Don’t you just know it . . . Sunday Alaskan Weather

It seems that many weekends this summer have gone through a similar pattern with regards to the weather.

This summer has been great compared to the last few as we actually had summer like weather and temperatures for a change. That is not to say it has been without shades of the past as we have lately gone over the last several weeks with a cloudy, overcast and possibly rain showers during the week with a glimmer of sunshine.

The television forecasters give us hope each week for a great sunny weekend but by Friday it seems it is still gray and overcast. Saturday mornings seem to have light rain overnight.

We can go all weekend with that hope of things clearing up but it seems like every Sunday evening about six pm the skies clear, clouds roll away and the warmth of the sun presses to dry the pavement or decks. It is too late to start many activities so one can only sit back and enjoy the changing colors of the mountains around us as the day wanes and we head into darkness overnight. The darkness is slowly returning as fall approaches so we start keeping the sunlight as a reminder of what is to come.

A Social Experiment

As I am writing this I am watching a new reality show on CBS called, “There Goes the Neighborhood” where eight suburban families who live side-by-side have been confined to their homes, separated from the outside world by a 2000-foot long, 20-foot high concrete wall – guarded by off-duty police officers. It’s a sight that looks more like a maximum-security prison than a suburban neighborhood. The eight families will be trapped there for approximately three weeks, forced to live without all modern conveniences.

Looking at the CBS website it says this is currently being filmed in the Legacy Park neighborhood of Kennesaw, Georgia. The city approved the filming because of the boost it will provide for the local economy. Most of the show’s crew of more than 200 is made up of locals.

The dynamics of well established neighbors and the ‘vote them out’ mentality within the game will make for some interesting observations of the human condition. The game may last only three weeks for these families but the effects over the long term will be interesting to follow if one could. How many leave their homes for another locale after the comments or voting’s of their friends? The children will probably fare well as they can see ‘it is only a game’, but the grownups will have problems before and after the voting happens. And how does one interact with neighbors outside the wall across the street who were not invited to the ‘block party’? Does the hassles of production kill those neighborly feelings down the street? Maybe a Beringer among friends is the answer!

One can only guess at this point but it may be worth a second look next Sunday night to see how the next competition and elimination turns up the heat between families.

Ice