Inaugural Post

Since I have had many people asking why they are no longer seeing me doing the weather on KHQ-TV, and wondering what I am up to now, I am starting this blog. It is my intent to provide weather information and forecasts to anyone that wants them, both on a regular daily basis and for any special events that you might let me know about. I will also give information and updates about my new life as Ministry Director for St John's Lutheran Church of Spokane, Washington. All that plus comments and opinions on what ever I feel like giving comments and opinions on.

For all who have not heard, on April 20th of this year the management of KHQ-TV in Spokane informed me that my services were no longer wanted, at that they would not be offering me a new contract. All that meant that as of June 1st I would be out of a job. Almost immediately I was offered the job of leading the ministry of my church, St John's, and after much thought, prayer and advice, decided to take it. Of course, my fantastic wife Kay was right there with me in the decision process. On my last day with the station, May 29th, I was given the opportunity to say good-bye on all of the newscasts. That in itself is a miracle...that just never happens! On the following Monday I started my new position at St John's, so unemployment checks were not a part of the deal. As part of this new course in life I am also in the process of beginning an on-line seminary education with the intent of becoming the Pastor of St John's Lutheran Church. These are exciting times at St John's. Our new church building is under construction in the Latah Valley. You can't miss it if you are driving through on US Highway 195. We will be opening the doors of our pre-school and pre-kindergarten classes on January 4th of 2010 (thats less than 5 months from now), and I hope to start classes in the Specific Ministry Pastor program in late September.

As I sit here on a cloudy and very cool Saturday afternoon, when the forecast from all of the TV outets was calling for mostly sunny skies and temperatures near 80 degrees, I am reminded of another reason for starting this blog, as a source of reliable weather forecasting and information. To my knowledge, there are no TV weathercasters in the Spokane area who hold an actual university degree in Meteorology. Not Tom Sherry, not Kris Crocker, not Bill Kelly, not Jason Kadah, not Julia Sandstrom, and certainly not George Maupin or Mark Peterson. I hold two degrees in meteorology, Bachelors and Masters, and am the only American Meteorological Society "Certified Broadcast Meteorologist" in eastern Washington and North Idaho. None of the others has the education to even apply to be certified! What does all of that mean? It means that I know what I am talking, or writing about!

So...tune in from time to time. Send in requests for "Personal Forecasts", and see what is going on at St John's Lutheran Church. I'll try very hard to make it interesting.