Miami Wins & Puts on Fantastic Super Bowl. Iowa Loses... Bets It on an App That Was Broken. Don't Need a Groundhog to Know it's Spring in the South.

What's that song?

There's got to be a morning after?

Oh Snap... it was a Disaster movie :(

Seriously they knew the App had a problem.

Iowa now has a problem.

Let's never use an App to vote okay??

Ironically everyone claimed victory last night.

The weather wasn't a problem.

Technology was a problem.

This is why I don't want to vote on my phone.

I've heard people say "we could vote by App"

Yeah right...no I don't think so.

As a weather person I get it when models mess up.

Or an App promises snow then ..no snow.

Life goes on...

Winter is in the West....

Spring is in the South.

Much rain is on the way in the SE.

And in the NE the candidates have arrived.

#electronics can be frustrating #IowaCaucuses #apps #weather #sats #sigh. We thought we had problems with badly performing weather models https://t.co/XLVVLmtkcS writing ⁦@Shakira⁩ was perfection tho. Great #superbowl pic.twitter.com/YwCW36lVqa

— BobbiStorm (@BobbiStorm) February 4, 2020

Don't you just hate when that happens?

You go to your favorite satellite and it's broken.

Or you wait for the results from Iowa and ... broken.

Well at least for us we change satellites.

For candidates they change states.

#TuesdayThoughts on #IowaCaucuses #SuperBowl2020 #weather #severeweather #spring can #summer & #hurricane #season be far behind? https://t.co/vZ3Rogvgxa pic.twitter.com/TSGl3yjj2i

— BobbiStorm (@BobbiStorm) February 4, 2020

Jim Williams always said I should do videos.

Or maybe he said "talk"

He knows how I talk so ...

...okay he's right it's easier.

Once I got past my fear or talking...

... but basically I prefer writing.

And I love satellite imagery.

Look at that image.... that area in the Southeast is RED HOT and filled with severe weather potential and no one really needs a Groundhog to know which way the temperatures are going right now or if Spring is on the way; actually it's Spring in the South currently as flowers are in bloom. Maybe this is a February Thaw? But unless you are out in the Far West.... the winter that never really showed up is about as far away as the real facts of what happened last night in Iowa.

Again let me say I am an Independent. Yes I was raised a Democrat that has often voted Republican or Democratic depending on the election and the candidates ...though I like to party I'm not a party girl anymore. I wait and see how the election evolves and which candidates are left standing and which candidate I believe has the best chance to lead this country as November nears and Hurricane Season slows down. Yes, between now and the next Presidential Election is the 2020 Hurricane Season but for now ...in the slow season.... I go back to one of my first loves and that is politics. So I looked forward to the Iowa Caucus and the beginning of the real primary season and Oh My Goodness. I've never seen so many professionals paid to speak on air be totally speechless. I sat there last night going back and forth between CNN and MSNBC and oh my goodness. I don't really want to curse on my blog but yeah ...that happened ...

I kept saying during the whole Impeachment Trials "can't we just have an election??" and now I'm thinking ... maybe not. No seriously, as "Mayor Pete" said you could see for yourself what was going on at the Caucus and in my words who was hot and who was not. You could see those enthused about Warren or Amy and the Bernie people were on the floor and Yang Gang insisting they weren't going to vote for anyone but Yang (many then drifted away) and the Biden crowd was extremely thin at some of the venues yet always cheerful people would come around on the next count or the next... No, I don't think that happened. But maybe we will never know for sure and that's sad for the Democratic Party coming off of a horrendous 2016 where it was obvious they tried to skew the election towards their favorite candidate and many Bernie people felt it was stolen from him .... but we may never know for sure. But you could learn a lot from watching the various people who showed up to caucus for their favorite candidates and often hear who their 2nd favorite candidates were if they did not get enough to be viable.

Amazingly as we approached the Super Bowl on Sunday there was much talk about how the whole show would go seeing as it was held in Miami and you know all those "Because Miami" news stories on Twitter. People worried on terrorism or Coronavirus or some technological glitch happening. Would the actual game live up to it's expectations? (Yes it did!) and would the Half Time be a huge flop or would they pull it off? Yes, they did.. the two Latin Divas Nailed it swaying their hips, filled with emotion and passion holding most people mesmerized putting on one of the best Super Bowl Halftime Shows of all time. Okay, I'm from Miami and maybe I'm prejudice but I've loved Shakira since she first hit the scene. I studied dance and that includes Bollywood and Belly Dance and she is soo good as a performer. JLO is JLO an Icon who seems to transcend age being 50 years old holding her own up against a 43 year old Shakira celebrating her birthday in front of the world. Come on that's drama. And the game with the QB from Tyler Texas..... showing passion and leading his team from behind to victory!

So I never got around to blogging about the incredible football game Sunday as Monday was a blur for me as I tried to get the song out of my head and then finally gave up. I looked forward to the Iowa Caucus and the official start of the 2020 Presidential Election and.... well the new fancy App that they many were worried on worked about as badly as the GFS when it shows a major Cat 6 Landfall of a hurricane in Miami for a weak tropical wave rolling off of Africa in July. All of us in the weather world know how models can mess up and how really bad weather apps can be so are we really surprised? Okay, yeah I'm a bit surprised but Iowa has a history of problems. Santorum who actually once won the Iowa caucus despite the fact that they said Romney did and unable to gain any traction on that win ... we didn't find out who won until I believe the South Carolina Caucus and by that time anyone who knows anything about how hurricanes spin knows momentum is important.

It's not the first time Iowa messed up.

Both headlines above were right...

...but on different days.

Remember when.....

Trust me momentum is huge.

Whoever won or did well last night.

Would like that momentum going into NH.

So this seems to be a developing story.

I'm watching TV in the background.

Yes I watch the TV.

While watching the Twitter Feed....

....Twitter of course says "conspiracy" 

And there's great GIFS going around.

Life goes on...

CNN broke away to the Coronavirus just now.

MSNBC talking on "the process"

FOX the end of the "impeachment process"

So what can I say that I haven't said? Shakira rocks and perhaps the crew that gave you the Super Bowl without any major problems should have been in charge of the show in Iowa?

As for me I'm going to move on with my day. It's forecast to be 70 degrees in Raleigh and yes I have my sandals ready to use today and the hope for snow in Raleigh is fading into the background as I watch the never ending flow of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico into the Deep South as snow edges it's way towards Oklahoma after pounding the West that has been pounded all Winter as people in the East insist Winter didn't show up. 

As for New Hampshire .... the candidates are showing up there and the show will go on.

Stay safe... wash your hands ;) Always be prepared for severe weather.... Take it one day at a time and know that before this is over I'm sure there will be about odd story that crops up during this interesting Primary Season that collides with Spring Training and moves us day by day closer to predictions on the 2020 Hurricane Season. Seeing as the predictions for this Winter were horrible I'm not rushing to make any predictions but one thing I will remind you is that flow continues and the pattern of systems off the SE Coast continues the way it did during the Hurricane Season of 2019 except it's been winter like storms enhanced with the flow from the Gulf of Mexico. 

And the beat goes on..... 

Stay tuned.

This is all a developing story in Iowa.

Weather wise... I'm going to enjoy the warm weather.

Going to Seattle later this month....

...where Winter is still holding on strong.

Besos BobbiStorm

@bobbistorm on Twitter and Instagram

Ps... my real favorite Shakira song ;)

Sebastien.... NHC Forecasts Smooth, Naked Sebastien to Become a Hurricane.

Okay at least we can see our TS from outer space.

Up close it's really attaching to that rope...

...that's gonna pull it up, up and away

Pretty sure different regimes at the NHC could each handle #Sebastian differently. Caught on a rope. Going out to sea. Could put on a show temporarily & it’s forecast to be a #hurricane pic.twitter.com/QW1ln9U5g5

— BobbiStorm (@BobbiStorm) November 21, 2019

Gotta be honest I think it looked better last night.

But it's a strong Tropical Storm.

Forecast to be a hurricane by the NHC.

Official graphics ...

...showing from www.spaghettimodels.com

Almost looks like it wants to tell us something...

...maybe Santa's on his way?

A Santana song is now stuck in my mind.

That's not a yellow butterfly.

It's the wind history of Sebastien.

I'd agree with Josh on this...

...paint dries faster.

It may become a hurricane.

It is a tropical storm.

As Jim Williams said on Twitter...

originated in the tropics.

www.hurricanecity.com

As for me more into shopping for Chanukah.

Debating getting myself an inexpensive present.

But I probably have these purple shades here.

Kind of like me...

Witty, easy going, genuine...

..wise and kind of chilled today.

Watching hearings.

Debating on buying this book.

https://www.amazon.com/Siberian-Curse-Communist-Planners-Russia/dp/0815736452

Debating on what to make for dinner.

Maybe go out... shop for Shabbos.

Sushi? Nah....

Got time to think on it.

By then... 

Sebastien could be a hurricane.

Yeah... this is happening.

I'll update later.

Besos BobbiStorm

@bobbistorm on Twitter and Instagram.

Mostly weather on Twitter.

Some weather,  make up and "life" on Instagram.

Smooth....

...get it the eye shadow shade..

My mind is an amazing thing... but warped ;)

Reason for reason....

the step in my groove...

Great song...

..gonna dance.

How can ya not dance when you hear Santana?

Do you dance at home when alone?

I do.

Great video... so smooth..

Tropics - Enjoy This Weekend.- Next Week Something Could Develop. Watching SW Caribbean. Have a Wonderful Weekend!

Nothing officially going on in the tropics.

There's a wave westbound.

A stalled out cool front.

Next week a cold front pushes through.

Will it sweep through ...

...or stall out?

Or pull up convection from down below...

Signs are something tropical could develop.

Again next week not now...

For now we are watching!

Moisture in the SW Caribbean.

Meteorologists watching SW Caribbean.

Spoiler Alert:
We are ALL watching the SW Carib.

How the tropical world turns.

From Hurricane Season to Winter.

Fall is the season in between.

Up north that means cooler weather.

Down South it means we watch the Caribbean.

Oh... Dodgers are in the World Series.

Cantore was right on that one!

I guess he knows baseball and weather ;)

Above image is anomaly.

Define anomaly?

A bit more than normal.

Even for October.

But....

That doesn't mean it will develop.

Time will tell.

If your house doesn't look like this below...

Consider yourself LUCKY.

Been there... it's not easy.

The 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season with Phillipe or Rina or without will go down in history as one of the most active hurricane seasons on record. It will be studied over time and hopefully we will learn from it to better prepare for future hurricanes and the next crazy, busy hurricane season. Bet you miss El Nino now? Seriously though La Nina also has it's own dangers and weather is always happening so never let your guard down but I suggest you go out and enjoy this weekend. Winter is waiting in the wings and trees are trying to put on a show however they seem a bit slow to pop color and show off their fall foliage. Well... unless you live way up north where there is lots of color as no tropical event has reached up there yet this hurricane season. In the Carolinas and Georgia the color is slow to show and yet leaves look plumb exhausted and are shriveling up while still green and falling to the ground. God Bless Red Maples they rarely disappoint. In Raleigh there's a State Fair and good weather so if you don't get out there and enjoy it this weekend... I don't want to hear complaints this winter. If you live in Florida watch out for Rip Tides with a strong onshore flow so ... swim in the pool, walk on the beach!

Have a great weekend, enjoy whatever and whoever you enjoy!

Besos BobbiStorm

@bobbistorm on Twitter

Ps... For more details on the tropics and life .... click the link to yesterday's post:!

http://hurricaneharbor.blogspot.com/2017/10/tropics-lan-pineapple-express-aka.html

Back from the wedding... I just want to say not everyone gets a chance to start over again in life after hard times and rejoice. My brother did last Sunday when he got remarried and began a new chapter of his life and we danced and life was and is good. Make your life good... you have the power. Believe in yourself and do what makes you happy and spread happiness!! And yeah after the first two hours I took the high heels off....

Atlantic Slow. Tropical Rant In Search of Extraordinary VS Mediocre Pseudo Tropical Storms.

The lesson learned from today's blog is the following.

We need cold fronts.

You have to get some fronts dipping down...

The set up needs to change.

Otherwise Africa's best waves keep making Epac Storms.

And Epac storms are fish storms mostly.

Let's not pretend FERNANDA is hitting HAWAII as a CANE.

Just saying.

You can't have a good tango without a dip.

I'm also a dancer... remember 

42 seconds in if you are impatient.

Lord knows I'm impatient.

I'm not into mediocre.

And to be honest Cindy and Don were mediocre.

Mother Nature did save us from having Hilary and Don tho...

..so thank you Mother Nature.

As for the discussion on ACE.

I'm not into it.

I don't care about the ACE numbers.

Obviously the four named storms in the Atlantic were crap storms.

We call them crap storms when they didn't do much.

Well they did validate the NHC use of models.

And the models did call for "development" 

If you can call Don or Cindy "development"

Fine we had four storms.

A friend called Don a  "pseudo storm" I like that.

I want a real hurricane.

Bottom line.

Everyone wants something.

I want a real hurricane in the Atlantic.

Yes the EPAC is smoking hot. That will end soon. And again they got some of our best CV waves. About a month ago everyone was whining it was slow there. People were waxing academic on the slow start to the EPAC season and how the Atlantic was way ahead of the EPAC as if this was some sort of game. I'm not into numbers 10/7/4 because numbers can be manipulated. Obviously we had Cindy and that was manipulation of numbers and over reliance on models of a system forming close in. Don was not much more than a dot westbound. TD4 looked way better than Don the Dot but TD4 was not knocking at the door to the islands so it remained TD4 even though it looked way better than Cindy ever did. I'm not even talking on the A storm way back when. 

Loop this loop and watch the process that allows African waves to seed the EPAC with named storms. The lost to SAL was a win in the long run as the EPAC has no SAL.

http://www.eldoradocountyweather.com/current/satellite/goeseast-wv.php

Larry Cosgrove is a friend and one of the best meteorologists I know and I know the best. He's been brutally honest in his forecast on the lack of tropical development in the Atlantic.  He's a voice I cannot ignore as much as I would love to... And I'll add in it my own thoughts it ispossible something close in develops if it gets into the right spot. Something better than Cindy but not Don the Dot. And he is being more harsh than Jim from Hurricane City (another really close friend who I have learned much from and I'm not just talking tropics) in that Larry can't even say we will have anything real to track through August. You can subscribe to his forecasts online. Years back, oh my gosh decades back Larry would call for cyclogenesis and other mets would make fun of him only to see it play out just as Larry said it would. And what I love about Larry most (besides his music) is his understanding of how the globe works weather wise. Geographic knowledge combined with meteorological and well just on all levels .. Larry knows his stuff. Part of his stuff is music and y'all know how much I love music.

https://www.facebook.com/larry.cosgrove

I'm posting a sample below of what he recently wrote. Note the reason we should worry on this is not because 1992 was a slow hurricane season, but because the large, huge ridge allowed for the Katrina, Betsy and Andrew sort of double landfall scenario set up. Throw in Hurricane Georges that kept moving WNW despite every NHC discussion that it would soon make the turn...

This is the mean season gang.

It's hot and only getting hotter.

It was 85 degrees at 1 AM last night.

Only a weather person uses Snapchat as a thermometer

Heat index was off the charts as well last night.

The mean season brings out the meanies in people.

In Miami .. okay Hialeah someone shot at FPL trucks.

He was upset they were parked so long in front of his house.

So he shot out the tires.

As my daughter said "that ain't gonna help his situation"

His excuse was he went bananas.

My brother gets that way when he goes to the Subway in Hialeah.

But I digress.

Because Miami...

UH HUH...

Enjoying this ramble?

Hope so cause if not now when?

One day it's hot...

..and soon it will not be hot.

Seasons... First EPAC

Then Atlantic Hurricane Season.

As for the EPAC feed more by African Waves than Columbian monsoonal convection it was a slow start and then it went bonkers as if it was on steroids. And this too shall pass. Everything has it's season. In Miami we have tourist seasons, mango season, football season and hurricane season. Those are our four seasons. In Raleigh we have Pumpkin Spice Latte Season, It's never gonna snow season, hot as hell season and "wow the dogwood is in bloom" season. What are your seasons? The EPAC it lit up today like the sun when it's busy and then the sun goes quiet. This is my "I"m impatient sick of stupid, pseudo tropical storms and football is too far away for my liking and it's way too hot to go outside and I can't find a good bold, gel 1.6 pen the way I used to be able to do and yes it makes a difference season. This is my blog and I can do long run on sentences and be brutally honest because if not now when? As an old friend on AOL used to say "I don't give a rat's ass" unless it's a real hurricane with an eye.

I want a hurricane.

A real hurricane.

Don't go all "hurricanes are bad" on me.

It can swerve away fast if you are peace loving.

I'm an Earth Science person.

I like hurricanes.

It's why my blog is not called:

"Growing tomatoes in my backyard in Raleigh"

It's called Hurricane Harbor for a reason.

So what is the answer here?

We need frontal boundaries dipping down.

Not racing East as the Epac races West.

We need to mix it up for many meteorological reasons.

Dip stupid front DIP!

As for the ULL situation I am so over that!

So what's the answer?

1. To put a halt to the heat ridge creating misery across the Eastern Half of the country.

2. To flip the switch on the tropics into "ON" to have something to track, study and chase.

3. If you hate hurricanes carry on and root for the ridge..go for it. Enjoy the heat.

4. Go back up and read what Larry said on 1992 and think twice on loving that ridge.

5. If you are doing futures know the crops are taking a beating from the heat. 

6. Today's blog post is brought to you from someone who has had enough of nothing.

7. I didn't trash my friends at the NHC because I'm respectful and holding back (for now).

8. I need a 500 MB heights obviously.......  Larry gets that. :(

Extra credit points for why #7 above.

Nice tropical waves get no mention w/o model support.

And so far the models have sucked if you ask me.

Despite mention here the NHC won't mention them.

Except on the discussion no one reads.

Well i do but you know that don't you?

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/refresh/MIATWDAT+shtml/231121_MIATWDAT.shtml?

I've never been a real summer girl in retrospect. I don't tan, I just burn and then the burn fades away. I did get serious sun poisoning once with my cousin at a hotel on Miami Beach when we eluded my grandmother and spent the whole day in the pool and the ocean. After the invention of AC most Miami kids hibernate in malls, movie theaters and take trips up to the mountains of NC to evade the summer heat. Even long summer trips to relatives in NY is worth getting out of town. We wear shorts and sandals all the time so waiting for the summer to put on "summer clothes" is not something we care about and pool parties at friends houses usually involved throwing each other into the pool and then going into the Florida Room inside to stay cool. Note FPL makes a fricking fortune from the electric bill it takes to live on life support in Miami in July and August. And not to beat a dead horse but rather than fix their poles they wait til the poles fall down in relatively minor hurricanes and then raise the rates because it cost so much to fix them. Sorry FPL friends but being honest, I'm in a mood. 

In NC summer means you can go barefoot outside, if you want to go outside. Everything is green again as all the flowers have died from the heat. If you slept late your tomatoes have died on your backyard plants which is why it's worth the extra money to shop at Whole Foods. Also I may add Whole Foods keeps the AC really COLD so you can lower yours while away ...save some money and enjoy the quality coffee and let them clean up after you eat lunch. I'm not much of a farmer. I grew up in LA in the 80s according to Facebook (probably true in ways) and I've been an actor, a dancer and worked on political campaigns since I was five and I'm a writer who refuses to spell check this morning and refuses to lie to you.

1. We have good waves that in the old days would at least be mentioned on tropical updates. Especially as they have made it intact across the dry, Atlantic and washed up onto the shores of South America and then went into the Carib only to form in the EPAC where SAL does not exist.

But this year clusters of convection are named TS..

..rather than Subtropical Cyclones.

I'm being kind.

But the day will come when the EPAC gets quiet.

( i know upwelling......rolling eyes)

And the Atlantic will come to life.

If the SAL is gone...

..and the High is not gone.

The huge double barreled high.....

1992 might indeed be something to worry on.

Fronts will form just enough to pull the waves WNW.

And you know what that means.

Besos BobbiStorm

@bobbistorm on Twitter

Ps will leave this here for Jim W.

If he is still reading and grinning.

One of the best...  he was truly extraordinary and left a legacy of video online.

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/james-leonard-obituary?pid=1000000173072579&view=guestbook

Must be something about the name Jim ;)

January Thaw on East Coast. How Will It Last? Illusions, Music, Parties in Israel. Henna Party...

Let's start with the weather today!

There is some snow still in New England.

But not very many other places on the East Coast.

As we can see from the sites on Spaghettimodels.com ...

No snow today but over the next five days a bit more.

Mostly in the West coast but that will move East in time?

That frost/freeze line inches North again.

It will in time descend again towards the South.

It's a seasonal dance that goes on every year.

If you want snow go to Colorado or Maine

That simple.

Also the storms in the NW continue.

Rivers in the atmosphere dancing.

Spinning, turning, twisting, moving.

In the North Atlantic is a tightly wound storm.

Not a hurricane but a strong low pressure system.

Watch it spin on the water vapor loop.

So I'm going to point out the obvious here first and discuss the weather. You know the "January Thaw" going on in North America ....that continent far away from where I am typing this in Israel. January thaw means you will thaw out and then as it implies it's gone again. It's a temporary illusion of Spring, before the snow falls and coats everything in white again.

Illusions are funny. I've always been nervous when my kids were in Israel and I worry a lot as most parents do. I do feel safe and yet I know that's an illusion much like thinking winter is over. Then again anything can happen to you anywhere. At moments I think "what if" while here and then I push the thoughts away as fast as they come. Like that saying "dance as fast as you can" I just keep going and listening to music, watching the sunlight and wishing the houses had more insulation as 50 degrees here feels like 70 in Raleigh.

Many online have put out forecasts for this coming Hurricane Season based on the predictions concerning El Nino or no El Nino and I'm just not going to play that game. Honestly, it's way too soon to tell. There is a "warming" much like the "January Thaw" going on in the Pacific and if the recent past is a good measure it's worth waiting to see what it is like in April. The La Nina appeared and disappeared just as fast and can reappear as again as well. Maybe this is a "Neutral" year which really should be called "Normal" but nothing is normal about tropical weather forecasting.

Just too soon to tell and for me to start to wax poetic on any predictions would be as reliable as if I posted an astrological forecast for this coming year based on the positions of Jupiter and when it moves into Scorpio or if Saturn is in Sagittarius square Mercury at some point. I know how many of you would feel if I did that. Saying what June will be like today is more like guesstimating or wish casting for me to give a prediction currently based on a not reliable El Nino or La Nina signal. Understand? I mean I'm sure there is some Gypsy tea leaf reader here in Israel, as there are people from everywhere, but I'm not going to read tea leaves nor am I going to predict next season by weak signals currently inconsistent. As the old magic 8 ball says...................."ask again later"

I'm cold. I keep saying that but I've been told it's the lack of good insulation and that makes me think the summers here must be hot. But, it's a beach city here with a good breeze constantly blowing so that breeze must be nice in the summer.

As for me I went to a party last night for my daughter the bride known as a "Mikvah Party" or a "Henna Party" depending on how you look at it and in this case I'd say we had a Mikvah Party with Henna at the end.  Henna is for good luck and I'm not in an European area but here there are mostly Jews from Arabic and Persian countries and their customs are different than what you see in say Brooklyn. Persians do the Henna Party which is a custom. We don't paint henna, but it's smeared at the end of the party on your hand and you leave it on for about five minutes or more before washing it off before it dyes your hand. It smells heavenly as it's made from Henna stuff... (looked like dark whole wheat flour) and a tea made with what we would think of as spices for Pumpkin Spice Latte. Heavy on the cinnamon and cloves and Lord knows what else was in it. So... the house now smells from the spicy mixture as if someone spilled a gallon of Chai Tea onto the floor last night.

They place candles in the henna in a bowl.

Then dance around with the bowl distributing the henna.

It was a lot of fun. A few of my daughters were in town as was the baby grandson. Other's were changing planes in Rome or Istanbul so my mind was at times elsewhere until they arrived safely in Israel. Of course suspending all concerns about being in Israel and happy they are out of the Istanbul airport. Priorities ya know...  We danced to mostlu Sephardi music (sounds like a cross between Belly Dancing and Spanish Jazz) and I learned a few new dance steps that were Yemenite and looked really Arabic. I'm pretty sure most the dance moves are the same, but what do I know? I used a few of my Bollywood moves and they were very impressed. I know that as they started clapping their hands and doing this "LALALALALA" thing they do and it sounded a lot like "OLE OLE" in Hebrew. But its hard to keep up with them as they are always dancing and the music is ALWAYS playing here and they all dance beautifully. The older generation listens to Hebrew songs and the younger generation learns English from Beyonce and JLO. Really.

There was of course a lot of food and I'm praying the dress fits as I have yet to find the exact phrase that means "I'm sorry it looks really delicious but I'm trying not to eat carbs or anything fattening until after the Wedding when I'll eat ...really" but the next thing I know a plate filled with chicken or fish or hummus is in my hands and let's all pray I didn't gain 20 pounds in five days. My sons have eaten and traveled their way through Israel on tours where they walked enough to impress their Fitbits and well suits are so much more forgiving than gowns. I understand why people wear robes in the Middle East...............

Before the party I took a walk for some exercise.

There's a "Shuk" down the block. Think store..

I actually bought some as well as pistachio halvah.

Late in the day when it's not as busy.

Where am I?

Hard to keep remembering.

Even the Hebrew sounds strange.

So many accents....

Candy, jams and much labeled in Russian.

 These pictures were taken a few blocks away as I was walking over to the marketplace called the Shuk here in Netanya. They have a bigger, fancier one in Jerusalem that is a real tourist attraction as well as where the locals shop. In Netanya it's more for the locals and while walking through it just a few blocks from the fancy hotels you feel like you might be in Turkey or Romania but it's Netanya. Note that much here is in Russian as well as Hebrew, Arabic and English so you kind of feel like it's a Mini Russia. Big fancy, shmancy condo going in there. Views from the higher floors will be water views as the beach is a few blocks away.

There is a tremendous amount of construction going on here. Feels a bit like Miami where they knock down most of the block and rebuild. And there are hibiscus as in Miami Beach. Where am I?

Olive Oil in Israel. Extra Virgin in English....

This part of the market looks like I could be in Brooklyn.

Picture of the Lubavitcher Rebbe on the wall...

...and black hat stored up high.

Looks like Crown Heights.

So much fish I feel like I'm in Seattle.

But of course it's all Hebrew.

And of course olives that seem bigger here.

All the colors seem so much more intense.

So from Israel with Love...

Tonight is the wedding.

Will see how that goes...

Fog and bubbles... 

Lights and lasers during dancing.

Israeli style after the religious ceremony.

Or so I've been told.

And a bunch of my kids who came in..

..and love to dance.

So ....they are baking chocolate treats again.

Sigh.......so  much food, smells heavenly.

Besos BobbiStorm

@bobbistorm on Twitter

Ps Pray the thaw lasts til I get back on Sunday.

I'm traveling through Boston... 

Miami daughter made that arrangement ;)

Enjoy an Oldie Goldie I grew up hearing.

A classic.... always.