Weather Today- in Your Vicinity

[David Kilpatrick]

The temperature outdoors today in southern Scotland has been around 15°C in the shade (air temperature) and with the sun out at mid-day that feels more like 18-20°. There is no wind today, which is unusal when the air is this warm in late October - it only got to be OK thanks to strong southerly winds last 2 days. But it was still overnight and quite cold in the morning.

But this is almost our 'last fling' for any kind of pleasant outdoor weather. November 5th has a big effect on the change in weather wherever fireworks are let off in quantity, and bonfires burned. Much the same as the stubble burning season used to in August (now, they rarely burn it but harvest everything and plough the roots back in). It's not unusual for the morning of Nov 6th to have a visible inversion and a layer of smoke from the fireworks and fires, which really cuts down the sunlight in built-up areas. It's like a single night when everything returns to 1950something, with coal fires and pollution everywhere.

I reckon if they banned Nov 5th fireworks and fires, we'd get an extra week or two with more chance of warmer days.

One of the odd things about Scotland and N England is that January can be surprisingly mild and then you get snowed in in late Feb and March with no decent rise in temperature until well into April. 'Winter' seems to have been shifted a couple of month later compared to when we thought it was, when I was a kid.

David

[peterottaway]

I'm waiting for the Colourbond and the insulation to turn up. We need it more around here than Greg does as it ranges from from -5C to 45C with 3 to 4 months where night time temperatures will be mostly below 5C. Traditionally the roofs were galvanized iron but in the 1920s and 30s they moved to terracotta tiles for less maint'ce , improved insulation and as the California bungalow style changed house designs.

As this is also a declared earthquake zone they certainly encourage the lighter metal roofs and require steel reinforcing beams in the roof, metal door and window frame units and large sand pads that extend well beyond the exterior walls. As roof insulation is compulsory along with wall insulation if you don't build in double clay brick or concrete blocks,tiled roofs just haven't been built since the early 1990s here.

[bakubo]

I read in the Honolulu newspaper a few days ago that this is a La Nina year so we should expect a lot more rain this winter. Since getting back from Vietnam 10 days ago I notice the weather is a bit cooler (highs in the afternoon are usually 85-86F instead of 87-88F). Also, the sun is not as strong and often more clouds in the sky than in the summer. We were here in the fall and winter of 2008/2009 also and so far it looks like that so the additional rain will come later, I guess.

[Juanito200]

Weather today: Clear in the morning, high cirrus clouds in the PM. Temp right now:27C, wind 2mph from the SE. This is the new Collin County courthouse. Completed last year. I've already christened it by paying for a speeding ticket John

[Birma]

I haven't been posting here in a while, I've missed some great photos. Birma congrats.. It looks like you are the 1000th reply on this thread! John

It is an honour to be the millennial poster in such a great thread .

Not sure about the new court house . Nice picture though.

[Juanito200]

Thanks Birma- I was hoping for something modern... But the city was conservative with its choice. One of my biggest problems with the city is that all new construction must brick or stone front, or both. Each building in and of itself is ok.. but put them all together it gives the city a very bland face. At least we have the downtown area with some old buildings on the square, and some good restaurants. I shoot there sometimes in the morning. Here is another view of the old courthouse remains. For some reason, this angle reminded me of Chernobyl. John http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnleblan ... otostream/

[KevinBarrett]

Methinks that this courthouse's architecture will not age well--it's very stylish, yet non-committal.

[Greg Beetham]

The new courthouse design isn't too bad I think (looks like there's solar panels in a few places), I just am not totally keen on the colour scheme, but maybe in a few years when it needs to be repainted...who knows, maybe they'll try something different.
Greg

[aster]

Weather today: Clear in the morning, high cirrus clouds in the PM. Temp right now:27C, wind 2mph from the SE. This is the new Collin County courthouse. Completed last year. I've already christened it by paying for a speeding ticket John

Weather in Istanbul:
16° C | 10° C
Monday
Clear. High: 16 °C . Wind NNW 10 km/h .
Monday Night
Clear. Low: 10 °C . Wind North 10 km/h .



Sorry that, that somebody to christen the new courthouse had to be you, John! But speed can be bad and I'm glad you're with us than not, now and in the future. : )

The building isn't the worst of its kind but your town could have used a better and sympathetic design rather than going formal in appearance hence providing some excitement for the town people. Always feels good to walk by a nice building than a bland one; changes one's mood for the better.

Almost as a rule of the thumb, the courthouses have symmetrical designs due to the courtrooms required. Not very different from the plan layouts of hotels with repetitive rooms one after the other. I llike the colours but I agree that the external walls could have more of a playful incorperation of the cladding materials or the bricks.

Thanks for sharing,

Yildiz



.

[aster]

Sunset from my front yard 29 Oct 2010

Admirable! Reasons to stay close to home sometimes... : )


Yildiz

[aster]

I've been busy most of the week helping to put the new roof on. Living close to the ocean is nice but you have to watch anything made of steel, although being fair the roof has probably been on the old place for 70 years...so can't complain too much.
Greg

Hmm, you certainly have been up and about with the installation of the new roof, Greg. : ) The new roof looks very clean and neat. All you need now is to wait for the El Nina to do its abstract art of wearing-out job to get the conventional look!

You and everyone else indeed did a fine job. You can stretch those legs for the rest of your life as far as the roof is concerned and enjoy the wind and the rain while the storms and cyclones pass by, with a cocoa mug in your hand.


Yildiz

[bossel]

Raining cats and dogs here for 3 days Very unusal for this area Glad I am not living in Scotland ...well ... acutally where I was born in Germany it was often like this, gray and rain for days, know it, don't miss it...

[david antony]

Tsawwassen sunny 14ºc.

Quaint home in Vancouver.

[Greg Beetham]

Ha! good one DA, stright out of a fairy tale kids book that one....amazing.
Greg

[Juanito200]

Great shots DA.. That is a really neat house.. I just have one small suggestion for the builders... LSD is NOT a good idea whilst building a house!hiccup!!