Comment from Eric1

Excellent

Hi Steve, brilliantly written with a wonderful sense of humour I thoroughly enjoyed reading this very funny story about SWMBO and the hoard of flies around summertime, this has cheered me up on a Grey dank Sunday morning in the UK my friend.

 Comment Written 20-Mar-2016

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reply by the author on 22-Mar-2016

Thanks, Eric.

Meanwhile, we are battening down the hatches for a weather nasty that is forecast to arrive tomorrow. The hot, dry summer that never arrived has definitely ended!

Steve

reply by Eric1 on 23-Mar-2016

Hope you have survived the mayhem Steve!

Comment from Pyrrho

Excellent

Great Day! it is so nice to have someone mention H. Ryder Haggard's trilogy (but you forgot Alan Quartermain. By the way, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo trilogy matches Haggard for excellence. if you haven't read it, get it. yuou will not regret it.

My reaction to Rap: If Rap and sermans were about as man developed, I am convinced that Darwinian development would have had man develop ear lids as well as eye lids.

You mention "fly season" in my experience fly season lasts one year per year.

 Comment Written 20-Mar-2016

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reply by the author on 22-Mar-2016

T think books like Haggard's are well out of fashion now, but did I read somewhere that Quartermain was the prototype for Indiana Jones??

There are many occasions when ear-lids would come in handy - ad breaks in a TV prgram for instance.

Steve

Comment from ciliverde

Excellent

Sorry about the Nino. As a weather forecaster, I feel partially responsible! Have you guys thought about fly paper?? I enjoyed your little tale about the fly-swatting manic episode, but do you dare show it to your wife? I also appreciated your description of the source of the flies: "it is undeniably pleasant to have the great, lumbering beasts mooing and munching and peering serenely at you over the back fence." I like cows :)

Also, "Twelve years living in Australia means I have also perfected the Aussie salute." I was going to ask you what that meant, then I saw your explanation. Funny, here in So Cal I've developed the same technique when surrounded by gnats on a bike ride. A few expletives help to bustle them away too.

Carol

 Comment Written 19-Mar-2016

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reply by the author on 22-Mar-2016

Carol, thanks for the fun review. I don't really have a gripe with weather forecasters, although I would love them to admot to their mistakes and maybe take a moment to explain how they got it wrong!

Steve

reply by ciliverde on 22-Mar-2016

The impacts of El Nino are not well understood. Often time the forecast is based on comparison to other El Nino years, looking at the Equatorial Sea Surface Temperature anomalies - the Oceanic Nino Index (ONI). This year's ONI was very strong, plus we had very warm SST's in the NE Pacific, so details like that can change the atmospheric response. I'm not a climate scientist, and this is their forte, not mine, but it seems to me that they're not clear why they're wrong. How's that? :)

reply by the author on 22-Mar-2016

Didn't understand a word of it!

Actually, I was referring more to the day-to-day forecasts, where TV weather presenters promise you one thing today which turns out to be totally wrong. Then they appear the next day and never say a word about the inaccuracy. Do they never reflect on their predictions? In a farming and outdoor recreation region, people plan their lives around what the weather is supposed to be.

reply by ciliverde on 22-Mar-2016

Oh, the day to day stuff - well, I'm not a TV meteorologist so I can't answer for what they decide not to do. I'm a National Weather Service forecaster. We get questions on Facebook and Twitter, I try to answer them. Sometimes what happens is a low or frontal system stays north of us, dives south and misses us, or weakens as it crosses the area for various reasons. So you don't get rain that WAS in the forecast, or sometimes we think the storm will miss us and it doesn't. OR - we have a cool day forecast, but offshore flow is stronger than we thought it would be due to stronger upper level support - and it's warmer than expected. There are a variety of reasons things can go wrong. Stratus and low clouds near the coast are VERY difficult to forecast for example, and it's hard to come up with an answer beyond a shrug and "go figure". Does that help?

reply by the author on 22-Mar-2016

Yeah, I guess, I knew that! And I'm nit blaming you or your profession. I just think it wouldn't hurt them to occasionally say 'Hey, we got it wrong - and here's why...'

Comment from Bill O'Bier

Excellent

I enjoyed your story a lot. I always enjoy writing that is fun. I think you did an outstanding job with this piece. Thank you for sharing it was a wonderful to read.

Wishing you well...
Bill~

 Comment Written 19-Mar-2016

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reply by the author on 22-Mar-2016

Thanks, Bill - glad you enjoyed.

Steve

Comment from Phyllis Stewart

Excellent

This is odd. I know I reviewed this the other day, but here it is again, with an empty box I must fill with two and a half lines. So I did. Still a terrific story. Buzzzzzz....

 Comment Written 19-Mar-2016

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reply by the author on 19-Mar-2016

Thanks, Phyllis. I can't remember seeing a review from you, but that wouldn't be unusual these days! Sometimes we click on the button, the review goes off into the ether and never ever arrives at its destination.

Steve

Comment from Sis Cat

Excellent

This is an amusing essay about an annoying subject--flies. I had a lot of fun reading this. Your prose is vivid, and who has not waged a war against flies? Your battle is comical and made me smile. It is a great essay. I suggest that you submit it for publication. Thank you for sharing.

 Comment Written 19-Mar-2016

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reply by the author on 19-Mar-2016

Thanks for the great review and the smile - that's what it was all about!

Steve

Comment from Nika2016

Excellent

Funny stuff....Smile. I can see her point. If one does not remove them...maggots. Nothing could gross me out more. You tell an interesting story which should be on the pages of a magazine .

 Comment Written 19-Mar-2016

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reply by the author on 19-Mar-2016

Thanks, Nika.

Steve

Comment from CivilChick

Excellent

This was hysterical! I can so relate to SWMBO. We live in the country, and at the height of summer last year the flies found their way between our screen door and front door. There were hundreds...if you forgot and opened the front door, they took their opportunity and swarmed in the house. Now, I am being overrun by lady bugs. I swear they are coming into the house so they can die...dead upturned bodies everywhere. It is a daily chore to gather them up and put them back out side. I can't kill the lady bugs...but the flies...for the flies I have no mercy.

 Comment Written 19-Mar-2016

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reply by the author on 19-Mar-2016

Thanks for the kins words and for sharing your own insect experience.

Steve

Comment from N.K. Wagner

Excellent

Steve, I, too, lived near a cow pasture for a few years. Never again! I know how little you exaggerated in this essay. (And perhaps your can-count was a little low.) Thanks for a great laugh. :) Nancy

 Comment Written 19-Mar-2016

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reply by the author on 19-Mar-2016

Thanks, Nancy.

I will never run out again! (I've had tp swear that!)

Steve

Comment from damommy

Excellent

Love this! I think SWMBO and I agree about flies. Since we've had no winter to speak of, I fear we will be doubly plagued this summer. I have a hand held bug zapper. It looks like a tennis racket. My neighbor and I sit out in the evening just swinging away while the little zappers crackle with each victory.

I love your story. I thought it was hilarious! Good luck with your flies. I love your last line. LOL 8-)

 Comment Written 18-Mar-2016

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reply by the author on 19-Mar-2016

Thank you. I have a great mental picture of you and your neighbour zapping those little pests.

Steve

reply by damommy on 19-Mar-2016

Her husband thinks we're crazy. We laugh so hard, and we keep score. LOL!!!