A Crummy Commercial

An EF-2 tornado rolled through the Fox Cities south of Green Bay on Monday July 27, 2026 midday. like the start of The Wizard Of Oz    source:  https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/local/2026/07/27/menasha-appleton-grand-chute-see-significant-damage-after-tornado-storm--live/91069036007/ Northeast Wisconsin has seen it's share of tornadoes over the years.  I posted previously about the Tom Mix Circus performance in 1938 which was cut short by a bad storm (bottom of the page): https://wb9kzy.blogspot.com/2023/08/vital-secret-order-decoded.html The Neenah historical Society has an interesting post here about the incident: https://www.facebook.com/neenahhistory/posts/10158291911653225/ before the storm in Neenah The Tom Mix Circus used trucks instead of a train The Olsons lived in nearby Appleton then, Dad would have been almost 8 years old on July 10, 1938.  He and my Grampa attended the Tom Mix circus that night - possibly it was a birthday present ?  Wet can...

When I see this: The trail cam gets shut off and brought inside, so no trail cam pictures from last night. While listening to the Brewers Mets game the phone woke itself up and had an ominous tornado warning message.  Unfortunately I didn't save a screen shot but it got me all rattled.  Here's the gist of it: Not sure where it was actually, probably over the lake. there's a red box on the southern part of the island, is that where it was ? One thing I did notice again, Starlink is like our old dog, Buddy.  When there was a bad storm Bud would go downstairs and lay in his crate.  When Starlink encounters heavy rain it doesn't work.  I got a red LED on the router (it didn't photograph red for some reason or I'd include a picture). So anyway, I wasn't always online during the storm.  There was a little hail and then heavy rain along with the usual winds.  But I didn't hear "the train" so no tornado around me. Eventually after the Brewer game the p...

The weather / atmosphere was certainly kooky on Wednesday, at least here: the picture was taken through the screen That's not fog, it's smoke from MN or Canada ?  The island is underneath there somewhere south of Escanaba in the poor air quality: source:  https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/content/59538/smoke-map/2640047 The air is heavy and still - so I've been staying inside, taking it easy which is not saying much since I don't do that much even when things are nice.  One good thing, the smoke seems to have calmed the temperature somewhat. Unless it moves out I think I'll skip going to the store this week. With apologies to Carl Sandburg: Smoke The smoke comes in on little cat feet. It sits looking over harbor and city on silent haunches and then lays down for a multi-day nap. original:   https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45032/fog-56d2245d7b36c Update 7-16-2026 9 AM: Sandburg didn't mention a fog horn but this morning I started hearing what's probabl...

to get to the road.  There was a lull in the snow after 6 PM on Sunday night so I started shoveling.  There's got to be well over 3 feet of snow drifted near the front door.  Good thing that there probably won't be a ferry or mail today so no need to shovel ?   However the power has stayed on although internet has been up and down. The snow is kinda sparkly: Saved by the dark ! Finally, am I a punk for counting shoveling as exercise ? Best Regards, Chuck, WB9KZY http://wb9kzy.com/ham.htm  

I took a few quick snaps before sun down on Wednesday and also this morning.  It had been light snow and cloudy most of the day but then got sun late afternoon.    But I think we had only a micro ice storm so no major power outage (to my knowledge) on the island.  When the sun comes out it can be pretty.  But not really since there was a biting wind - it is still winter here - all that bare brown under the melted snow had me thinking of putting up antennas on Monday but by Wednesday all had changed. I bought a penlight which I keep with me (nothing worse than getting caught in "certain rooms" when the power goes out) and I've got all my various batteries charged but hopefully I won't need them. Best Regards, Chuck, WB9KZY http://wb9kzy.com/ham.htm

Although I have plenty of flashlights and headlamps one thing I wanted during the last power outage was a stand for my penlight.  After the power came back on I thought of this: I'm not sure what that wooden block was originally used for, it has 6 1/2 stamped on one side.  It might have something to do with ships rigging ?  I've got a couple more, larger thicker blocks with different holes in them.  They've always been used to park a hot pot or tray. But with the addition of a cardboard shim, instant penlight stand.  Shine the bright light on the ceiling and there is enough light to do stuff with both hands.  When it warms up I may make some copies so I can have them in multiple rooms. I got that penlight on Ebay, it is a Maglite Mini 2 AA LED penlight.  It's a nice flashlight but not super crazy about the twist on/off switch.  I will have to see if there are better/cheaper metal penlights available on Ebay. BTW ULINE is that company that sells bo...

Remember the kid with soldering irons in both hands ? https://wb9kzy.blogspot.com/2025/10/i-am-not-ai-whisperer.html This cold winter morning (12F or -11C) I was collecting my Microsoft Rewards points when I saw a prompt to use the Microsoft AI for image creation. https://www.bing.com/images/create   It was supposed to be for a cold winter greeting ?  Anyway I tried it and got this: Here are the four in more detail: I guess Microsoft AI lives in a very complicated cybernetic world because these might also qualify for the messiest shack contest: https://wb9kzy.blogspot.com/2025/04/messy.html This was my inspiration, an ARRL ad from the back of the first issue of QST that I ever bought (February 1967): Maybe it was the stylized lettering at the top but I thought it was both good AND memorable. I got the 20 Microsoft Rewards points, that's the main thing :) Best Regards, Chuck, WB9KZY http://wb9kzy.com/ham.htm  

Literal cold feet - it snowed yesterday, it's windy and the power was off for about an hour at noon, brrr.   So I got out the McGill foot warmer, mentioned before: https://wb9kzy.blogspot.com/2024/10/a-kit-i-use-every-day.html Plugged it in and nothing.  I unplugged it and hooked it to the ohmmeter - intermittent depending on the cord position.  I flipped it over and saw this: Both conductors of the cord were broken !  I'm glad it didn't short out - the strain relief wasn't much good. Six screws hold the foot warmer together but I was unable to budge them with a screwdriver, so I had to get out the cordless drill which had no problem getting them out.  When I took the two halves apart the somewhat fine Nichrome wire sprang out of position:   It was wound around plastic posts but very loosely.  Then I cut the AC power cord off, then stripped and soldered the wires back together after tying a somewhat lame strain relief knot.  Finally put a cou...

I was thinking about taking a bicycle ride when I started hearing periodic booming about 8 AM.  I finally realized it was thunder even though it's a sunny day here. The radar GIF: It's amazing to me that the sound of thunder (strong enough to rattle things) is able to travel about 30 miles (48 kilometers) !  Poor Escanaba, about the only city on the map being hit by a storm. This reminds me of the recent post on the lightning video: https://wb9kzy.blogspot.com/2025/09/martha-get-buckets-tree-by-lake-is-on.html  It also reminds me of this poster from the 20th century: I've got one of these around here somewhere source: https://www.ebay.com/itm/226934099585  I need to get some kind of lightning detector going, can't always rely on 70 year old ears.   Best Regards, Chuck, WB9KZY http://wb9kzy.com/ham.htm 

Lightning, Tomahawk WI: source:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsBumdSnH6U  I found this video so weird.  For one thing: the sky doesn't look dark and threatening.  No rain that I could see.  Just a bolt from the sky. The title says "powerful lightning" but I'm wondering if this was more of a random mini-bolt ?  It seems to me that a powerful strike would have done more damage. This also reminds me of the recent strike in the back: https://wb9kzy.blogspot.com/2025/08/lightning-strikes.html  I wonder if it is time to consider making some kind of lightning detector ? https://wenzeltech.com/Projects/lightningdetectors.htm  I'd like to try that  No Moving Parts Field Mill  but dunno about plundering an Americium pellet from a smoke detector. Finally I also thought: too bad it was an evergreen, Wonderboy was made from hardwood: https://wb9kzy.blogspot.com/2025/04/wonderboy.html     Best Regards, Chuck, WB9KZY http://wb9kzy.com/ham...

I mentioned the roof at American Family Field leaking during the Brewer game in Milwaukee on 2025-08-09: https://wb9kzy.blogspot.com/2025/08/two-highlight-videos.html  There were storms here on the island on that Saturday, too.  The power was out for about 1/2 hour in the late afternoon.  But before that there was a very close lightning strike near my house, flash and thunder at the same time and LOUD !  Luckily I had turned off the modem, computer, disconnected antennas and the phone line. But after the power came on I didn't check the outside and garage lights.  There is a long buried wire from the garage to a lamp near the mailbox.  It's on a ground fault circuit which usually trips during a storm.  But trying the lights a few evenings later (after resetting the GFI breaker) the lights were found to be dead.   The next day I checked and found these 4 dead LED bulbs: The three LED lamps on the left had been outside and they all rattle just ...

I rode over to vote this afternoon and then went to Mann's Store - lots of damage evident - didn't take any pictures.  Along the southern part of Airport road the power wires and fiber cables were really close to the ground, power poles had been snapped.  Not sure when the power will be restored fully.  I can hear a generator going in the vicinity so even just across Jackson Harbor road the power seems to still be out.  I suppose it depends on which of the three phases is used at your house. Birches and evergreens seem to have the worst of it.  The ice is kinda pretty in the sun - however these photos are kind of dreary in the overcast: the ice was really thick the 30M inverted vee in the front a little pine bent over in a U to the ground the ice attacks the crowns of the trees a little closer to the pine bent in a U birches don't just bend, they also break ice on the hedge I will restart the maple syrup boils tonight.  Only did a little sap collecting toda...

Power went out again on Washington Island on March 29, 2025 (Saturday) at 5:44p.   Power returned this Monday evening sometime before 8:15p (I was sleeping), March 31, 2025 - it is so nice to be back "in the cultured life" as my Mom used to say. More tomorrow.  Best Regards, Chuck, WB9KZY http://wb9kzy.com/ham.htm

It's almost spring. The power went out about 9:55p on Wednesday March 19, 2025.  It stayed off until sometime before 9:10a on Thursday.  There was a storm with heavy wet snow and wind which is never a good combo for trees, especially evergreens. normally the top two wires would be warm enough to shed the snow, the bottom wire is the fiber for internet So the first major outage of 2025, there was another on March 5th but that only lasted a couple of hours. This time other areas of the island weren't affected. Instead of suffering without a hot beverage this morning I remembered that stash of MRE meal warmers.  They can also be used for heating liquids.  They are similar to those hand warmers based on powdered iron and some other chemicals only the MRE heaters have been supercharged ? I dug one out by flashlight and tried it, results were very disappointing.  There are multiple warnings in the directions that the heater becomes very hot but nope - it wouldn't even...