Clouds

It was warm enough to swim today. Well, not really, but it was much too warm for January.
I worked in town today and walked when I got home. I checked the blueberries and several of the bushes are blooming.....not good. I shot this photo with my phone as I walked.
I read that during WWII, the Germans could always spot American spies because they always talked about the weather.
I guess it's a good thing I wasn't a spy during the war, because looking back over my blogs, it seems I often write about the weather.
But that's because of the extremes. Several years ago we woke up to a dusting of snow on the deck. We suited up and frolicked in the white stuff all morning, and by mid afternoon, a warm front moved in out of the Gulf of Mexico and I put on my shorts and a tee shirt and worked in the back yard.
A few weeks ago, we had an earthquake. In 1995, Hurricane Opal made landfall in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida and roared through Alabama. 
It was still considered a hurricane (winds of 75 MPH) when the eye came over our house in Empire. The wind howled and it felt as if someone were sitting on our chests......and we're 250 miles from the beach.
I cleared downed trees for weeks, and our power was off for ten days. 
I haven't seen any locusts, or other pestilence yet, but I'm sure they'd feel right at home here in Empire, Alabama.