And then I wrote...

by Dick Schilling, Editor Emeritus

... that I hear evidence of global cooling. It was only in the low 40s in northern Minnesota this morning, and forecasters were saying northeast Iowa might set cold temperature records tomorrow morning.
July is our warmest month, records show, and mid-July the warmest period normally.
Last week’s reports of a typhoon, named Neogurt, I think, heading for Japan, reminded me of bad weather experiences while in the Pacific with the Navy. The aircraft carrier on which I was a passenger appeared headed for Typhoon Judy, but the captain said everything was under control, and we would be changing course to avoid Judy. But Judy changed course, and so the carrier did, too. Again. However, Judy (just like a woman!) still had another course change in mind, and it was too late to take evasive action, so we were caught much too close to Judy for comfort. Literally! We tied the ends of the sheets on our bunks to the frame, to keep us from elevating in the wave action. And we were taking white water over the bow of the carrier, something I had only seen happen to destroyers or destroyer escorts previously.
We had off-loaded one of our aircraft squadrons on Guam because of a recall to fix some problem with the planes, and those guys took a direct hit from the storm. While we had envied them for an apparent on-shore vacation before, we no longer did. When they flew back aboard, we asked what it was like. They said they had a slogan: Maug Si Doog, which is “Guam is good” spelled backwards.
The comment from an American living on Okinawa this summer was, “We’re okay. We are from Iowa, where we have tornadoes!”
Speaking of unfavorable conditions, I was shocked but not surprised to hear our petulant president come a bit unglued over criticism from some members of the national press, who had been in his camp since day one. It was no surprise that he drew on a song from “Guys and Dolls “ when he invited Republicans to sue him. But it was new to see him flare back at reporters who had been backing him for about the last ten years.
I have criticized, and do criticize, the president for some of his actions during campaigns and when in office, but in fairness I also suspect that some of the way he has handled things is due to lack of experience. He was only on the national scene with any consequence from spring to fall election in 2004, and previously had done nothing to prompt national interest. The national honeymoon continued for his first term, and only now, part way through term two, is the press having some doubts.
Lawn mower and swallows, part deux.
The day after I reported swallows following my riding lawn mower around my property, I took a morning walk in city park. The park crew, which does an excellent job, by the way, had a bunch of big mowers out in all sections of the park, and each had its convoy of swallows looking for insects stirred up by the mowing.
Part trios. This morning, no swallows around the mowers in the park. So, should be safe to walk around my home garden, I thought. Wrong! Mosquitoes were thick. Where’s a swallow when a guy needs one?