Founder of The Weather Channel, My Mentor Passes On...

When I was growing up in Hammond, Indiana back in the 60s, my 2 favorite weathercasters were Harry Volkman ( Mr. Sound Effects) and John Coleman (Mr. Happy Talk).   I started visiting their stations while I was in high school and continue after I went off to Ann Arbor.   Both these gentlemen gave me guidance as I worked my way into television.    Harry passed away several years ago and I learned John died this past Saturday.  Both stayed on the air until they reached 80.  John’s claim to fame (besides being the 1^st weatherman for Good Morning America) was founding The Weather Channel in 1982.  I remember his call asking me to come join him in Atlanta, but I didn’t want to uproot my young family again so I turned him down.   We stayed in touch through the years exchanging e-mails asking each other how are you doing & what are you up to lately?   Much of “my style” was part Volkman, & part Coleman.  John had a great, deep voice and was an excellent story teller.  I owe my format to him.    I know both men lived a great life and contributed to providing not only entertaining, but educational weathercasts.   I am blessed to have learned from both of them.   I only hope I’m remember in much the same way.   Be it cloudy, rainy, cold or snowy, I trust I brought some rays of sunshine into your lives through my weathercasts?

 

Really not much happening with our weather this week.   There will be a Pacific front sliding through on Monday, but no real cold is coming for the next 7-10 days.   However, looking up to Alaska, another Siberian air mass is plunging across the pole with current temps 35-40 below zero.   Usually, if we are to get another freeze threat, it has to begin in Alaska or northern Canada.  There are hints that sometime during the second week in February (Mardi Gras), bitter cold will again invade the Deep South.   That’s a long time ahead and lots could change keeping the real cold from coming back to us.   I have moved all my plants out of my backyard shed and spent part of today cutting back some of the dead stuff around my yard.  It’s obvious what plants and trees didn’t make it (my potted lemon tree didn’t make it), but I’ve always heard from the Perinos not to cut back all the dead stuff until new growth starts to emerge.  Otherwise, you may over cut back whacking off parts of the plant that did not freeze.    My next chore will be to bag all the leaves that I used to cover my plants, but that won’t be done until I know for sure we are done with the freezes.  Stay tuned.