Thank you to all of the men and women that serve our country.

Have a happy and safe July 4th!

Our furry friends have already started the celebrations right here at the office today.

One of our fave meteorologists, Rob Guarino of Albuquerque's KOAT-TV, uses his Kestrel 4000 faithfully in tracking and measuring the weather for his forecasts.

Rob formerly was a meteorologist for the Fox affiliate in Philadelphia. Philly has some hot, humid summers but I'm sure it's nothing compared to that desert heat! At least New Mexico has less of the humidity and more of the sun.

It's summer time here on the East Coast, but we've certainly had our share of rain. Rainstorms may be a drag but you can't deny that nostalgic, fresh scent of summer rain.

Today, Rob had an interesting weather fun fact to share with his fellow weather buffs on Facebook.

"The smell of rain comes from the plants sweating so to speak. Right before rain the humidity goes up quickly. It makes the plants chemistry change like when we sweat. If it rains for a while it typically goes away...but if the rain is light and brief the smell can hang around for awhile."

Wish we all smelled that good after working up a sweat!

Rob has always been passionate about weather and is continuously fascinated by the power of nature.

If you'd like to follow Rob's weather blog, click here.

http://www.koat.com/robsweatherwatch/index.html

http://myweatherlive.com

Follow me on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/nielsen.kellerman

The rhythmic beat of the drum, the splashing orchestra of the river, the cacophony of cheers from the bank; yes the sounds of the 3rd Annual Independence Dragon Boat Race Regatta could be heard all along Kelly Drive. Paddlers from all over the Delaware Valley gathered at the Schuylkill this Saturday to demonstrate their ability on the river race course.

Our own Sales and Marketing Manager, Katie Godfrey, called the entire race and we aimed to make her proud. We finished 10th overall out of 65 boats! Not bad for a boat full of mostly rookie paddlers. Many local organizations competed including PAL, US Army, The Philadelphia Vietnam Veterans Memorial Society and NBC 10.

Dragon Boating involves speed, power and an incredible amount of teamwork. With 20 people in the boat, synchronization is critical. If you're not paddling together, the boat does not move as quickly across the 500 meter stretch. Think about giving it a try next year. Rally your coworkers and put together a team for 2010!

Here's the official website. Click to see photos from the big race day and information for next year.
http://www.independencedragonboat.com/

Team NK Rocking the Boat