COFFEE BREAK
6B — THE OBSERVER & BAKER CITY HERALD
SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021
I’m 23 years old but worried about my first date
Dear Abby: I’m a girl of 23 who
has never had a boyfriend. Now that
I fi nished college and am a journal-
ist, I have met some guys, mostly
from high school and places like
that. One of them, who went to my
middle school, recently asked me on
a date. Another one from high school
asked me out, too, in the same week.
(Neither one ever talked to me in the
respective schools.) Even if I wanted
STORMS
to go out, I’m a little nervous because
I’ve never been on a date. What do
you think I have to do? I know I
shouldn’t care about what my family
and friends say, but they are gossips.
— Feeling Weird in Mexico
Dear Feeling Weird: I’m glad
you wrote. You do not have to do
anything except calm down and
get to know who these guys are.
You should not rush into anything.
Romances evolve from friendships,
and friendships take time and effort.
Hang on to your sense of humor, and
remember: You are at the beginning
of an interesting career and life jour-
ney. Stop worrying about the gossips,
and take advantage of the opportu-
nities that are opening up for you.
Dear Abby: My mother and her
companion recently moved to be
closer to me (20 minutes away). The
problem is I don’t really care for her
companion, and he is always around
my mom. He comes over to my
house when she does, plops himself
in our den and turns on the TV
— loud. (We always close the door
because he needs a hearing aid.)
We now need to replace the reclin-
ing chairs in the den. He weighs
more than 300 pounds, and I can’t
fi nd a loveseat or chairs that can
accommodate his weight. He won’t
allow Mom to drive herself over
here. What can I do? I would like
comfortable seating in my den, but I
don’t want furniture that will break
the fi rst time he sits on it. — Im-
posed Upon in the South
Dear Imposed Upon: You are
under no obligation to buy furniture
to accommodate someone you “don’t
particularly like.” Tell your mother
you will provide the transportation
when she wants to visit you. (Her
companion can pick her up when
she’s ready to go home, or you can
take her.) Problem solved.
Dear Abby: When six of us
women got together for lunch, one
there’s more vapor available.
But the other effect isn’t
so obvious to nonscientists
(me, for instance). Condensa-
tion also releases heat — 540
calories per gram of water, to
be specifi c, Breidenbach said.
That released heat tends
to keep the air warm enough
that it will keep rising.
Put simply, even given the
same air temperature, moist
air is likely to rise farther,
and generate more clouds,
than dry air. This largely
explains why thunderstorms
Jayson Jacoby/Baker City Herald are so ubiquitous in the equa-
Distinctive mammatus clouds, seen here above Baker
torial tropics but relatively
City on June 3, 2021, frequently form during storms.
rare in deserts, where even
on scorching days the only
ing of scientifi c principles
ally cools as it rises.
clouds might be cottony cu-
hasn’t progressed much since
So hot weather alone isn’t mulus, the air not rising high
my “bed lightning” childhood, necessarily suffi cient to
enough to generate cumulo-
I have gained a basic concept spawn storms.
nimbus (thunderheads).
of the forces at work, thanks
The second crucial com-
One exception is the sum-
in part to recent conversations ponent is moisture — the
mer monsoon, which brings
I had with Jay Breidenbach,
amount of invisible water
relatively moist air, usually
the warning coordination
vapor in the air.
from the Gulf of Mexico or
meteorologist at the National
Our area is known for its
the Gulf of California, into
Weather Service offi ce in
dry climate, of course — the
the American Southwest. Oc-
Boise, and Brandon Lawhorn, “dry” heat that is compared, casionally weather patterns
a forecaster at the Weather
usually favorably in terms
transport some of that mon-
Service offi ce in Pendleton.
of comfort, with the sweat-
soon moisture into Eastern
The essential ingredient in inducing humidity of the
Oregon, and that situation is
brewing storms is an atmo-
Midwest and the South.
a signifi cant source of storms
sphere in which air is likely
Moisture, like heat, makes here, Breidenbach said.
to start rising, and to keep
air less dense (or more
Thunderstorm develop-
rising many thousands of feet buoyant, if you prefer that
ment is a much more compli-
above the ground.
concept). But moisture also
cated topic than the simple
There are multiple triggers, has two other effects, both of scenarios I’ve described.
but the most common around which help storms to form. In
Mountains, with which
here is simple summer
both cases the vital process is we are amply endowed in
sunshine heating the ground condensation — when water Northeastern Oregon, can
and, by radiation, the air just vapor transforms to liquid.
contribute to the formation
above it.
(What we call clouds.)
of storms because they are a
Warm air is less dense —
Because the capacity of
physical barrier that forces air
it’s no coincidence that people air to hold moisture in vapor to rise.
fl y in hot-air balloons, not
form decreases along with
Cold fronts, though lacking
cold-air balloons — so it tends temperature, rising air, even the physical mass of mountain
to rise.
if it stays warmer than the
ranges, can have a similar
This warmed air — what
surrounding atmosphere
effect, as the arrival of cold
meteorologists call a “parcel” and thus keeps rising,
air at higher altitudes creates
of air — will keep climbing so cools enough that eventu-
ideal conditions for warmer
long as it’s warmer than the ally condensation happens
air near the ground to start
surrounding atmosphere. But and clouds form. The more
rising and to keep rising. Cold
as anyone who has climbed a moisture in the air, the faster fronts are also a source of
mountain knows, air gener-
this is likely to happen since moisture, Breidenbach said.
Continued from Page 1B
But among meteorological
phenomena, the thunder-
storm is one of my favorites.
I fi nd eternally fascinat-
ing the physics of storms, the
combination of factors that
sometimes coalesce to fuel
the atmospheric combustion
which exists within a cumulo-
nimbus cloud.
It intrigues me that, in
many cases, the storms
which often enliven summer
afternoons and evenings in
Northeastern Oregon were
born, as it were, dozens or
even hundreds of miles away,
in the sagebrush desert of the
state’s southeast corner.
I relish the sense of antici-
pation that attends the onset
of a storm, the way a sunny
morning yields fi rst to a smat-
tering of cumulus, and, as the
hours pass, to a dark curtain
of cloud.
The fi rst distant murmur of
thunder, a sound that must be
similar to what soldiers heard
as they marched toward the
front at the Somme or Verdun.
The way the air feels in
the minutes before a storm
arrives, as if the invisible mol-
ecules themselves have taken
on weight.
Storms appeal to me in
part, I’m sure, because I rarely
saw any until I moved most of
the way across Oregon three
decades ago.
I grew up near Salem.
Thunderstorms were so
infrequent that I recall the
few occasions when my family
gathered to watch lightning.
(Told as a tot about “sheet”
lightning — which is not a
special sort of lightning but
merely lightning inside a
cloud rather than a bolt that
strikes the ground — I coined
the term “bed lightning.”)
Although my understand-
weather
| Go to AccuWeather.com
Brad Trumbo/Contributed Photo
A male valley quail watches over his mate as she
feeds below a picnic table in an urban park.
TRAINING
Continued from Page 1B
Even if your pup doesn’t fully grasp the “whoa”
command, by their sixth year, they can occasionally be
steady to shot without formal training. Remember, no
amount of formal training can replace the fl ush of a bird.
A number of timeless foundational training resources
are available in print and digital media, with recent con-
tributions being geared toward urban training. Project
Upland provides a variety of useful articles with free
online access. The techniques may not work precisely as
presented in every case, but with a little adaptability to
your pup’s learning style, and a commitment to gain-
ing experience whenever and wherever possible, a fi ne
pointing dog can be made on the urban landscape, and
with minimal resources.
Brad Trumbo is a fi sh and wildlife biologist and outdoor
writer in Waitsburg, Washington, where he also actively
serves the Walla Walla-based Blue Mountain Pheasants
Forever chapter. For tips and tales of outdoor pursuits and
conservation, visit www.bradtrumbo.com.
FAMILY
OWNED
215 Elm Street La Grande (541) 963-5440
northwestfurnitureandmattress.com
AROUND OREGON AND THE REGION
Astoria
Longview
55/75
Kennewick
56/86
St. Helens
59/92
61/92
63/96
60/93
56/91
Condon
SUN
MON
TUE
WED
Clear
Sunshine
Partly sunny and
warm
Not as hot
Chance of a
shower
92 58
90 58
85 51
Eugene
4
4
6
56/90
93 60
85 64
87 57
3
6
4
La Grande
59 85 55
Comfort Index™
Enterprise
8
6
6
51 80 54
Comfort Index™
9
85 57
80 49
4
4
6
TEMPERATURES Baker City La Grande Elgin
NATION (for the 48 contiguous states)
High Thursday
Low Thursday
High: 128°
Low: 29°
Wettest: 2.72”
83°
38°
85°
43°
90°
41°
PRECIPITATION (inches)
Thursday
Month to date
Normal month to date
Year to date
Normal year to date
0.00
0.12
0.75
2.35
5.28
0.00
Trace
0.99
5.90
8.79
0.00
0.77
1.11
14.98
13.03
AGRICULTURAL INFO.
HAY INFORMATION SUNDAY
Lowest relative humidity
Afternoon wind
Hours of sunshine
Evapotranspiration
25%
N at 6 to 12 mph
10.7
0.28
RESERVOIR STORAGE (through midnight Friday)
Phillips Reservoir
Unity Reservoir
Owyhee Reservoir
McKay Reservoir
Wallowa Lake
Thief Valley Reservoir
Elkton
57/85
16% of capacity
78% of capacity
44% of capacity
86% of capacity
44% of capacity
83% of capacity
STREAM FLOWS (through midnight Thursday)
Grande Ronde at Troy
3200 cfs
Thief Valley Reservoir near North Powder
78 cfs
Burnt River near Unity
91 cfs
Umatilla River near Gibbon
71 cfs
Minam River at Minam
1080 cfs
Powder River near Richland
21 cfs
Death Valley, Calif.
Stanley, Idaho
Winona, Minn.
OREGON
High: 95°
Low: 33°
Wettest: none
Ontario
Meacham
WEATHER HISTORY
A tornado struck New Brunswick, N.J.,
on June 19, 1835, killing fi ve people and
laying waste to a 17.5-mile-long path that
ended at lower New York Bay.
SUN & MOON
SAT.
Sunrise
Sunset
Moonrise
Moonset
5:04 a.m.
8:44 p.m.
2:44 p.m.
1:52 a.m.
SUN.
5:04 a.m.
8:44 p.m.
4:02 p.m.
2:16 a.m.
MOON PHASES
Full
Jun 24
Last
Jul 1
New
Jul 9
First
Jul 17
Brothers
48/85
Beaver Marsh
48/92
Roseburg
61/93
Burns
Jordan Valley
52/85
Paisley
53/92
Frenchglen
54/90
Diamond
Grand View
Arock
53/87
67/93
59/89
Fields
62/101
57/93
Klamath Falls
54/95
Lakeview
54/93
McDermitt
53/92
RECREATION FORECAST SUNDAY
REGIONAL CITIES
MON.
City
Hi/Lo/W Hi/Lo/W
Astoria
75/59/c 80/55/s
Bend
89/62/s 94/67/s
Boise
91/63/s 94/67/s
Brookings
75/53/s 64/52/pc
Burns
89/54/s 94/58/s
Coos Bay
71/55/pc 70/54/pc
Corvallis
91/60/s 93/57/s
Council
86/55/s 91/56/pc
Elgin
85/53/s 92/57/pc
Eugene
90/59/s 96/59/s
Hermiston
91/61/s 99/64/pc
Hood River
92/62/s 100/65/s
Imnaha
85/55/s 94/61/pc
John Day
88/55/s 97/62/s
Joseph
80/54/s 88/58/pc
Kennewick
96/71/s 101/68/pc
Klamath Falls 95/56/s 95/58/s
Lakeview
93/55/s 93/55/s
Boise
63/91
Shown is Sunday’s weather. Temperatures are Saturday night’s lows and Sunday’s highs.
SUN.
55/92
Silver Lake
54/92
Medford
Brookings
Juntura
53/89
58/101
60/75
Ontario
68/94
48/92
Chiloquin
Grants Pass
Huntington
49/85
56/92
Coos Bay
57/86
69/90
Seneca
57/89
Oakridge
Council
52/84
54/88
55/90
Bend
THURSDAY EXTREMES
ALMANAC
52/78
John Day
53/88
Sisters
Florence
Powers
53/85
Baker City
Redmond
53/65
56/69
Halfway
Granite
57/91
Newport
56/71
Comfort Index takes into account how the weather will feel based on a combination of factors. A rating of 10 feels
very comfortable while a rating of 0 feels very uncomfortable.
55/90
52/90
59/91
58/87
88 59
6
Corvallis
Enterprise
51/80
59/85
Monument
60/92
Idanha
Salem
TONIGHT
6
Elgin
52/85
La Grande
55/84
Maupin
Comfort Index™
62/88
Pendleton
The Dalles
Portland
Newberg
Lewiston
65/90
Hood River
60/87
TIllamook
52 84 51
Forecasts and graphics provided
by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2021
Walla Walla
72/96
Vancouver
59/90
55/75
Baker City
gal brought copies of her mother’s
newly published book of poetry. The
book was $20. After describing the
book and her mother, she offered
one to each of us to purchase! We’re
not poor, but I thought she showed
poor taste by pushing this book on
us. We all bought one because we
felt obligated. What’s your opinion
about what she did? What would
have been a tactful way to refuse? —
Dumbstruck
Dear Dumbstruck: You could
have thanked the woman for offer-
ing the book, told her you are sure it
was “wonderful” and refused by say-
ing, “But I’m just not into poetry!”
City
Lewiston
Longview
Meacham
Medford
Newport
Olympia
Ontario
Pasco
Pendleton
Portland
Powers
Redmond
Roseburg
Salem
Spokane
The Dalles
Ukiah
Walla Walla
SUN.
MON.
Hi/Lo/W
90/60/s
86/57/pc
84/52/s
101/67/s
65/54/pc
82/56/pc
94/65/s
92/65/s
87/58/s
93/65/pc
85/57/s
88/55/s
93/61/s
91/62/s
82/58/s
96/65/s
80/47/s
88/62/s
Hi/Lo/W
96/66/s
91/58/pc
92/56/pc
101/66/s
65/53/pc
90/57/pc
97/66/s
98/66/pc
96/66/pc
96/66/s
83/59/pc
97/63/s
94/60/s
98/61/s
88/59/s
103/69/s
89/54/pc
94/69/pc
Weather(W): s-sunny, pc-partly cloudy, c-cloudy, sh-showers, t-thunderstorms, r-rain,
sf-snow fl urries, sn-snow, i-ice
ANTHONY LAKES
PHILLIPS LAKE
Plenty of sunshine
Sunny and pleasant
59
51
80
49
MT. EMILY REC.
BROWNLEE RES.
Plenty of sunshine
Plenty of sunshine
69
51
87
58
EAGLE CAP WILD.
EMIGRANT ST. PARK
Sunny and pleasant
Sunshine
66
43
76
45
WALLOWA LAKE
MCKAY RESERVOIR
Plenty of sunshine
Plenty of sunshine
80
54
85
58
THIEF VALLEY RES.
RED BRIDGE ST. PARK
Plenty of sunshine
Sunshine
84
51
85
55