The Real March Madness

Forget basketball. I discovered the real meaning of March Madness.

This weekend we attended the Missouri Whitewater Championships held on the St. Francis River, just outside Fredericktown, Missouri. The river was high and fast...perfect for kayakers, and pretty normal conditions for springtime.

But this wasn't a typical spring day. In shorts and T-shirts, we sipped cool drinks while sweat dripped down our faces. Indy, our camping canine, felt conditions warranted a fan. He got his wish. Who'd have thought it? There have now been about 10 consecutive days of 80+ degree weather. For March in Missouri, this is unheard of! True March Madness.

Can you crank the fan up a little, please??

However, events went on as scheduled. Racer after racer navigated swift waters.

Indy had a great time critiquing techniques.

He missed a gate. Disqualified! Disqualified!

A great weekend, but a strange one. Apparently the jet stream is to blame for our temperatures. It's running high above normal, bringing the Midwest unseasonably warm weather. Meanwhile, flowers and trees are blooming. Grass (or in our case weeds) grows a little taller each day.

How long will it last? No one knows for sure. We've either skipped spring altogether, or will pay dearly when the early blooming season comes to a frosty end.

How about you? Anyone else experiencing March Madness?

Nature's Thermometer

Photo by ArSiSa7

Can crickets really predict the temperature outside? This sounds like a silly folk tale, but according to every source I checked, from university studies to the Farmer's Almanac to good old Snopes, it's true.

There are a number of formulas given to figure temperature, including both degrees Farenheit and Celsius. Some of them are so complex that I'd need a calculator and mathmatics professor to explain them. The more complicated formulas produce a more accurate reading while the simplest formula provides a general idea of temperature. I prefer the KISS theory--you know, Keep It Simple, Silly (my somewhat kinder modification of the acronym).

So the process goes something like this:

You're out on a summer evening. The crickets are chirping up a storm (and by the way, this is actually a mating ritual...what you're hearing is the song of courtship!).

Count the number of chirps that occur in 14 seconds. To that number, add 40. This should provide a rough estimate of the current air temperature in degrees Farenheit.

Pretty nifty, huh?

But don't take my word. On your next outdoor evening, listen for the sounds of cricket love.

And let me know whether or not the crickets are having a "hot" night!

(Thanks to my friend, Marty, for the cricket blog suggestion)