The Gann Museum Re-Opening

DEBBIE AND I ATTENDED THE RE-OPENING OF THE GANN MUSEUM, WHICH IS THE ONLY BUILDING IN THE WORLD THAT IS MADE OUT OF BAUXITE, TODAY. WE SAW A GREAT COLLECTION OF NILOAK POTTERY THAT WAS MADE HERE IN BENTON AROUND THE TURN OF THE CENTURY. WE ALSO GOT TO RUB ELBOWS WITH DIGNITARIES, SUCH AS SENATOR SHANE BROADWAY, AND 4 MAYORS... 1 CURRENT AND 3 FORMER.

MAYOR HOLLAND, THE CURRENT MAYOR, IS ON THE LEFT. THE GANN MUSEUM WAS BUILT BY PATIENTS OF DR. GANN, WHO DID MUCH OF HIS MEDICAL PRACTICE BY BARTER AROUND THE TURN OF THE CENTURY. HE WOULD DELIVER BABIES, MEND THE INJURED, & HEAL THE SICK AND TAKE CHICKENS, HOGS, CARPENTER WORK ETC. FOR PAYMENT. SO HIS PATIENTS WHO WERE TOO POOR TO PAY FOR HIS SERVICES DECIDED TO BUILD THIS WONDERFUL DR'S OFFICE OUT OF THE 1 MINERAL THAT IS ABUNDENT IN THE AREA..... BAUXITE! MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT THEY MAKE ALL ALUMINUM PRODUCTS OUT OF BAUXITE, AND THEY GOT THE BAUXITE TO USE FROM RIGHT HERE!

WE ALSO DECIDED TO TAKE IN A MOVIE, SO WE DROVE 130 MILES TO GO TO A REAL LIVE DRIVE IN MOVIE IN MARSHALL, ARKANSAS. IT'S CALLED THE KENDA DRIVE IN. YOU CAN TAKE CHAIRS, BLANKETS ETC. AND SIT OUTSIDE YOUR CAR TO VIEW THE PICTURE! IT IS GREAT!!!

PLEASE TAKE TIME TO LEAVE ME A NOTE

SEE YA'LL AGAIN SOON!

AHHHH, THE WEEKEND IS HERE!

WELL, HERE IT IS... SUNDAY... MY ONLY ACTUAL DAY OFF. DEBBIE HELPED WORK ON A HABITAT FOR HUMANITY HOUSE SATURDAY WITH HER CHURCH. THE HOMES ARE LOCATED JUST ABOUT 2 BLOCKS FROM OUR HOME IN BENTON. SHE WAS HELPING SERVE THE FOOD, BECAUSE WE BOTH ARE NOT REALLY ABLE TO SWING HAMMERS ETC. LOL




FORMER GOVERNOR MIKE HUCKABEE'S WIFE JANET WAS THERE HELPING BUILD TOO. SHE LIKES TO TRAVEL THE STATE HELPING BUILD HABITAT HOUSES IN THE SUMMER, WHICH I THINK SHOWS WHAT KIND OF PEOPLE THEY BOTH ARE. I THINK I AM GONNA TAKE DEBBIE OUT TODAY & JUST GOOF OFF. WE ARE BOTH RUN RAGGED, & A DAY OFF JUST DRIVING AROUND SOUNDS LIKE A WINNER TO THIS OLD FART! LOL WE ARE HAVING A NEW PORCH BUILT FROM THE TEMPORARY 100% V.A. DISABILITY CHECK I GET FOR A YEAR BECAUSE OF MY TOTAL KNEE REPLACEMENT SURGERY LAST NOVEMBER.

DEBBIE WANTS IT TO BE ABOUT 12 FEET WIDE AND 40 FT. LONG! WOW LOL
WHATEVER SHE WANTS, IF I AM SMART, SHE WILL GET! YIKES! LOL
I WILL POST PICTURES ALONG THE WAY AS IT'S BEING BUILT TO GIVE ME SOMETHING TO DO TO HELP. LOL

OH WELL, IT'S BACK TO THE GRINDSTONE

WE ARE NOW INTO THE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL SEASON HERE, AND THAT MEANS THIS BALD HEADED MAN CAN EXPECT TO LOOSE EVEN MORE OF THAT PRECIOUS COMODITY. MY BOSS, JIM LANDERS (THE OWNER, TOO) WANTS A VERY EXTRAVIGANT PRODUCTION, AND I AM THE ONE WHO HAS TO TRY TO MAKE IT WORK. I USUALLY END UP DOING IT MY WAY, BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN WORKING IN RADIO (PROGRAM, MUSIC, NEWS DIRECTORS AS WELL AS ON AIR) FOR ABOUT 19 YEARS NOW. WE HAVE A WEBSITE NOW THAT I HELPED SET UP FOR THE STATION. IT'S

http://www.kewi690.com/
^^^ JUST CLICK THIS LINK ^^^

I AM ON THE AIR LIVE EVERY MONDAY - SATURDAY FROM 8 AM TO 9 AM CENTRAL TIME DOING MY TRADIO SHOW, SO IF YOU WANT TO LISTEN ADD 1 HOUR ON THE EAST COAST & TAKE AWAY 2 HOURS FOR CALIFORNIA. JUST GO TO OUR WEBSITE, CLICK THE "LISTEN LINK" AND THEN CLICK THE LINK AT THE BOTTOM "CLICK HERE TO LISTEN" AND IT A FEW SECONDS OUR STREAM WILL START PLAYING. WE DON'T STREAM 24-7 BECAUSE OF FCC LEGAL PROBLEMS NOT ALLOWING IT FOR MANY REASONS I WON'T GO INTO RIGHT NOW.

TAKE CARE & COME BACK, YA'LL!

FINALLY GOT THE POWER BACK ON

WE FINALLY GOT THE POWER BACK ON AT OUR TRANSMITTER SITE AT 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON. THERE WAS A BIG TREE DOWN ACROSS A ROAD TO THE SITE, WHICH TOOK DOWN ALL THE POWER LINES WHICH WERE STILL "HOT". IT TOOK CENTERPOINT/ENTERGY 2 DAYS TO HAVE SOMEONE COME OUT TO SHUT OFF POWER & CUT THE LINES SO THE CITY COULD CUT UP THE TREE.

WE ARE GONNA TAKE A BREAK (ME & DEBBIE) AND GO OUT TO EAT AT A VERY NICE CHINESE RESTAURANT IN BENTON TONIGHT. WE BOTH NEED ANOTHER VACATION IN PENNSYLVANIA (PERMANENT) PERHAPS. LOL

TILL THE NEXT TIME!

AFTER THE STORM: THE DAY AFTER

WELL, WE MADE IT THROUGH IKE WITH ONLY HIGH WINDS & 2-4 INCHES OF RAIN. WE WOKE UP TO BEAUTIFUL SKIES

THERE ARE A LOT OF LIMBS DOWN ALL OVER THE YARD. THANKFULLY THE 150 YEAR OLD RED OAK IN OUR FRONT YARD DIDN'T FALL THIS WAY!

OUR TRANSMITTER IS OFF THE AIR RIGHT NOW DUE TO 5 FT. HIGH FLOOD WATER SURROUNDING OUR TRANSMITTER SITE. WE HAVE HAD A RECORD WEATHER YEAR SO FAR HERE IN ARKANSAS. HERE IS SOME INFO FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORTH LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS



On February 5th, killer tornadoes took the lives of fourteen people...with one tornado tracking a record 122 miles! Heavy snow blanketed northern and western sections of the state on March 6th/7th, with accumulations over a foot in some areas.



Then the flooding began after more than eight inches of rain fell in parts of the north and west on March 17th through the 19th. Area tributaries such as the Buffalo, Spring, Black and White Rivers experienced Top 10 crests on record.



A dozen tornadoes were spawned on April 3rd/4th across central sections of the state...including the Little Rock (Pulaski County) area. There were high water problems as well. This was followed by more heavy rain/flooding on April 8th through the 10th.




Why So Active?


A La Nina (cooler than normal water in the equatorial Pacific Ocean) pattern was in place as 2008 began. The southern branch of the jetstream (the Subtropical Jet), which normally flows south of Arkansas during the Winter/early Spring months, was drawn northward. This provided more warmth and moisture than usual, with incoming storm systems energized and producing more extreme weather events than normal. The severe weather season (usually from March through May) also got an early start, with tornadoes in January. This was also the case in 1999 (a La Nina year), with 56 tornadoes on the 21st/22nd (a record outbreak in Arkansas).



Killer tornadoes returned on May 2nd, with seven people lost. Five of the deaths were caused by a tornado that tracked 45 miles. More tornadoes followed about a week later (on the 10th), mainly in central and southern Arkansas.



Thus far, 70 tornadoes (a preliminary total) have been counted in Arkansas. In a normal year, there are 26 tornadoes.



THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE 2 TROPICAL STORMS, AND MORE TORNADO'S & FLOODING.



THANKS FOR READING, & SIGN UP TO FOLLOW MY POSTS.

HERE'S WHAT OUR DOG, POOH BEAR THINKS ABOUT THE WHOLE MESS



RON

SOME VACATION PICS OF OUR WONDERFUL FAMILY

9-13-2008 A DAY OF TORNADOS

WOW, WHAT A DAY!

WE ARE BEING AFFECTED BY TROPICAL STORM IKE AT THIS TIME. SOME OF THE OUTER THUNDERSTORMS ARE PAYING US A VISIT, BRINGING THEIR COUSIN TORNADO WITH THEM. AROUND 2:30 THIS AFTERNOON WE HAD 3 TORNADO WARNINGS GOING AT THE SAME TIME FOR OUR COUNTY!






THE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTH AT ABOUT 50 MPH. WE NOW HAVE TONIGHT & TOMORROW (SUNDAY) TO TAKE A POUNDING WITH MAJOR RAIN & HIGH WINDS IN THE FORCAST AS IKE CROSSES ARKANSAS.

UPDATE: 9-14-2008

I SENT THIS PICTURE TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORTH LITTLE ROCK, & THEY SAID THAT THIS WAS INDEED THE TORNADO THAT TOUCHED DOWN BRIEFLY IN TRASKWOOD, ARKANSAS JUST SOUTH OF OUR HOME.