In the wake of last Thursday's unprecedented severe weather, I was reminded of this Walt Disney animated short,"The Old Mill" which brings together all the dramatic elements of a sudden summer thunderstorm.
Image courtesy/Wikipedia
This classic "Silly Symphony" from 1937 won Uncle Walt a highly deserved Academy Award for Best Short Subjects Cartoon.
The Old Mill (1937) A Walt Disney Silly Symphony Walt Disney Productions Released by RKO Pictures Uploaded by fireurgunz (August 12, 2008)
August's Full Moon peaked earlier this morning-12:18 am to be exact- in the midst of the partial lunar eclipse that began last night and ended at 3:01 am EST. I did get to see the beginning of the eclipse but the moon was hazy with cloud cover and eventually the clouds won out.
Full Sturgeon Moon August 2026 Image courtesy/Facebook
According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, the month of August is when the lake sturgeon, which are the largest freshwater fish in North America, were caught in the greatest number in the Great Lakes. Lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens) can live more than a hundred years, top six feet in length and weigh in at over 200 pounds, with a long armored body that makes them look more like a small dinosaur than a modern fish.
To the Algonquian-speaking Indian tribes living in the area, August was the month when these fish could be easily caught in shallow water due to the warmer temperature in the lakes.
.🌕 I hope the skies are clear where you are tonight! 🌕
The entertainment industry lost another star earlier this week with the passing of Golden Age of Television actress-singer Shelley Fabares on August 22, 2026. She was 82 years old. May she rest in eternal peace.
Image courtesy/Spotify
Shelley is perhaps best remembered to a generation of fans as the oldest child and perky teen-aged daughter of Dr. Alex and Donna Stone, (played by Carl Betz and Donna Reed) on the family-oriented American sitcom, "The Donna Reed Show" which aired on ABC from 1958-1963.
After the series ended, Shelly starred as the leading lady in three movies opposite singer Elvis Presley,"Girl Happy" (1965) "Spinout" (1966) and "Clambake" (1967).
In addition to playing Joy Piccolo in the 1971 movie, "Brian's Song" opposite actor James Caan, she later played Francine Webster on the 1970's sitcom, "One Day At A Time". Shelley guest- starred on many TV shows in the 70's and 80's including, "Mannix" "Barnaby Jones" "Fantasy Island" "The Incredible Hulk" and "Murder, She Wrote."
She also played Christine Armstrong, a news anchor and girlfriend, (later the wife ) of football coach Hayden Fox (Craig T. Nelson) on the hit late 1980's-early 1990's ABC sitcom, "Coach".
"I'm in heaven...I get carried away... I dream of him and me, and how it's gonna be..."
In the fourth season episode of "The Donna Reed Show" notably called, "Donna's Prima Donna" Mary Stone, now a college freshman, is seriously thinking about quitting school to pursue a singing career, much to the chagrin of her skeptical mother-until she hears her daughter sing, "Johnny Angel". Not only was her mother impressed, but the song became an overnight sensation in America after the episode aired on February 1, 1962.
A sweet expression of a teen-aged girl's longing for a boy who doesn't even know she exists, went all the way to the Number One spot on Billboard's Hot 100 chart in April, 1962. It also became the top-selling record on Cashbox's Top Best Seller's Chart that same month.
Johnny Angel (1962) Shelly Fabares Uploaded by Hans Snoek (October 21, 2015)
I arrived home just in time yesterday before a severe thunderstorm swept through my neighborhood with very heavy rain and damaging winds.
Only a little while before this, I was driving home after doing some errands and noticed the darkening skies to the west. I thought the strange blue-green clouds of the approaching storm were unusual, and reminded me of the super cell thunderstorms that form tornadoes on the western prairies. It also looked as if the storm was moving away from my area, heading towards the northeast.
Fifteen minutes later I was sitting at my kitchen table when it suddenly grew very dark outside. A strong clap of thunder shook the house as the wind came whipping across the yard. I went to look out the back door to see what was happening.
Then, before my eyes, all hell literally broke loose.
As I stood watching at the back door with my oldest son, the large branch in the picture below suddenly snapped off the big tree next to our home and came crashing down only a few feet away, barely missing the roof! My son then pointed out to me the sudden shift in the direction of the wind, indicating that there was rotation in the storm.
Meanwhile, the deluge of rain pouring down from the skies was absolutely incredible! I don't think I've ever seen it rain so hard in my life! In our area, we received over 4 inches of rain in less than a hour. Although thankfully, we did not see a tornado, there was a tornado warning issued for Salem County which is just south of my home.
Today I am most grateful to the One Who rules the wind and water for keeping us safe in His love and mercy during this unexpectedly violent storm!
Summer Storm Damage August 27, 2026 Image courtesy/Daniel Kelly
I am also thankful to God that although our area was one of the hardest hit yesterday, I have not heard any reports of storm-related injuries or deaths. There will, however, be some major road repair in the coming days!
Severe Storms Cause Road To Buckle In Gloucester County FOX 29 Philadelphia (August 28, 2026)
