Panhandle Skies in a flying lawn chair.

My good friend Ken Hanson is crazy. He bought him a flying lawn chair suspended from a bed sheet by wires. Naturally I had a to take a few pictures. You might have seen him (and his fellow crazies? flying out and about close to sunset (when the winds are calm) down between South washing ton and Georgia streets on McCormick.














These guys have way too much fun.

Placid Plains

No rain - but plenty of color.


(C) Steve Douglass
click on the photo to enlarge.

Another classic sunset

Tonight's glorious sunset in case you missed it.

Can't beat those West Texas sunsets!

-Steve

Finally a decent sunset

I saw the clouds gathering on the horizon this evening and went out over behind Ascension Academy (as I do a lot) to see if the sunset was going to amount to something worth shooting. I was surprised to see some other amateur photogs out there, but at t he last moment a bank of clouds moved over the sun and it looked like it was going to be another dud.

However, I know from experience to just wait a bit and I was quite pleased to see the sun and clouds finally come together and give us another classic West Texas sunset.

Then I noticed the others who had come out to photograph the sunset had given up and left - before the real show had even begun. If they had just stayed around 15 minutes they would have seen this:



I call this one "The Last Ride."

8 people killed in February Twister outbreak In Oklahoma

ARDMORE — Eight people are confirmed dead in Carter County but the tornado's death toll could rise, according to Carter County Sheriff Ken Grace. Sheriff Grace said Tuesday evening there were 15 people who may have died but that was not confirmed.

The Chamber of Commerce office furniture and walls are strewn across grass after a tornado destroyed much of the city of Lone Grove in southern, Okla. on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2009. Photo by Steve Sisney, The Oklahoman



Carter County emergency officials were forced to suspend the search for survivors shortly after 1 a.m. until daylight Wednesday.

“It’s just too dangerous,” Sheriff Grace said, referring to jagged metal and live wires hidden in rubble and debris. “We don’t need to be adding any more injuries to what we already have.”
Sheriff’s officials said this town of about 5,000 people was devastated when a tornado estimated to have been about a half-mile wide tore through the middle of Lone Grove, ripping buildings from their slabs, demolishing dozens of mobile homes and snapping any trees and power lines in its path.

“It looks just like any tornado footage you see on TV,” said OHP Trooper Bryant Harris, who lives in Lone Grove.
“There’s nothing left ... twisted metal, cars turned upside down, cars in trees.”
Harris, who lives just down the road from some of the most hard hit areas, said he and his family rode the storm out in a tornado shelter.

“It really does sound like a freight train coming through,” he said, describing the roar of the devastating storm.
About an hour before rescue workers suspended their search, the distraught sheriff said his men were doing all they could to clear areas and look for dozens of missing people — freeing people from debris and wrecked cars and marking bright orange “X”s on areas that had been searched. But Grace said he just didn’t have enough light or man power.

“We’ve had reports of people calling for help in abandoned fields,” the sheriff said. “We’re doing all we can.”
At least two trailer parks, and dozens of homes and businesses were destroyed. One deputy sheriff said whole families were lost in one of the trailer parks, and he said he expected more fatalities to be discovered at first light.

“I’m scared to death to see what daylight brings,” the deputy said.
Lone Grove lost its only furniture store on state Hwy. 70, and all that was left of the chamber of commerce, next door to John’s Furniture, was a slab and scattered debris.
The UPS building, also on U.S. Highway 70, had part of its roof ripped off, and the town remained without power through the night.

For the most part, neighboring Ardmore - a much larger population area - was spared, but sheriff’s officials said an area north of Ardmore, near Springer, was also hit hard, including a private school, Beavers Academy.
Grace said rescue workers from all across southern Oklahoma were arriving to help out in the search and recovery efforts and extensive efforts with helicopters and grid searches would begin at first light.
Lone Grove survivors recall tornado

Lana Hartman and seven others were huddled in a small closet, about 6 feet tall by 4 feet wide, in their one-story brick house when they felt a tornado roar past their house last night. No one in the house was hurt.
Hartman said those in the closet could feel wind underneath the closet door. A teenager in the closet began lifting off the ground and others had to hold her down by grabbing her T-shirt, Hartman said.

Hartman moved into the house on Tuesday, just hours before the tornado struck. Hartman's house is next to a furniture store, which was significantly damaged.
This morning, couches and recliners remained lined up in the store, but several walls and part of the tin roof and insulation is missing. John Taliaferro has owned the store for 37 years.

First storm photos of 2009

Coming home from Waco, I was briefly inside a tornado watch - which is rare February event. Although I didn't chase today, I was really, really tempted to - especially when thunderstorms began to build up all around near Eastland, Texas.

Unfortunately work dictated that I get back home and I had already driven 250 miles of a 500 mile trip and didn't relish the thought of getting back to Amarillo in ragged shape.


i did however take a few photos of the gathering storms and for a brief moment it felt like May in February. This shot was looking southeast toward the towering Q near Stamford, Texas. Nothing tornadic, but pretty none-the-less.

-Steve

Bulletin: February 19th Oklahoma Tornado Event

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Multiple tornadoes touched down in central Oklahoma on Tuesday, causing extensive damage to businesses in northwest Oklahoma City and destroying several homes in the Oak Tree area of Edmond.

However, as of early evening Tuesday, no deaths or major injuries have been reported.
Moderate to severe damage was reported in the Oak Tree neighborhood of Edmond. At least six homes along Country Club Drive and Heritage Boulevard were destroyed. The National Weather Service confirmed tornado touched town in Coffee Creek near Kelly.

The Red Cross set up a shelter on Waterloo Road at the Waterloo Road Baptist Church in northern Edmond. The Red Cross is also deploying canteens for emergency responders in the affected areas.
These areas are closed to local traffic. Edmond officials said people living in damaged neighborhoods would need identification to get back in.

About 12,500 OG&E customers were without power, mostly in North Oklahoma City, Eyewitness News 5 reported.
Damage was also confirmed at a Chuck-E-Cheese pizza parlor near Northwest Expressway and Rockwell Avenue in Oklahoma City, and KOCO got several reports of roofs being lifted from homes.
"You could see it starting to form and then it started. It sounded like a train hit, and before we knew it, it was over," said a 19-year-old resident in the area. "We saw a funnel start to touch the ground."

At a Hobby Lobby store in northwest Oklahoma City, doors were blown in and torn off hinges. The front foyer ceiling collapsed, witnesses said, and lighting fell to the ground.
Tornado Forms Live On-Air Near Edmond Middle School
The storms also complicated things for school systems in central Oklahoma, whose administrators had to decide whether to bus kids home or keep them inside. Most opted to keep kids at school, and some students were still not home by 5 p.m.
More than a month away from the traditional start of severe weather season in Oklahoma, severe thunderstorms have developed across the state.

A moderate risk for severe weather was issued for much of the KOCO viewing area on Tuesday morning, and a tornado watch was issued until 8 p.m. for much of southwestern and south-central Oklahoma.
"Large hail, damaging winds and strong tornadoes are possible," said KOCO chief meteorologist Rick Mitchell.
Meteorologist Andy Wallace said there had been some discussion among meteorologists about upgrading the moderate risk for severe weather to a high risk, a rare designation even in Oklahoma.
Tornado Safety

Winter Winds

Power & Light

In case you missed tonight's sunset (and it was gorgeous) here it is. Unfortunately when it set I didn't have an unobstructed view of the horizon, but it was pretty none-the-less.

-Steve

Sunset Sortie

Prairie Dog Town Fork Of The Red River

Morning Doves

Anybody seen Bob?

Dusty Dry Cold Front

A dry cold front pushed through the Panhandle at sunset tonight pushing ahead of it a band of dust, that most likely was once Canadian soil. Although no moisture is expected, it did make for an interesting sky.

-Steve Douglass

Dry Winter In Palo Duro Canyon

We've been having a nice run of warm winter (dry) weather but it doesn't mean out Panhandle skies are any less photogenic. Here is a shot I took of the winter sun cutting through some tangled and hibernating trees in Palo Duro Canyon.

This is the longest part of the year for me ( and my brother storm spotters) waiting for Spring to come, so you do what you can to cope.

I'll post some more soon.

-Steve Douglass

Morning Test Flight:CV-22 Osprey

I heard the familiar clatter of rotor blades, grabbed my camera and went out on the balcony a took a few shots of a new CV-22 Osprey heading out t o the West practice area. I was tempted to zoom in, but liked the sky so I kept it wide.

V-22s are fairly common here (because the Textron factory is on the East side of town) but I never miss an opportunity to photograph one of these weird airplane/helicopter hybrids.

-Steve

Conjunction , Venus, Moon, Jupiter

Last night's conjunction as photographed from Amarillo.

Flying Over A Panhandle Sky

Tonight just before 7:30 we had a fly over of the Space Shuttle/International Space Station. I shot some (a bit shaky) video of it as it flew from the SW to the N.

It didn't fly directly over Amarillo (skirted it to the West) so it wasn't the best sighting opportunity. There is another one tomorrow evening and an even better on on Thursday. I'll keep those interested advised.

Although I've seen it several times, every time I see a pass it's a thrill. To most of the populace, space travel seems mundane, but never for me. 

I remember when I was just a wee-sprout Dad taking us to Columbus, Ohio to watch a parade honoring astronaut John Glenn, not to mention watching man first set foot on the moon in July of 1969. I guess I've been bitten by the space bug ever since.

Since then I've intercepted communications (on a regular basis) space shuttle communications and even photographed the tragic demise of Columbia, but I've never seen a shuttle up close.

Needless to say, a year ago, I was extremely irked when the NASA 747 that transports the shuttle (on its back) landed in Amarillo to refuel (with shuttle in tow) and I missed it because I was out of pocket.

When I came home and everyone told me about it and then I saw the news video footage, I was kicking myself for weeks. Me - Mr. Communications, missed it, didn't even hear about it until it was all over.

In any event, to witness a space shuttle launch is on my bucket list - I just hope it keeps flying long enough until I can afford to fly down to Florida and see it.

Panhandle Halloween Sky

While sitting here waiting for the grandkids and trick-or-treaters, I couldn't help notice the lovely sliver of the moon gracing a Halloween sky. All it needs is a witch on a broom!

Enjoy!

-Steve

Gorgeous Clouds Over Africa. From NASA, Expedition 16 [PIC]

Gorgeous Clouds Over Africa. From NASA, Expedition 16 [PIC]: "Photographed by astronauts, part of Int'l Space Station-Earth Observatory program. Here dense, thick rain clouds ('cumulonimbus') shot in early 2008."

(Via digg.com: Stories / Popular.)