Travis was squawking at 5:30 and we were waiting for him to settle down. As we dozed, the wind and rain began to pick up considerably.

Something outside didn’t sound right to me. The wind was blowing with a sound like the reverberation of kettle drums. I dashed to the window, and then to my computer to check the weather.

BULLETIN – EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH NC
533 AM EST FRI JAN 14 2005

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RALEIGH HAS ISSUED A

* TORNADO WARNING FOR…
NORTHERN WAKE COUNTY IN CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 550 AM EST

* AT 533 AM EST…NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A TORNADO OVER NORTH RALEIGH…OR ABOUT 8 MILES NORTHWEST OF DOWNTOW5 RALEIGH…MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.

* LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE…
FALLS LAKE…
NORTH RALEIGH…
WAKE FOREST…

Yikes!!

Instantly, I roused Kelly and the kids and we rushed to the downstairs playroom. Turning on the TV downstairs, we learned that the tornado had since passed.

It was quite scary, and not like me at all to not be prepared. Time to get an EAS-capable weather radio and for to work out better emergency plans. Up until now, my focus with Skywarn and severe weather has been helping the other guy, but tornadoes can visit us, too. As this morning proved.

And I know everyone says a tornado sounds like a freight train. After living near tracks for half-a-year, buddy I know what a freight train sounds like.

That was no train. It was wind, and it was pissed.

Back a few years ago, I decided to become a subscriber of the Durham Herald-Sun. I had seen enough of the News and Observer to know that it is a plain vanilla paper. As the city of Durham has more spice than Raleigh does, so goes their papers.

The only problem with my scheme was that the Herald-Sun didn’t deliver to Garner. I was foiled, but not for lack of trying. At least the paper’s content was available on their website (which, by the way, kicks the ass of the N&O’s website any day).

I think its a shame that the Herald-Sun has had its soul sucked out of it by the new Paxton owners. Though I couldn’t subscribe, I admired the paper’s pluck. It had a nice flavor to it. In these days of corporate media, it was reassuring that such a quality newspaper was locally-owned and locally-focused.

Reading this story of one firing tonight makes me sad that such a good news outlet has turned sour so quickly. The Triangle area has taken a blow because of it.

I hope those fine people let go find some other outlet for their skills. Perhaps an online one.

Go expose those Paxton screwheads (and the ex-owners, the Rollins) for the idiots they are.

In another edition of my ongoing “Worthless History” series, here’s an interesting site which covers North Carolina Roads. Part of the site covers Wake County Roads, which finally solved the mystery of why Wake Forest Road is so jumbled up.

Plenty of road trivia for road geeks like me.

Nothing wakes you up like wearing an entire cup of coffee. It was fresh out of the pot, too. Nice and hot, just the way I like it.

I’m hoping my day gets better. 🙂

I spent my lunch hour the other day looking up more train history. This time the destination was Logan’s Trading Company near Peace College in downtown. Logan’s occupies an unusual property for a nursery: Raleigh’s old Seaboard Train Station.

I’ve always heard about the station but for one reason or another never bothered to track it down until the other day. I wasn’t disappointed: aside from a few changes to support the nursery, the building looks much like it did when the last passenger train rumbled through it in 1986. Its dominating feature is the covered platforms which spread like wings to either side. These roofs which once shielded thousands of pasengers now shield plants from the rain and sun. Those plant-covered carts once pushed luggage. Walking on the middle walkway, you can imagine yourself as a train on the tracks.

The station building itself is a grand old building, brick and columns. Some accounts say its a 1940’s era building, but I found plates in the ground nearby which date to 1927. Inside, it appears crowded, even for a train station. There are of course plants and gardening tools everywhere, which are quite out of character for the usual look of the building. Still, its easy to squint and see it filled with travelers, not trowels.

Theres an addition on the track side which is obviously newer than the others, likely dating from the Amtrak days: its a big covered room tacked right on to the original building. Skylights provide light to the space.

Amtrak moved its service from the Seaboard station to the current Southern station in 1986. I can’t understand why they left this beautiful building for the smaller Southern one, especially considering the Seaboard station has two tracks to Southern’s one. Then again, I don’t know why Amtrak does a lot of the things it does. I suppose it comes down to the government not knowing how to run a railroad. Anyhow, the station was more or less dormant until 1991, when Logan’s opened. Thankfully, Logan’s has taken good care of it.

I also spotted a rare sight: a Pullman sleeper parked nearby! It is a privately-owned car being restored by some local residents. It apparently dates back to 1911, though you wouldn’t know it by looking at it: its in great shape!
I hope to get back to take pictures at some point.

World War II killed the railroads, starving them of much-needed equipment and supplies. Steel, especially. Kind of ironic that today’s “war on terror” will kill off today’s equivalent, the airlines, by driving its passengers away.

But what does that leave us? Will we once again travel through stations like this one?

Our lovely little spell of warm weather is coming to an abrupt end tomorrow. A strong cold front will push this balminess aside and reassert winter. Highs will be in the 40s on Saturday.

Bah. I’m not ready to shiver again!

Me want one!

Its now past 9:30 and I can finally get dinner. It was a busy day at work, followed by an appointment with a landscaper providing us an estimate to fill our sinkhole in the backyard.

After that, I rushed off to the neighborhood homeowners association meeting to see what’s up. This was followed by a nice call from an old friend.

Man, life just doesn’t slow down, does it?

Dear President Dubya,

Can we invade Nigeria next? Please? Its oil-rich, you know, and has countless millions of dollars waiting to be transferred into my bank account. If there was ever an opportunity to take money off of someone’s hands, this is it.

Yours in homeland security,
Mark

P.S. If not all-out war, could you maybe just lob a few missles at its Internet cafes? The world’s email administrators will thank you.