Monday. New Week. New Models. Possible Snow Storm in the Wings. Keep Watching for it to ... Come Together

Quick post on the upcoming week and the week that was and how it's all connected. It's been warm and mild (though rainy) in the Carolinas this January despite every person who predicted a colder than normal winter we have yet to see it really take control. In November we had an early winter storm that much like an early May hurricane got everyone excited while many know that early May storms happen in slow hurricane seasons. Time will tell as always. There's a lot to deal with as there are two Jet Streams and they need to come together and hook up with Arctic Air to really get us there.

Yesterday it was hot, sunny and flirting with a high of 70 degrees so being the good Capricorn I am I figure if life gives you lemons make pink lemonade and enjoy it. So we went to the beach, Wrightsville Beach in particular as it's the closest beach to Raleigh and there's much to do in Wilmington while there. There is nothing like a Carolina Beach really and I've seen a lot of beaches from Seattle to LA to Maine to Miami. They are peaceful, family oriented more than most and filled with a sense of peace and a beauty all their own. The beach in the off season is always preferable to the busiest days of summer. Except for a spattering of blue tarps (not many) and the sea oats being thinned out you couldn't tell Florence had ever been there.... go figure. Florence was more a stuck rain storm and flooding event than Michael that sandblasted North Florida beaches leaving them looking as if a nuclear bomb went off in places from storm surge and wicked winds. It will take North Florida a long time to look as if Michael had never been there. I will say I noticed the hanging moss took quite a hit in Wilmington much the way Matthew pruned the hanging moss in Savannah. Life goes on at the beach.

There I am looking for a shell I liked.

Planted there, not moving til I found it.

I took off the leggings and put them back on.

Wrapped a sweater around me in case I needed it.

The pier is windier and colder than the beach.

Nuff said. It was warm but the wind was chilly.

The water was cold but not as cold as usual in January.

I walked barefoot in and out of the water.

It was glorious.

On Twitter people argued a lot it seems.

I missed it as I was at the beach.......

When there is no winter in winter...

...weather people get a little nuts.

When it's hurricane season and it's slow...

... people get very nasty and fight.

Weather people need weather like....

...I seem to need to see the ocean.

Luckily the models are tossing us possibilities.

It's going to be Mid January this weekend.

If not now when?

A voice I trust very much.

Before I lived here I followed him for hurricanes.

He's good, very good.

Further North you go the better chance of snow.

As always Raleigh is on the edge.

Always and forever ...

...seriously!

So I look to see what Allan Huffman has to say..

And Cranky brings it all together as usual.

He knows winter storms.

Does well with hurricanes but well...

...he is more in the heart of the winter world than me.

So you may want to read his blog.

http://www.stormhamster.com/entry2/e010719.htm

NY/NJ/NE do they get a real winter storm?

How about the Carolinas........

As always great folksy advice from Chick ;)

When I suggested bourbon in my French Toast...

It's a winter thing you buy eggs and bread and milk.

French Toast for Snow Storms in the Carolinas.

Will it all come together?

Keep watching.

Time will tell.



Til then keep watching the models, enjoy real weather discussion on Twitter for a change and the possibility that we may be able to wear any new winter clothes or boots before we have to put them away for summer.

Besos BobbiStorm

Ps....and until then another Allan is right we will be watching the models and what all of our favorite weather people have to say. Speaking of models I'll be spending a whole lot of time on www.spaghettimodels.com

For one of my favorite people round here.... Yeah I want weather, I want weather bad and this winter has been a bit crazy and the crazier the better when it comes to weather so yeah... I want a crazy, Carolina winter snow storm and to talk endlessly about it online. And, I'll be in NYC in late January so figure I can see snow either way then .... (seen long range models) and early February in Florida so need winter weather NOW in January but either way...... grateful for short sleeves weather in January and the beautiful beach... but love a good ending with snow falling ;) Got home in time to collapse into bed under the covers cause when the sun goes down in the Carolinas in Winter it does get cold and watch the Golden Globes. Yay! :)

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.