Portable Weather Station

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got it 4 our son 4 christmas 4 his farm & he was very pleased with vane & so were we

Finding an old-fashioned weather vane that is affordable (most are in the hundreds of dollars) can be like finding a needle in the proverbial haystack. I was glad to find this one. It was easy to assemble. We mounted to a corner deck rail, using a compass to orient it. We've been very pleased. It stays outside year round and we've not had to repaint or maintain it in any way.

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I had a horse weathervane that a dear friend gave me several years ago. It broke and I have missed it terribly. There are plenty available for hundreds of dollars, but nothing this size and price. This size is suitable for a modest-sized home. We have about 2000 sf under-roof, and this is small, but noticable. It adds a subtle touch of individuality to our home, and I like it a lot. My husband installed it in about 30 minutes; said it was much easier to install than the first one.

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We were disappointed with this product. Your home thermometer will have as many features as this. The rain gauge is just a little cup, it's not nearly as nice as the ones at the dollar store. It can tell you temp & humidity, but the wind speed is not even close to being right. My son was excited to take it out on a very windy day, the tv said gusts up to 40 mph and this registered them as 6 mph. bummer.

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"Theme" albums are always a bit worrisome because they can be contrived...trying to fit some charts together that perhaps don't fit very naturally. But this 1958 set by a Jimmy Rowles led septet of west coast studio notables is an exception. 10 charts (and 2 alternative takes) that all have something to do with the weather (The Breeze and I, Let It Snow...get the point?) arranged by Rowles and Bill Holman, dean of the west coast swing sound in the 50's. The playing is tight featuring sidemen like Mel Lewis, Holman, Herb Geller etc. The arrangements are generally good but compared to other outings by these guys (or similar groups led by Dave Pell and others) this one just doesn't swing as hard. Recommended but not Rowles best.

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Intense, poetic, complex, intelligent and passionate are all good words to describe the eleven songs on this album. I imagine they'd also be good words to describe Nicky herself, who injects so much of herself into her songs that it's hard to separate the artist from the art. And art it is, without doubt. Nicky's lyrics are original and vibrant. And not a cliche to be heard. Her voice can be bold and strident, or like a whisper in your ear, and it carries emotion like a superconductor. Weather Vane's themes encompass loss, transformation, hope - the learning that comes from living in the world and trying to make sense of it all. Though the melodies are beautiful, it's not easy listening. It's an album you need to sit down and pay attention to. If you're not in reflective mood when you start, you soon will be. Notable tracks for me include Row Him Home, Fireflies, The Reckoning and the almost unbearably poignant Truly - one of the saddest, most beautiful songs I've ever heard. This is a great album by an artist who is only now beginning to gain recognition outside Canada (thanks to the Wailin' Jennys). And while I truly hope she continues with the Jennys for many more years, I hope that another solo album is on the agenda too.

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This book has wondeful information on weathervanes and the most beautiful photographs. I highly recommend it.

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Great Job! Lots of interesting details. Would love to make a weathervane. First I'll need to get a round tuit!

My wife and I enjoy going to craft shows and have finally settled on two favorites, the Philadelphia and the Smithsonian shows [links in first Comment]. Of course, if a show runs at the same time we happen to be in the area, we usually stop by to see artists new to us. But the Philadelphia and the Smithsonian shows are juried and almost always have the very highest quality available. Chesterbooks is a topflight source of books about crafts, and the owner introduced me to this beautiful example of DYI books now being released It contain 290 color images, 25 detailed line drawings, and clear simple text describing how to make a hand-hammered copper weathervane. I've been working on a close replica of the rooster weathervane shown on the cover for three months -- it's a great project if you don't have a great deal of time to spend at one time but can leave the tools and work in progress on a work bench for the moment when opportunity and inspiration strike. I've spent about 20 hours altogether on the project and at this rate should be ready to test my rooster in the March winds next spring. I decided on the rooster because I liked the design and because the photos and descriptive text would help guide my novice hammer strokes. But Helmreich has a variety of other suggestions, some of great beauty or humor, and another excellent collection of possible subjects appears in Folk Art Weather Vanes: Authentic American Patterns for Wood and Metal. Helmreich adds a bit of history to his instructions, and I've enjoyed consulting other resources along the way. The OED teaches, for example, that the word is a form of "fane" (a flag or banner) and ancient, and has a nice collection of early references: c1386 CHAUCER Clerk's T. 940 O stormy poeple..ever untrewe..and chaungyng as a fane. 1483 Cath. Angl. 122 A Fayne of a schipe..ubi a weder coke. c1510 BARCLAY Mirr. Gd. Manners (1570) Biv, Varying as fanes erect vnto the winde. ?1635 H. GLAPTHORNE Lady Mother III. i. in Bullen O. Pl. (1883) II. 142 Light faines erected on the tops Of lofty structures. 1773 J. NOORTHOUCK Hist. London 611 The turret..from its top rises a ball that supports the fane. Weathervanes are mentioned in Mesopotamian writings, and the Chinese also write about strings or flags being used to read wind direction in writings dated to the 2nd Century B.C. "Weathervanes have a simple design, but in order to function, they need to be perfectly balanced on their rotating axis. They also need an unequal area on each side that the wind can blow against. Additionally, weathervanes must be located on the highest point of a structure, and away from other tall buildings or structures that may affect wind direction. As the weathervane spins to reduce the force of the wind on its surface, the end with the least surface area turns into the wind, and thus indicates the wind direction." Getting the balance exactly right is thus very important, and Helmreich is invaluable in guiding my efforts. One bit of history I would like to learn more about: a papal edict in the 9th century A.D. ordered that every church in Christendom must be adorned by a cockerel, a symbol to remind Christians of Peter's betrayal of Christ: "I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest me." (Luke 22:34). Apparently, the cockerels were not intended as weathervanes, but eventually they took on that function. This last tidbit may be a bit of historical fiction, or true enough. By next March I hope to have finished my cockerel and have learned the truth of its history. Either way, I'll have enjoyed this beautifully produced book and the technieques it has taught me. I already have. Robert C. Ross 2009

Reviews

I bought this and used it with a fourth grade class while student teaching. The students LOVED this book and it's bi-lingual quality let us bring everyone in to enjoy it. It is a great jump start to a unit on re-tellings. I highly recommend it!

This story is an excellent folk tale written in both English and Spanish. My son loves it (we live in Mexico). My only complaint would be that its difficult to make a folk tale really really relavent. This whimsical story lacks that.

A very special chicken is born on the ranch. He sets off to Mexico City, gives and receives help along the way. A delightful tale with wonderful picture. Easy and enjoyable to read in both Spanish and English.