Visiting Ontario

Visited my brother in Windsor and celebrated my niece's 6th birthday. Caught a little storm while I was there.

Caught up with Brian Spencer in London as well.

Big Announcement

I'm selling most of my possessions and leaving North America.

On September 29th, I'm going to South Africa for 2 months to take two back to back courses with Africa Media; one on wildlife/nature film making and one on wildlife/travel photography. I'll be back for a month in December, but then I have a gig lined up in Madagascar where I'll be doing photography and social media for the Madagascar Research and Conservation Institute from January to the end of March.

I'll be back in YVR for a little bit in April, before I head to tornado alley in May.

I'm not sure yet where/when I will settle down.

I Left My Heart in Tornado Alley

This is my Google Timeline data since I got my Android phone in September of 2017. It even picks up my random layovers.

Can you tell where my favourite place to be is? ;) 

Tornado Alley: Highlight Video and the Journey Home

As we drove up to Regina, I find out that Greg is going to meet us at the airport and him and Tara are going to drive back down and chase some more. It kills me. I wish I could join, but it's too late to change my flight... and to be honest, I am pretty exhausted.

Here is a highlight video of the tornadoes I've seen this year.

This is from May 17th.

This is from May 21st.

Here is a collage of all the tornadoes I saw on May 17th.

Once home, my best friend came over and made me dinner. It was lovely. 

Tornado Alley: Tired but Tempted to Keep Going

Glendive, MT

Apparently today is National Road Trip Day. It couldn't be more fitting as we make our way back to Canada. I'm going to miss chasing with these guys! We caught 8 tornadoes in total. May 17th, of course, being the most epic day. Not pictured: Greg Johnson

We dropped off Erin and Brad in Denver today. I already miss chasing and was going through withdrawals as we drove further and further away from tornado alley. I looked out on to the landscape at the clouds on the horizon and thought I saw wall clouds and inflow tails but I knew my brain was playing tricks on me. 

Next week is supposed to be an active week and during dinner with the group, I almost decide to stay longer. However, there isn't enough people to help out with driving. Chris needs to head home because it's his birthday tomorrow and he has family plans and Greg doesn't trust me to help drive Flash. Tara, one of the only other females on the tour, wants to go but she doesn't drive. The idea seems to be dropped for now. 

We stop in Montana for the night. 

Tornado Alley: The Canadian, TX Wedge

Garden City, KS

On our last chase day, we managed to see the distant remnants of a rain-wrapped wedge near Canadian, TX.

This was tornado number 8. We barely saw it, but it still counts.

This is just a pic of the screen on my video camera. I increased the contrast so the edges are more visible.

Tomorrow we start heading north, back towards Regina.

Tornado Alley: Sometimes the Storms Happen Indoors

Guthrie, OK

This morning in Topeka was rough. 

I ended up getting into a drunken argument with Erin last night. The alcohol, the late nights, the lack of nutrition, and the lack of privacy eventually started taking its toll. I love Greg and Chris, but the frat house party vibe of this tour is beginning to wear me down. Storm chasing is definitely not a "vacation" in the traditional sense. This hobby/passion sometimes involves more stress and requires more resilience than in my day to day life. Even though being in confined spaces with strangers in high intensity, sometimes life or death situations can make for strained group dynamics... the best of friendships can also be tested. At one point, I was sitting alone by the hotel pool in a daze, playing this song over and over on my little Bluetooth speaker. 

After a morning of awkward silences and sitting in separate vehicles, we had a tearful heart to heart in the warm, dust filled low-level wind as we waited for initiation in a Braum's parking lot.   

Today called for another PDS. 

Greg had to return to Canada today for a speaking engagement so we were down to only Chris.

We chased all along eastern Kansas and Oklahoma. Didn't see much since it was a lot of rain-wrapped circulation and bad road networks.

Saw some nice structure at times though.

At one point Johnny (John Hallen, who was tagging along with us) needed to be pulled out of a ditch by Storm Wagon. I have no idea how he managed to end up in there, but it was a little nerve wracking waiting for him to be pulled out while in a tornado warned storm.

At one point I thought I had lost my tripod plate -right when we had stopped to shoot some lightning. I was disheartened. I felt so frazzled, disorganized and off kilter. I wasn't on my chaser A-game. 

I improvised by stabilizing my camera on the hood of Flash. 

I later found my tripod plate on my other camera. Ha! Oops.

Tomorrow is our last chase day. I am beyond exhausted.