Katie Pingree

PhD from University of Victoria @uvic. Climatologist/atmospheric scientist. Fan of the Boston Bruins, Beethoven, winter, hiking, cycling. Pseudo-runner.

[Reports2NHP @NHP_Reports]

How to report #hail: The @NHP_field team is out today targeting the northern foothills!

Here is our visual “how to” for hail reporting!

@ECCCWeatherAB has outlined the risk for large hail today, send us your reports if you see anything!

Infographic via @environmentca #abstorm

[Connell Miller @ConnellMiller]

Applications are due on Friday! Last chance to apply if you haven't already. Please forward to anyone that may be interested!

[Katie Pingree @KatiePingree]

❤️

[Bunsen, Beaker, Bernoulli & Brix @bunsenbernerbmd]

Long ago, before our giant bear dog Bunsen, and our chaotic golden wolf Beaker, there was a dog named Kahlan.

This is a story we haven't shared before.

We hope it fills you full of warmness, just like her life with us did.

The dog's name was Kahlan and this happened fifteen years ago.

I remember it like it was yesterday.

This story isn't about Kahlan specifically though.

Our young family had JUST got its feet under it as I had secured a permanent teaching position and as did my wife Kris (@k_zackowski).

I had wanted a dog for our family for years, but knew that our lives, at the time, couldn't support one.

I was hopping from teaching contact to teaching contact, and Kris was subbing, and we had just enough money at the end of the month for our simple needs.

So I waited patiently until the time was stable for us to care for another creature beyond our two boys.

Kris knew I had a soft spot for golden retrievers.

I don't know WHY I was drawn to them...perhaps it was their smile, or how freaking friendly they are. I knew that goldens like to run with their owners and were up for adventures. Plus I had this book which listed each dog breed with their "Super Stats" and Goldens were at the top for trainability, easier first time dogs, and overall friendliness.

I think Kris caught me looking wistfully in that book one too many times. I don't remember doing it, but Kris tells the story that each evening I would sit down in the quiet of the night, open up the super stats book, and re-read everything about the golden retriever.
Relationship tip number one folks, if you have a someone who sees you for who you are and KNOWS what you need, lock that person down.

As the summer approached I decided to take a step back from coaching. I also took a new teaching position closer to home. Kris nabbed a full time job. Things were falling into place and we talked about getting a dog.

Kris has always said (early in our relationship) that she didn't like big dogs.

Big dogs were scary, slobbery, and had giant poops.

This is all true (minus the scary), which is ironic because we have Bunsen and he is HUGE.

At any rate, she declared that we could get a small dog, and even though I brought up golden retrievers, she said they were much too big.

I was sad initially, but super excited about getting any kind of dog, even a little ankle biter one.

This was all part of her chaotic good master plan.

Unbeknownst to be, she had secretly found a farm family that bred goldens not far from us. Also unbeknownst to me, she had put a deposit down on one and booked a time to go pick a puppy out.

As my birthday is in late summer, she stated that for my birthday we would get a dog and this weekend we would head out to pick the dog out.

I was super excited! I asked what kind of dog it was, and she replied- Papillon.

Perfect! That dog was in my "Super Stats" book and was rated as a very smart little dog, so I was excited.

We drove out to the farm and as we pulled up four golden retrievers with the BIGGEST smiles bounded out to meet us.

I said quite stupidly and not getting it:
"Oh, they have Golden Retrievers too!"

Duh.

Kris had pulled a bait and switch and told me as we exited the car that we weren't getting a Papillon, we were getting a Golden.

I was beside myself, but couldn't remain stunned for long. Adam (our youngest son) was a toddler at this time and promptly did a face pant into the mud.

One of the goldens bounded over to him and Adam hauled himself back up standing by climbing up the dog's fur.

Adam looked at the dog, with his muddy face, and said, "Thank you very much doggie!" The Golden (Kahlan's dad) licked his face and Adam giggled.

30 minutes later a little Golden was on her way home with us.

[Katie Pingree @KatiePingree]

@ctvottawa This is a misleading headline and reporting: “ingredients are likely to come together to form severe storms and the threat of a tornado” does not equal “likely tornado”.

[CTV Ottawa @ctvottawa]

NEW: Meteorologists warn conditions ripe for 'likely tornado' in Ottawa on Thursday #ottnews

https://t.co/kVBYf0QvsO

[Western University @WesternU]

With the success of the Northern Tornadoes Project, our researchers now turn their eyes back to the sky - this time to develop the Northern Hail Project. @westernuNTP @westernuEng #westernu #storms #weather
https://t.co/TiqMXEQQlj

[British Antarctic Survey 🐧 @BAS_News]

New verified temperature record for #Antarctic continent - @WMO has today (1 July 2021) recognised a new record high temperature for the Antarctic continent of 18.3° Celsius on 6 February 2020 at the Esperanza station (Argentina): https://t.co/eiMMp9S5lB

[CTV Ottawa @ctvottawa]

NEW: Canada's top children's hospitals, including CHEO, are declaring a mental health emergency among children and youth as the COVID-19 pandemic wears on. #ottnews https://t.co/iBdjxXZmPb

[NOAA Climate.gov @NOAAClimate]

As NOAA adopts 1991–2020 as the new 30-year period of record, “average” hurricane activity in the Atlantic Ocean will increase. Average activity for the new period of record means 14 named storms, 7 hurricanes, and 3 major hurricanes.
https://t.co/uzX9RDcLVm

[Katie Pingree @KatiePingree]

I never knew this was done, this is the kind of neat bits of info I’m here for!

[Zoe Courville @ZoeCourville]

9 years. Over 70 crevasses blown up and filled in along the traverse route from McMurdo Station to the South Pole. My life’s work. #Antarctica #southpoletraverse #CRREL

[Katie Pingree @KatiePingree]

https://t.co/6WyB3ng626

[Bell Let's Talk @Bell_LetsTalk]

Today, every view of this video helps create positive change. All you need to do is watch it and Bell will donate 5¢ more to Canadian mental health initiatives. Retweet to help spread the word! #BellLetsTalk

[Katie Pingree @KatiePingree]

@MACandGUpodcast I’m curious if you have watched Brockmire and, if so, what are your thoughts?

[Ottawa Public Health @OttawaHealth]

Btw, wear a mask.

[Schitt's Creek (Pop) @SchittsCreekPop]

Ew, 2020.

[Hugh Laurie @hughlaurie]

I’m sure lots of people have said this already - I just haven’t seen it anywhere - but thank you to all the scientists, researchers, administrators, technicians, logisticians for bringing this extraordinary vaccine into existence.

[City of Toronto 🇨🇦 @cityoftoronto]

#CityofTO proclaims John Candy Day on October 31 in Toronto. News release: https://t.co/yABqtMntoS

[Katie Pingree @KatiePingree]

The podcast that brings you friendship also brings me entertainment as I snuggle with the baby. I just have to not laugh too much and wake the sleeping baby! “Back to the Guture” brought me that realization 😄@MACandGUpodcast

[Katie Pingree @KatiePingree]

Hi @getnanit I’m wondering what the TOG rating/value is for the Breathing Wear Swaddle? Thanks!

[Katie Pingree @KatiePingree]

Watched the last ~15 minutes of Cats (2019) out of curiosity after all the bad reviews and all I can say is...what’s up with the ears? The motions just seem bizarre and are distracting.

[Katie Pingree @KatiePingree]

World Mental Health Day was Oct. 10 but I want to highlight this resource: https://t.co/9v02gkDcKr Even if you don’t have postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, etc., this site and the testimonies on it can be extremely helpful. It helps to know you are not alone. ❤️