There's an old Yankee adage that goes, “If you aren't happy with the weather in New England, stick around five minutes and it will change.”  Well, loyal airmen, that's what happened yesterday afternoon when a severe weather pattern descended on the New England seacoast propelled by powerful winds.  Starting down in the Hartford, Conn. area, this front which combined hot humid air from the south with cold, biting air from Canada whipped itself into a frenzy by the time it had moved over Massachusetts and New Hampshire.  It was the perfect weather cocktail for tornados. 

Winds in excess of 70 miles an hour ripped through the middle of the Granite State without warning, devastating over a hundred homes, most in the Epsom and Barnstead regions.  These are rural, lakeside communities.  One poor woman lost her life, while her husband and grandson miraculously were spared.

We here in Somersworth were spared this kind of horrendous damage.  At one point, Valerie and her mom were out grocery shopping and had to deal with the steady, torrential downpour.  Meanwhile I was manning Hangar 27 and saying lots of prayers that they were okay.  No one was happier than your Air Chief when they rolled up the driveway a few hours later.  Then all three of us stayed glued to out TV set watching local stations continue to report the effects of this foul weather.  Although no one actually caught photage of funnels, they were sighted and today the National Weather Service has agents in the area examining the aftermath.  Areas where mighty trees, some hundreds of years old, were mowed down for miles as if they were toothpicks.

The Governor has toured the areas hardest hit and promised the complete resources of state and national agencies in helping the victims as they attempt to access their loses and come to grips with what the future holds for them.  Still, when we realize the severity of the event, it is clearly a miracle that only one poor soul was lost.
Crazy, crazy, weather.

Moving on to lighter topics, the amazing box-office success of the movie, DARK KNIGHT, pretty much rewarded the stellar work of director Chris Nolan and his truly outstanding cast of actors.  If you'll recall, he, and Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne/Batman, totally jump-started this particular comic book franchise that had fallen on hard times.  The old series had become broad slapstick cartoons that no one took seriously.  Nolan and his team set about correcting that image and returning this DC icon back to his somber roots, as the haunted vigilante who is Gotham's protector.  With BATMAN BEGINS, they succeeded and all we comic fans kept our fingers crossed that first film was not just a lucky fluke, that these people know what they were doing and would give us another adult melodrama we could sink our teeth into.  Well, here it is, and your Old Air Chief is declaring it the BEST MOVIE he's seen thus far this year.   Don't get me wrong, I loved IRON MAN and still do.  But that movie catered to the eternal 13 year old in me, thank you very much.  DARK KNIGHT plays to the adult with intelligence and I appreciate that a great deal.  If you haven't seen it yet, what are you waiting for?

I've had the true good fortune (blessings if you will) to see many of my dreams come true.  One that still remains unfulfilled is to someday see one of my own comic tales brought to the big silver screen.  I'm hoping DAUGHTER OF DRACULA is that dream-maker.  At present a good friend who works as a composer in the movie business is passing around copies to various producers in Hollywood.  We keep our fingers crossed and hope you'll do so as well.  Good karma is always appreciated.

And that warps up another week.  One a little hairy, weather wise.  But again, that's New England!
Ron – Over & Out