Millie couldn't get above the snow line yesterday. That was only 20 or so inches. But what a contrast there is between how deep the snow is in relation to how high the volcano eruption was from under the ocean in Tonga.
Lake Ontario has no such mysteries nor such depth. So I am in awe of the deepest volcano on the Mariana back-arc in the Pacific Ocean and is 4,500 meters, 14,700 feet or 2.8 miles below the ocean surface. That's a deep ocean. That's the deepest known volcanic eruption on Earth. But it didn't send plumes into the sky so wasn't initially identified.
Tonga's eruption on Saturday was very noticeable - it sent a plume of smoke that reached 20 kilometres above sea level. And then tsunamis - as far as Santa Cruz California. That's 8,500 kilometres away. Waves travelled as far as far as 500 metres inland. Tonga was blanketed in ash.
The volcano is the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai. It triggered tsunami warnings across the Pacific. The eruption was the biggest since Pinatubo in the Philippines in 1991, with the cataclysmic bang heard in Fiji more than 750km (466 miles) away. Cataclysmic is a term often associated with volcanoes.
So it makes our snow fall experience to be more of a burden than catastrophe. As we are to expect rain on Wednesday, I can say this: We are full of climate experiences.
Here's a snow joke:
An engineer, a psychologist, and a theologian were hunting in the wilderness of northern Canada.
Suddenly, the temperature dropped and a furious snowstorm was upon them. They came across an isolated cabin, far removed from any town. The hunters had heard that the locals in the area were quite hospitable, so they knocked on the door to ask permission to rest.
No one answered their knocks, but they discovered the cabin was unlocked and they entered. It was a simple place ... 2 rooms with a minimum of furniture and household equipment. Nothing was unusual about the cabin except the stove. It was large, potbellied, and made of cast-iron. What was strange about it was its location ... it was suspended in midair by wires attached to the ceiling beams.
"Fascinating," said the psychologist. "It is obvious that this lonely trapper, isolated from humanity, has elevated this stove so that he can curl up under it and vicariously experience a return to the womb."
"Nonsense!" replied the engineer. "The man is practicing the laws of thermodynamics. By elevating his stove, he has discovered a way to distribute heat more evenly throughout the cabin."
"With all due respect," interrupted the theologian, "I'm sure that hanging his stove from the ceiling has religious meaning. Fire LIFTED UP has been a religious symbol for centuries." The three debated the point for several hours without resolving the issue.
When the trapper finally returned, they immediately asked him why he had hung his heavy potbellied stove from the ceiling. His answer was succinct. "Had plenty of wire, not much stove pipe."
We have two great focal point seating areas in gardens. Do you choose the old-fashioned informal swing or the classic formal bench?
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