Having friends is a great thing. They are there to help unwind the day, to have BBQs with on the weekends, to share funny memes to relieve stress, and to bicker about little nuisances that make great friendships. In the case of the Planner and myself, the memes and bicker debates are usually nerdy in nature because well, we are nerdy. Friends are also great because sometimes they come with connections and are happy to share those connections. For example, Boxes in Fields has a never ending supply of farm fresh organic eggs to share. And with COVID food shortages, eggs have been in high demand. Good friends always reciprocate and connections sometimes are received in various ways. Or in this case, the best way ever. If you are a nerd like me, and the Planner, and the friend who gave it to me. Behold the wind-0-meter from the WeatherMan….

Way back in October 2019, the Planner had the great idea to move the WIFI antenna from next to the trailer to the top of the Work Box. A pole pin was welded to the side of the box. Residing atop of a 30′ galvanized fence pole, strapped to a 10′ 4×4 post in the ground, the whole spooky apparatus moves every time the wind blows. And good grief does the wind blow. When the winds get above 15mph, we start stressing the moving pole. If it breaks, it could fall on the Rainstream or one of the various cars. All expensive damage, too. One thing lead to another and the pole was never moved. In fact, in January of 2020, the pole on a pole on a pole was taken down for repairs. A new 4X4 post was stuck in the ground, the galvanized poles were screwed and zip tied together, and the whole thing was lifted back into the sky.

March winds. Then in March when working on the roof of the Tractor Box, the wind suddenly picked up from a gentle breeze to gusty winds. Watching the pole on a pole on a pole blow in the wind from 10 feet in the air is even more alarming than watching from the ground. When the Planner made it back across to the box he reported the gusts were less than 20mph. Yeah, right. Bickering about the speed of the wind is a great past time. In fact it is a great current time. We bicker about it all the time.

April showers. Showers are great. Shower storms that barrel through with winds gusting into the 40mph range not so great. Wind not great, the rain is always great. Can’t really say for sure if the winds blew as high as the weather man said but it did blow. Blow and blow and blow and not a drop of rain. Drat. Sure, sure the winds can be checked at the local airport but as they are 20+ miles away and in a different location in respect to the bay winds, their reported findings don’t match in winds or water collection at Boxes in Fields. Guess work doesn’t fly around here. We want to facts.

May friends. It was here my nerdy connection, the WeatherMan, came through with a way to stop the guess wind work. Said friend offered his fancy dancy weather station on the caveat that if we could get it work (it was broken when he was gifted it four years ago) that he could text for weather information anytime he wanted. OF COURSE! After a quick research to YT University Online, the part was ordered, installed, and weather station was working. I could have stood outside and watched the wind-0-meter spin for hours. It was so zen. On May 6, 2020 at 4:37pm, the wind was blowing a gentle 6mph.

Of course on days like May 26, 2020 at 8:07pm, no weather station is needed to tell us what the wind blows. Zero wind days are few and far between especially this late into the year. With this wind-0-meter, we will never bicker about the wind speed again.

Did I mention this weather station is the snitchz? Here is the link to the “new” model. It reads the wind speed and direction, wind chill, temp inside and out, humidity inside and out, dew point, barometer all while simultaneously collecting rain data and making waffles. Not really waffles but it does make funny little jokes like it’s raining cats and dogs. It may not have rained way back in April when all of this weather implantation started but here the middle of June, it has rained just over a 1/2″ inch in a sudden downpour. Lasting less than ten minutes, it was over before it started but just look at all of the KNOWLEDGE! In case you haven’t guessed it, Boxes in Fields are nerdy nerds. I AM SO EXCITED. Thank you, nerdy friend.