Local report

Hurricane Ida is now in Tennessee.  Here in north Georgia, it's been raining on and off all day, but no major wind or flooding in my area.  For me, this storm has been no different than any ordinary rainstorm.

On a related note, I found an article that claimed this summer has been Atlanta's ninth-rainiest in the last hundred years.  I don't live in the city, but I'm pretty sure my area has had at least as much as Atlanta if not more.

Twenty-one years ago, we were just emerging from a long and severe drought.  Very little rain in the 1998-2000 time period.  It seemed like everything was going to turn to dust.  Even massive oak trees with deep roots were losing their leaves early and looking stressed.  Then the drought broke in August 2000, and it rained almost non-stop for two weeks.  We haven't had a drought like that since.

I swore back then that I would never complain about the rain again.  I've mostly kept that promise.  Most of my talk about weather has just been of the observational sort, not the complaint sort.

Because I know that a period of severe drought will come again.  Maybe next year, maybe in twenty years, maybe not for another century... but it will come.  It's the nature of things.  And I'd much rather have too much rain than too little.

Hurricane Ida now a cat 4

Watch out, Louisiana.  Hurricane Ida is now a category 4 hurricane.  It's heading right for Baton Rouge according to the latest projections.  LSU folks, please get Mike to safety if you haven't done so already.  I remember what happened to a lot of animals during Hurricane Katrina, and I'd hate for something similar to happen to the tiger.

And to all you folks in the path of the storm, take care!  Take whatever precautions you can in the little time that's left.  Here's a site that will give you some ideas.

Best wishes to everyone out there.

And now for something...

...a little funky.  :D

 

Just a few strange things

I had a covered call option exercised on Thursday.  The option expires Friday, so it was exercised a day before I expected it.  I've never had this happen before.  Options are usually exercised when they expire, not a day before.

It's no big deal.  Just weird.  I went ahead and bought the stock back and sold another option against it.

Another strange thing is the hummingbird action around here.  At least a dozen of them--and maybe closer to two dozen; they're hard to count--have staked a claim in the backyard.  They're fighting over the two feeders, and it's absolutely bonkers.  They've always been territorial over food sources, but these past couple of weeks have been different.  It's like they're on crystal meth or something.  I've never seen them this aggressive before.  

To make it even more weird, almost all are female.  I think there's only one male in the bunch.  Where are the other males?  Have they already left for Mexico?  It's awfully early for migration, but that's the only thing I can figure.

When it rained a day or two ago, one of the hummers just sat on the feeder perch and bathed in the rain.  She raised her head to the sky and fluttered her wings.  It was pretty neat.  It was like the hummingbird version of this:

Hummingbirds are in full swing

It must be time for the hummingbirds to start putting on fat for the long flight across the Gulf of Mexico, because they've been particularly active lately.  The aerial jousts have been crazy.  There's a whole swarm of the critters flying around and chasing each other nonstop.

There's also a dragonfly that has a patrol route in the same area, and he occasionally gets a close buzz from a hummer.  He flinches and dodges for a moment before resuming his patrol pattern.  I can almost see him shaking his little dragonfly fist at the hummers.  "You're screwing up my hunt!  Why can't you lunatics just eat seeds like normal birds?  Get off my lawn!"

Watching nature is fun.  :D

I can haz tank?

Well, this is something you don't see every day.

 

German pensioner given hefty fine for WW2 tank in house

 

Here's the best part:

 

Local media reported that the man had been seen one winter using the tank as a snow plough.

 

Heh.  :D

I must admit to some envy here.  I'd like to have a tank.  I mean, who wouldn't want a tank?  Tanks are awesome.  I'd drive that sucker everywhere.  I'd be like FPS Russia going through the White Castle drive-thru.

The only question would be how I should paint it.  Black with flames?  Red, white, and blue?  Something else?  Hmm...

According to the defendant's lawyer, a US museum is interested in purchasing the Panther tank.

 

Yeah, no kidding.  I'm sure plenty of American civilians would like to purchase it, too.  The demand from wealthy collectors is greater than the supply of Panzers.

I hope this elderly German fellow can get that fine reduced.  The courts should be a little lenient towards an 84-year-old guy.  I mean, he's just a harmless collector.  It's not like he's going to invade Poland or something.