National Weather Service, Brownsville, TX.

                                 Saturday 3/16 /2013

I found this car in our park that had this message. I Love it! I am sorry if this offends anyone who doesn't believe that Jesus Christ is their Lord, but it is my faith and belief , and everyone has to make their choices in life, and this is my choice to pass on this message. I believe I am send a message of Hope! That's what the message is to me. A Hope for a better after life. If this is true, do you what to miss out on a better after life?

Another one of my many smoothie drinks for a breakfast. I can't remember what was in it but it was good.

We were invited by Mary and John to go with them to Brownsville, TX for a weather service tour. I am going to let Joe tell you about this day. Here is Joe!

We  really didn't know what to expect, but I was up for something other than the RV park.Turns out this is one of a few National Weather Service stations in the US that provides local weather stations info on what weather is going to be like for the area. 

Out side, in the parking lot there were exhibits on various things. This is a SWAT transport vehicle used by the Brownsville police Dept.

The weather station launches two weather balloons every day at the same time that every other station around the US does. Today they launched this extra balloon just for the people who came to see the station. 

The balloon carries this box that measures atmospheric pressure, temp. wind speed,  & etc. and constantly transmits it back to the weather station until the balloon bursts at high altitude. If found when it floats to the ground on a parachute, it can be mailed back for free.

Now its time for the launch. Wind speed at the ground is about 15 mph so we are told to stand back as it will go up quickly.

He runs out of the staging building.

He lets loose of the balloon, the orange piece is the parachute.

There is goes. I should have had my zoom lens, but I left it at home.

Up, up and away. 

Can you still see the balloon? It is the white spot in the middle of this picture. 

Back to the parking lot for drawings to give away a free weather radio, a tool kit, a marine radio and other weather related material. Unfortunately we or our traveling companions didn't win anything. This table, in the foreground is our friends Donna and Steve, who brought their tower garden to show how to garden without dirt.

Now its time to go inside for a tour of the weather station. This weather man explains how he predicts severe weather for forecasts.

This map shows the path of many of the hurricanes that have come ashore over the years past. All of which have been predicted by this national weather station. It was an interesting day at the weather station.

When the event was over, we went with Donna, Steve, Mary and John to the Golden Corral. Mary and John had told us about a coupon that we got off the internet to buy one meal and the 2nd one was free. My kind of deal.