Air Show: Part I

I'm still incredibly back-logged on pictures so I'm going to separate the air-show into a separate posts while I try to get caught-up.  Try to guess the theme of the first installment...

New Rule...

New Rule: IQ tests are required for anyone trying to purchase spray-paint. 
 

...Well, good thinking.  It's also going to cost you another $1,000 when it dawns on you that you just spray-painted every surface of your truck in a rainbow of colors.  Any local kids who miss the "20 foot" part of that are also balling their eyes out when they see the local rednecks are gunning for their Santa Claus again.

The only thing that would make this better is if this isn't that guy's truck to begin with, and next week there is another vehicle parked next to it reading, "$1000 reward for the arrest & conviction of the @$$hole who spray-painted my truck."

I know, another sunset post

So far 54 tornadoes have been reported from today's storm, with Mississippi and Alabama getting the brunt of the storm, as was expected.  Wasn't planning on chasing today (if I was, my plan was to stay at the SE-corner of Missouri last night, and then to follow the storms across the south-central U.S. in the morning).

As I figured I was too late to track any of the real activity, I decided to half-explore / half-track the one storm I thought had potential.  I ended up starting in eastern Oklahoma and tracking the storm across Rogers, Arkansas and up through Table Rock Lake to Springfield, Missouri.  While I was surrounded by some very intimidating clouds (below picture was the standard view of the day), I managed today to stay out of the hail and 70+ mph winds this storm recording through careful GPS navigation on my Doppler display.

Near Springfield, MO

While there was a clear wall cloud that I tracked for miles, I never positively saw anything touchdown (despite a lot of semi-funnels that were sticking-out).  According to the National Weather Service though, a F0 did in fact touchdown 5-miles east of me at the exact time I was driving through (18:40) and was recorded with 80 mph winds.  I swear I saw a clear funnel at this point while looking over the lake, but it was only two quick looks I got and I shrugged it off as my mind playing tricks on me.  I guess I'll never know.

 After leaving Springfield, heading east to intercept storm brewing in southeast

Another 11 hour day and 600 mile drive.

Oh, Arkansas

Today marks only the second day of storms for me since getting out here, but we were only hit with rain.  While no luck today on any worthwhile storms, hoping for a safe yet more active day tomorrow.

Wilson

Is it really necessary to label your garbage trucks 'inedible?'

You know you are in Kansas City when...
          ...vanity plates are unprecedentedly blunt and disturbing:

I followed a bunch of back-roads in Nebraska today until I got stuck on a single-lane dirt road (not shown here) and had to drive in reverse for a mile to get back to the other dirt-road (which I also had no idea how to get back home from).  Every intersection on that road had clear visibility of 100% nothing for miles, and any road signs I passed were riddled with bullet holes.  It was still remarkably beautiful and I didn't see another person for over an hour while traveling on these roads:

Pollution & Mud

I am currently standing in 6" of mud while taking this picture