season to come 'round, but it's nice while it lasts.

I spoke with my parents in southwest Missouri, about an hour ago. They're not directly threatened by the flooding, but local news tells of the water in Table Rock Lake approaching the top of the dam - so authorities are spilling some 56,000 cubic feet per minute downstream. My parents' lot is flat, and Dad said there's water standing in the driveway, and many of the streets are full of water, too.

It could be worse, for them, if they were farther to the east. Having lived in Tornado Alley, we're no stranger to heavy rains and flooding. The "Great Flood of '93" was memorable, as much of our county was under water.

By moving from Missouri to Alaska, we traded thunderstorms, floods and tornadoes for earthquakes, blizzards and volcanoes. Right now, I'm thinking we got the better deal.