Pinehaven - Farmersville, Ohio

HAZMAT?

2026-10-19T18:09:05.363-04:00

I have been waiting for a CVS OTC (Over The Counter) medical supplies order since 10/05. Usually they take a few days. It was shipped on 10/08. On that same day I received an email from CVS saying the "Your order is delayed". It had been set for delivery on 10/10.

So what was going on? All three items were shown as in stock when I ordered them. Tracking history shows it shipped on 10/08 from Missouri. I could drive there in an afternoon.

The package made a number of unidentified stops, simply shown as "In Transit to Next Facility". On 10/12 it was noted as being at the "Metro NY Distribution Center". New York?

It arrived today (10/19). The order was placed two weeks ago and it has been in transit for eleven days.

When the package was at last placed in my mailbox I gained some insight into the delay. The mailing label says "HAZMAT - SURFACE TRANSPORTATION ONLY".

Hazardous materials?

Here's what was in the package ...

Anything there that looks particularly dangerous?

Here's how Google AI answered my question:

It would seem the section on "Aerosols and Sprays" is the answer. So CVS was just doing their job. But the rule seems a bit odd to me.

First Frost of the Season

2026-10-18T08:54:44.411-04:00

They've been predicting a "frost and freeze Sunday morning" and they hit it on the head. My Tempest shows a low of 30.7° and when I took my morning walk and delivered Millie's newspaper, the ground was patchy white in spots.

At least it wasn't windy so the walk in the lane was pleasant. The sun rose at 7:50 am but I didn't see it that early. I was starting back out the lane before 8 am and it was still fairly dark.

By the way, our average date of first frost is 10/09 so we're over a week late. This is my 53rd year of keeping frost records.

Here's what I saw this morning ...

Crinkled leaves along our driveway as I started my walk. There's frost on the edges.

At the SE edge of our property, the frost lightly coated the ground white.

Heading back the lane, and in the open areas, the weeds and grasses beside my path were white.

Millie's yard was the whitest spot I saw. This shot was taken at 7:56 am and the sun was set to rise six minutes earlier. So where is it?

I'm back, showered and warmed up. Time to drive to Eric's and help his move.

Broccoli Quiche for Lunch

2026-10-17T15:32:34.968-04:00

A few weeks ago Tom brought home a prepared broccoli quiche from Aldi. To say the least it was excellent ... but it was also expensive. About $10 I think he said.

It's not something we have often. In fact the last may have been eleven years ago when Tom made a quiche for Mom and I for our Easter meal. Click here to check it out.

I decided I wanted another. They certainly look easy and that's actually the name for the one I just made. I used the recipe on allrecipes.com, my favorite site. Click here for that recipe.

The only changes I made was to use garlic power since I didn't but fresh garlic and I used a bag of frozen broccoli florets from Meijer which were perfect for this use. I baked the quiche the full 50 minutes because I like them done, not watery.

I had Tom cut the quiche into four slices. They turned out too large to lift out of the pan so he divided them in half (making an eight slice quiche). That's the proper size. But we each ate a quarter of the quiche. The leftovers will be good another day this week.

Tom suggests I add fresh mushrooms next time. You'll note that he used mushrooms in the Easter quiche noted above.

This is a recipe I need to make more often. It's a rib-sticker and certainly easy when using a prepared crust.

Dense Fog this Morning

2026-10-12T08:34:29.543-04:00

While the expected rain from Hurricane Isaias was a big bust - just 0.11" here in two days of measuring - it left enough moisture in the air to generate a heavy fog this morning as the overnight temperatures cooled. It's 53° at 8:30 am.

My walk was in the clouds ...

This tree to the north of my neighbor's lane stands stark and alone against the field of unharvested corn. Surely it's late to get the corn to market. Especially considering that it was planted very early.

Looking back out the lane, as the day begins the fog begins to lighten a bit.

Finally, Clayton Road looking north. That's my driveway on the left.

The Tempest reads 95% (the highest is ever reads is 96%) but the local NWS office reports 100%. It's certainly not the heaviest fog I've seen but it's still one that creeps inside the fabric I'm wearing and cools the skin. A mostly sunny day is forecast.

Adding a Few Pines

2026-10-11T16:33:07.207-04:00

It's only appropriate after all the trees we've lost that we add a few. This afternoon Tom has been busy planting three small White Pines. He bought them - and other trees - at Needmore Tree Nursery in Nashville, Indiana on Thursday. He went to nursing school with Mike Hater who owns the nursery.

Tookta Chaiyasit and Mike Hater

I didn't want the trees planted in the yard since they cause me to take too long with my mowing so Tom planted them near an existing line of pines. A White Pine there, our largest, was topped by a wind storm in June 2025 and has since died.

He also says he's planted them too close together so one, maybe two. will eventually have to be removed.

But for now they're in the ground, watered, and can begin a new life at Pinehaven.

Yesterday Tom planted two Witch Hazel by the chimney at the front of the house. He also bought them at Needmore.

Late day:

Tom decided to plant the "Halloween" persimmon at the SW corner of our lot. It's the same location where we took down a dead pine so it offers a natural gap that could be filled. I think it will do well there and I'm certainly anxious to try a persimmon.

Crisp Fall Mornings Arrive

2026-10-08T10:49:30.297-04:00

It's that time of year when we begin the slow and steady slide to winter. The past six mornings have all been in the 40's but one. Tuesday morning (10/06) dipped to 38° and gave me reason to check for frost. But there was none.

My personal records for frost go back to 1974. After 51 years of watching for the first frost, the average date here is 10/09. That's tomorrow ... but there's no chance of frost then this year.

This morning dipped to 46° and I'm finding a hoodie is a good addition when I step out the door. I'm wearing shorts but my legs don't seem to get cold.

7:46 am

The sun rose this morning at about 7:39 am so as I walked out my driveway I saw the sun still on the horizon. Sunset will get a minute or two later every morning and pass 8 am on 10/28.

It's a perfectly quiet time but for an occasional car passing.

7:55 am

Nine minutes later I have dropped the morning newspaper off at my neighbors and I am starting back out her lane. She gets the Dayton Daily News on Sunday, Thursday and Friday and I always make sure she has it first thing every day.

8:01 am

I'm now partway out the lane and enjoying the sun getting ever higher and bathing the corn in its golden light. I'm expecting the corn to be harvested soon and then my corridor of privacy will be taken from me.

By the way, I watch every morning this time of year for my shadow to line up with a massive tree in her lane. I can usually see my dark profile there on this date. But the corn has to be harvested before the sun hits the tree so I may not have the view this year. Check here to see what I'm talking about.

By the time I'm back home I'm a little chilled but the exercise has awakened me for the day. It's a special time for me, and one I enjoy year-round but for when it's raining hard or the snow is deep enough.

At 77 I'll miss this when I can no longer do it. But for now it's the start of every day and nothing would seem right without it.

Two More Pines Down

2026-09-30T10:29:34.219-04:00

As I've said in the past, Pinehaven may have been given the wrong name. The pines I so carefully planted nearly four decades ago are dying at a fast clip. I suppose the climate here was a stretch even from the beginning but with global warming it's becoming even more so.

And the rain. It's either nothing or everything.

Two day ago Tom was trying to get caught up with the limbs we needed to burn. Ohio's "burn ban" begins October 1 and that means no open burning from 6 am to 6 pm. So we knew we had just two days to get caught up as much as possible.

Then, yesterday Tom decided to take down two pines that have been dead for some time. While I mowed, Tom chain-sawed both trees.

Both were at the rear of the property (west side) and both were not very large.

Tom carried most of the limbs to the burn barrel and I followed up with some of the larger logs on the two-wheeler. We finished late in the day.

For our own information, Tom recently bought a battery-powered chain saw on Temu and it works like a charm. It cuts far more than I would have thought and the two 20V batteries charge quickly. So I remember the brand and model number, I took these pictures:

And here's the package with an extra 20" chain:

09-30-26 Late Afternoon: I put one of our burn rings around the largest of the cut pines and Tom has begun burning out the trunk. It's big enough that this is going to take a few days.

Later (10-01-26):

Tom began burning the second pine stump. One day ought to do it.

Late last evening I walked out to see how the stump was burning and I found mostly embers. I'd say it's about gone.

Apple Dumplings

2026-09-21T17:17:05.790-04:00

Every fall I start thinking about apple dumplings. Today I stopped at Crossroad Orchard in Miamisburg and picked up a half peck of an apple Sue recommended for just this purpose. She had only one bag on display and said that the apple (I forget the name) was slightly tart and crisp and would be perfect for dumplings.

Yesterday when we were at Meijer I bought a roll of puff pastry in the dairy department. I figured it would work well. I unrolled the pastry and cut it into four equal squares. Thus I was able to make only four dumplings.

I left them in the oven the shortest time noted (50 minutes). It says they should be "golden brown and crisp on top". I'd say that's how they turned out.

I cut the sauce recipe in half but it still produced too much. I remember Mom sometimes adding a drop of red food coloring but Tom prefers them left alone. I did add a teaspoon of cinnamon to the sauce and also a little brown sugar. This recipe is certainly old-fashioned.

Here's the basic recipe.

Another Round of Storms

2026-09-21T17:06:19.595-04:00

Last evening (09/20/26) we had a batch of thunderstorms move through - slowly! - and I don't think I've ever seen more lightning. When I came up to brush my teeth at 8 pm, I grabbed a flashlight in case the power went out (it didn't). But I stood there before turning on the light and realized everything was continually and brightly lit.

In fact the Tempest recorded over 13,000 strikes.

We had what might have been a tornado go just south of us. The radar looked pretty ominous ...

You can see the red outline of the tornado warning just south of Farmjersville.

The rain was pretty much centered on Montgomery County. Here's the CoCo readings at 7 am this morning:

My 1.74" is on the lower left.

September now stands at 4.38". Normal for the month is 3.20".

Night of the Web Weavers

2026-09-13T08:54:51.393-04:00

Who likes to walk into a spider web unannounced? We start batting our arms trying to wipe it off. Impossible!

I've been watching an Orb Weaver (Yellow Garden Spider or Argiope aurantia) do his work on the outside of our kitchen window. I often look up and see his black and yellow body sitting at the top of the web, waiting for the telltale vibration of a trapped insect.

This morning, though, I've marveled at the webs strung between tree branches in the high humidity (95%) after the past day's rain. The drops of moisture make them stand out like gossamer ropes.

I've seen them cover the vast distance across our neighbor's lane (visible on the far right in the photo above). When I first saw it I carefully walked around it and smiled at my resourcefulness. Later, when I took the dog out, I walked right through it.

I've noticed, too, the tiny puffs of webs atop the grass, like pincushions made of exhaled smoke. They're everywhere this morning.

Credit: The Augusta Chronicle

The Argiope is made visible every fall as the seasons change.

Lois Celebrates 100 Years

2026-09-12T15:10:04.509-04:00

Lois Masters had her 100th birthday yesterday (09/11/26) and today her family had a celebration at the Miamisburg American Legion.

Miamisburg Mayor Michelle Collins

The mayor proclaimed today Lois Masters Day in Miamisburg.

Lois Masters - At the century mark ... plus one day!

Cupcakes presented digitally

There was quite a crowd in attendance. Food was served and live music was provided.

I've blogged about previous gatherings for Lois: 99 and 90.

Later: Sad news ...

Moving a Load of Logs

2026-09-12T08:19:48.102-04:00

Our pile of logs has been growing over the past few years due to trees coming down. It serves as a great screen to our burn barrel so I like it for that. But as it grew higher and wider, it also occasionally fell. Recently the top was leaning into the yard and I expected it to let go at any moment.

Nice problem to have: too much wood. Though we have a wood-burning Buck stove insert in our fireplace, I've never much liked carrying wood in and carrying ashes out. But it's always been something positive to consider when the power goes out in the winter (and it certainly does).

Nevertheless, we had too much wood. I told friends some was available for the taking but I didn't have a single person show any interest. Until one of Tom's friends in West Chester said he'd take some off our hands. Tom is driving down today to a meeting of his Star Wars club and he'll take a load of logs with him.

But that meant loading some into his truck.

It's not a project either of us have looked forward to. My back won't take much exercise of that sort. So, too, Tom. But late yesterday - temperature near 80° - we got to it.

Tom left the truck sit there overnight. I woke about 6 am and heard it storming and figured the truck might need unloading in the rain. But radar shows the rainy area small and I think they'll be able to complete the work and stay dry (except for the sweat).

The pile hasn't changed as much as we thought it would. Tom rearranged much of it so it doesn't lean inward. At the very least, we bought time. Tom's friend says he'll take more at another time.

Perfect ISS Pass

2026-09-09T10:29:21.870-04:00

I watched the clouds all day yesterday because I knew there was going to be a great pass of the International Space Station just after 9 pm. As the day wore on the clouds became broken and there were even patches of clear sky. So it looked good.

The schedule was this:

9:17 pm - 10° to my SW
9:21 pm - 77° to my SE
9:22 pm - 30° to my ENE

I was standing beside the garden with my phone on the tripod running video as I first saw the moving point of light. Here's the beginning of the pass:

Start: 9:18 pm - 09-08-26

In the video you can hear both the many autumn insects chirping and also static from my ham HT. I was listening to the downlink from the amateur radio repeater on the ISS:

I began hearing hams using the repeater just as the ISS was nearly overhead. I could also hear an astronaut tell each one "I've got you on the log". It's amazing to copy a signal on a handheld device from 250 miles away but the ISS is, of course, line of sight.

Here's a shot I took at about 9:21 when the ISS was as close as it would get. It's the bottom bright "star" in the picture. That's the top of the maple by our kitchen window.

Obviously clouds were still of some concern but I was able to see the entire pass. The ISS passed into the Earth's shadow at 9:22 pm and "blinked out".

Here's a view of the pass itself:

I have lots of other passes noted on this blog. Just search for "ISS" in the search box at the upper left.

NBC Blooms again

2026-09-06T09:00:28.799-04:00

You'll find plenty of references to our Night Blooming Cereus. I've been watching this plant - which Tom started from the original - grow its first buds. Yesterday they exploded into ready-to-open buds and we went out onto the enclosed porch at 10 pm and saw them in full flower.

To see other blog posts about this plant, use the search bar at the top left.

Afternoon Storm

2026-09-05T09:09:37.924-04:00

For the past eight days it's been hot and dry. We had some rain on 08/27 but other than that, we've had a stretch of 15 days without rain. That's odd, especially with August recording over 13" of rain. It simply tuned off.

Yesterday was the hottest day of all (a 95° high) and also the hottest of the season. I recorded no temperatures that high last year, either.

While I was watching radar yesterday mid-afternoon, storms started forming to our NW. I walked into the back yard as they neared and listened to the approaching thunder.

At 3 pm the storm arrived.

We received a notification to take shelter. Certainly the winds approached 60 mph as some local law enforcement reported. The Tempest recorded 7370 lightning strikes within about 25 miles of here.

Here's what radar looked like:

4:12 pm - 09/04 - Credit: Southwest Ohio Weather Freak

We have lots of smallish limbs down. I cleaned the largest up this morning but it's going to take some time to get the small stuff. I may just mow it.

Most notable was the instant drop of the temperature. It fell from the 95° high to about 70° in what seemed like minutes. It was actually chilly.

Sadly we received only 0.15" in the rain gauge and that's not enough to even water the lawn.

I awoke to thunder during the night. And radar is still showing thunderstorms upstream of here. But it looks like they'll miss us to the NE. So that may be the end of it.

Later: I was taking a short nap when Tom went out and began burning limbs ... and collecting more. It's now hours later (and 87° and humid) and he's shirtless and still at it. What a job!

Later still ...
Tom spent much of the afternoon picking up limbs (I helped) and then burnt what we collected. The largest debris is gone but there are still plenty of twigs lying about. I hope the mower takes care of them.

Autumn Crocus

2026-09-03T14:56:12.093-04:00

Many people don't know about the Autumn Crocus and I didn't know we had any until a couple of years ago. I obviously planted them and forgot. They're in the nature reserve and about two years ago I mowed a path through there that happened upon the spot where these are growing. I was actually startled by the lavender on the ground.

I do remember seeing the lily-like leaves in the spring and never knew what they were. But once I had identified them during their blooming cycle, I watch for them every fall.

First seen on 09-01-26

09-03-26 (all the rest of the photos)

They're planted behind (west) where I have naturalized the daffodils.

Oddly, the bulbs are not bothered by squirrels. They also disregard the daffodils but I cannot have any other spring bulbs (tulips, hyacinths, etc.). This year I also noticed that all the Surprise Lilies ("Naked Ladies") are gone.

As pretty as they are, the plants are toxic so it's good thy are not in the yard where Parker might get to them.

Having a Drink

2026-08-30T16:06:09.548-04:00

With all the rain we've had in August (almost 14") we've had only half an inch in the last ten days. It's actually getting quite dry out. Thus the probable explanation for what we're witnessing at our hummingbird feeder. Or rather the "ant moat" above it.

I keep the moat filled with water. It's certainly a small source ... but it is fresh water.

Enter this squirrel ...

I was doing lunch dishes today when I realized I was being watched. I called Tom to come and take a look.

This is the set-up: a maple conveniently located by the kitchen window where we can watch hummingbirds at the feeder. Or birds using our assortment of birdhouses. Or woodpeckers and other birds at our two suet feeders.

And squirrels.

It's a stretch but the squirrel can hang by her toenails (I think it is female) and manage to sip water from the ant moat. I found it draining too quickly a month ago and I happened to see the squirrel then also.

She'll drink a bit - upside down yet - and then stand atop the branch and lip her lips. I'm sure, as small as the source is, that it's still a great refreshment and handy. She has found the perfect source to satisfy her thirst in this tree.

07-30-26

I first saw her do this trick a month ago today.

Partial Lunar Eclipse

2026-08-28T09:04:58.764-04:00

11:10 pm - 08-27-26

Last evening we were treated to a partial eclipse of the moon through it came very close to being total at 96.2% coverage. I began watching the Earth's shadow cover the moon at about 10 pm. The shadow slid up from the lower left and had already taken a big bite out of the moon.

Here's another full-frame shot taken within minutes of the first one.

I found using my cell phone quite difficult (the pictures above were taken with a Canon SX20 IS on a tripod). By using Expert Raw on my phone I got this:

11:17 pm - 08-27-26

The timing for the eclipse was this:

Penumbral phase begins: 9:23 pm ET
Partial eclipse begins: 10:33 pm ET
Maximum/Peak phase: 12:12 am ET
Partial eclipse ends: 1:51 am ET
Penumbral phase ends: 3:01 am ET

By 11:30 pm there were enough clouds that the eclipse was obscured. I took my tripod and camera down and closed up shop. But I looked out my bedroom window at about midnight and there was just a small spot at the top of the moon which was still lit. I felt lucky that a hole in the clouds allowed me to see this.

I went to bed and awoke hours later and the moon had moved well to the west and was again bright and full.

The next penumbral lunar eclipse visible from here is on February 20, 2027.

The next total lunar eclipse for Dayton isn't until June 26, 2029.

Will it Ever Stop?

2026-08-20T09:00:27.679-04:00

August is the traditional month where we see brown, parched lawn and cracked, barren soil. Not so this month.

I just read 3.35" in the rain gauge at 7 am. I've been keeping daily readings for 52 years and I don't ever remember a reading like that. Not even in the heavy rains of spring.

What's more, the month is now over a foot! I'm at 13.19" and the month is only two-thirds complete.

I went to bed at my usual 10:30 pm and I briefly heard a storm approaching. I might have heard it raining but I don't remember much more. The Tempest shows all hell breaking loose:

These extreme rainfall rates went on for hours. This morning the sump is working overtime and on my walk back the neighbor's lane I saw the result of the overnight flooding.

Here's a wider view of the rainfall:

And the lightning:

There were 230 strikes recorded by the Tempest: 90 on 08/19 and 140 on 08/20.

Notice the weeds and grasses laid down by the water. This is a seldom-used swale, trying to transport the excess water away from the con field.

Looking the other direction (NE) there is plenty of water still waiting to make an exit to Little Twin Creek.

Water is standing everywhere, else audibly running where hidden by the stand of corn.

Our annual rainfall is at 42.96" through this morning. Our normal annual rainfall is about 40.50". And we've got over four months to go.

When Tom got up I told him how much rain we had and asked me if I heard an "explosion" at midnight? He figured it was thunder so I watched the video from my outdoor security camera starting at midnight. The lightning flash is at 00:21 (see top left of the frame).

By the way, the forecast "flooding risk" was pretty much spot on.

Credit: BAM Weather - Indianapolis

And here's what actually happened:

Credit: WHIO-Dayton Nick Dunn

I am in that pink area just to the SW of Dayton. There apparently were two areas of training thunderstorms and I was "lucky" enough to be under the southern one.

Credit: CoCoRaHS

You Stink!

2026-08-17T12:39:50.722-04:00

You know how you can be looking right at something and not see it? I think the same goes for smell. For the past several days when I've been walking back the neighbor's lane I caught the scent of something memorable, if not pleasant. And yet I never stopped to identify the smell.

Today I was walking Parker back the lane and the scent wafted across me again. That's when it hit me what I was smelling was stinkhorn.

But could I find the source of the odor? I walked slowly, scanning the edge of the muddy field. And there it was - actually there they were - two stinkhorns. They had come up through the mud and stood at the edge of the corn.

Stinkhorn #1 - 8:17 am - 8-17-26

Stinkhorn #2 - 8:17 am - 8-17-26

How many times in my nearly forty years at Pinehaven have I seen stinkhorns? I could only remember one. But Tom said we found one in the nature reserve in recent memory. Yes, I find I blogged about it on November 13, 2021.

The first time was in a flower bed in our front yard. A tree had been cut there and I think the rotten stump gave rise to this fungus. It was a remarkable stinkhorn, huge and brilliantly red. It was not to be missed.

Read more about the stinkhorn here. And they're common in corn and soybean fields.

08-18-26: I kept an eye (and nose) out as I walked this morning and found another stinkhorn about a third of a mile back the lane. This one looked quite fresh in the early morning light. I didn't have my phone with me then but when I took the dog for a walk I was prepared. Here it is:

Stinkhorn #3 - 9:29 am - 8-18-26

Later (08-20-26): Last night's heavy rain has brought up a new crop ...

Derecho?

2026-08-12T10:06:16.872-04:00

They're rare but the NWS is now calling what I thought we had a derecho.

Credit: WHIO-Dayton Nick Dunn

But the official word is that the derecho did not make it to Ohio. I find that hard to believe.

Here's how it began:

08-11-26 - 9:11 am - Farmersville

Tuesday, 08-11-26: We traveled to Mason and I watched radar while we were there. There was no doubt something major was already in the Dayton area and moving south towards us. Later the radar app I use in my car was showing this:

08-11-26 2:52 pm

And here's what the view out the windshield looked like:

08-11-26 2:42 pm

This looks like a shelf cloud to me and it's the leading edge of the cluster of storms which is mowing SE.

The rain gauge read 1.52" at 7 am (08-12-26). That brings the month up to 6.71". Normal for August is 3.08".

Posted on Facebook early this afternoon:

Credit: WHIO-Dayton Nick Dunn

And here's a look out my back door ...

Still later, the NWS has conformed the derecho for Ohio, too.

Credit: WHIO-Dayton Nick Dunn

Wednesday, 08-12-26:

Looking south out of my bedroom window. There's just nowhere for all the water to go.

Thursday, 08-13-26:

7 am reading: 1.89". Storm total: 3.41". August total: 8.60"

More rain on tap for tonight. This graphic shows the risk ... though the NWS is placing the area of highest rain west and south of here. We have a break today but by tonight the rains will return.

Credit: BAM Weather (Indianapolis, IN)

Friday, 08-14-26:

Last night was not even remotely as predicted. We had 0.55" bringing the storm total to 3.96" and August to 9.15". I've reviewed other stations and this is correct. In fact my station was higher than most other local stations.

Credit: CoCoRaHS

That said, we had one hell of storm between 2:30 am and 4 am. I don't think I've ever seen more constant lightning in such a short period of time. The Tempest recorded 3976 strikes between midnight and 8:30 am.

Parker snuggled against me but wasn't bothered by the storm. I had a hard time sleeping, particularly for that hour, because I was worried about the power going out and the one sump left helpless (I have a second that is battery backed-up). I could just imagine water rising in the basement.

Today it looks like more rain, though nothing heavy or severe. We're coming out of the other side of this series of storms.

WLW Tower

2026-08-06T14:52:31.890-04:00

Every time we're in Mason, Ohio, I marvel at the stately WLW tower. It's a commanding presence in the neighborhood which once must have been lonely farmland off Tylersville Road.

A few facts: it's about 750' in height. Originally it was 834' when it was built in 1934 but later reduced. And it weighs 200 tons (they say it places "approx. 450 tons of total downward weight/pressure resting on its single base insulator". And that weird shape with the widest part in the middle? It's called a "Blaw-Knox diamond-shaped cantilevered vertical radiator".

My question, of course, is why this shape? A friend who is ham says the shape concentrates "more electrical current near the middle height of the tower which pushes the signal outward along the ground rather than letting is escape straight up into space".

That signal is WLW-AM at 700 kWz, a 500,000 watt "Class A clear-channel station" powerhouse.

My ham friend said it was hated by Hitler because it could be heard in Germany. Hitler called them "the liars of Cincinnati".

A great virtual tour of the station can be found here.

Here's the location:

Credit: Google Maps

NBC Blooms Anew

2026-08-06T08:46:09.546-04:00

Some time ago Tom took a start off of mom's Night Blooming Cereus. The "mother" plant last bloomed almost a year ago (click here) but this one has never bloomed. It tried once while it was on the back porch but the bud fell off. Tom suggested we bring the plant back indoors so it has been on the enclosed porch for some months.

I noticed three buds about a week ago when I made the rounds watering the house plants.

Buds early yesterday (08-05-26) ...

Last evening about 10 pm all three buds began to unfurl.

For such an ugly plant, the flowers are equisite, almost otherworldly.

This third bud had barely begun to open when I went to bed.

I remember the flowers having a sweet scent on occasion but again this time there was none.

Next day: Tom said when he went to bed he could smell the flowers. And when he woke during the night the scent was still present in the house. I went out and checked them at about 2 pm and they look like deflated balloons. But they do still have a sweet scent!

Basic Egg Custard

2026-08-02T12:46:05.705-04:00

Tom isn't big on desserts but as his birthday cake ran low, I began thinking about what sweet treat to make next. I decided on a basic Egg Custard. I had fresh blueberries I bought a few days ago from Kroger and thought that would make a perfect topping.

Tom said he'd have preferred my custard pie with blueberries on top but I just wanted something simple.

Basic Egg Custard

2 C milk
2 large eggs
1/2 C white sugar
1 pinch salt
1/2 ts vanilla
Nutmeg on top

Preheat oven to 325°

Whisk the ingredients together and divide into five custard cups
Place in an oven-safe pan and add hot water (up 1/2 the depth of the cups)
Bake about an hour. Check that a knife inserted comes out clean

Before baking

After baking

This is really a terrific and easy dessert and somehow seems more wholesome than instant pudding.

Two notes: I think a little extra baking time would have set the custard more firmly, say an hour and five minutes? And I forgot to add the fresh blueberries. Well, there's always tomorrow.

The Deluge

2026-08-02T09:07:43.854-04:00

We needed rain. We didn't need this much nor this quickly.

This morning I read 3.25". Most of it fell in the evening.

Here's what Montgomery County stations have reported so far:

Yesterday morning I read 0.04" and then it rained some early in the day. But by evening all hell broke loose.

08/01/26 - Evening Rainfall

Note that around 8:30 pm the rain was falling at a rate of 3.5" per hour.

08/01/26 - Evening Lightning Strikes

The Tempest reported 2254 strikes yesterday.

08/01/26 - Wind Speed

The only thing that didn't go crazy was the wind. There were a few gusts but nothing of any consequence. Even so, AES reported over 2,000 power outages.

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — As strong storms move through the Miami Valley, 2 NEWS is keeping you updated on the latest power outages.

As of 10:35 p.m. on Saturday, 2,218 AES Ohio customers were in the dark across the region.

Now, as of 8:30 a.m. on Sunday, only 138 households do not have power.

Here's what my rain gauge looked like when I peered out the back door at the height of the storm ...

08/01/26 - 8:30 pm

And here's view from my Wx Cam:

08/01/26 - 7:58 pm

The 3.29" of rain I've received in the first two days of August exceeds the normal for the entire month (3.08"). And we're up 4.18" for the year through July.

During the storm we had multiple Tornado Warnings. We were instructed to take shelter immediately. We didn't. Instead I kept a close eye on radar and saw that nothing would directly affect us.

Watching the nightly news, it seems most storms are of this type: quick deluges. They're coming more and more often. Surely this spells climate change.