WHY I STARTED THE WEATHER DOCTOR

I would like to take a few moments to tell you why I decided to undertake the this educational program.

In early 1998, I was dismayed by all the negative press that weather and the atmosphere were getting. Every night it seemed, the news media "blamed" El Niño or some other weather element for causing death, injuries, destruction and dollar losses in the millions and billions.

Other reports try to tell us "the sky is falling" and the end of the world is near. But, the weather is the weather, an ever-changing part of the earth's natural environment. Weather is neither good nor evil; only our perception of how it effects humanity produces the label. The rain that spoils our picnic also nourishes the local crops which provide the food for that picnic. Floods may ravish many parts of the globe -- often the result of human destruction of natural watersheds resulting in dramatically increased run-off rates -- but they also increase the circulation of life-giving nutrients within the biosphere.

When I look at the sky I do not see it falling nor raining destruction on those below. I see a treat to all my senses. I smell the new rain, feel the sun on my back and wind in my hair (what little is left), taste new fallen snow, see the glorious colours and textures of sunrise and sunset, hear the thunder rumble in the distance. I feel alive when I am involved with the sky. It gives me a sense of beauty, heightens my curiosity and stirs my soul.

When I was younger, weather was fun to me, and I want it to be fun again, not only for me but for others as well. I want them to see with Weather Eyes the beauty, complexity and awesome strength of the atmosphere above them. It is for this purpose that the Weather Doctor came into being. Through the Weather Doctor and the Weather Eyes program, I hope to kindle the love of weather watching in as many as I can. I want weather watching to be a nature pastime similar in interest to birdwatching or star gazing.

Now Available The Field Guide to Natural Phenomena: The Secret World of Optical, Atmospheric and Celestial Wonders by Keith C Heidorn, PhD, and Ian Whitelaw Available through Amazon.com and Amazon.ca

I want you to see weather with both a scientist's and an artist's eye, and even at times with a child's eye, a view of innocence and wonder. Therefore, the Weather Doctor will cover a lot of ground. I will post material on topics such as: weather phenomena, how weather influences human history, weather events, weather people, weather in art, how weather affects our lives and health -- to name just a few.

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To Order in Canada: And Now...The Weather by Keith C. Heidorn Also Available in the US! And Now...The Weather by Keith C. Heidorn	To Order in Canada: The BC Weather Book: From the Sunshine Coast to Storm Mountain by Keith C. Heidorn Also Available in the US! The BC Weather Book: From the Sunshine Coast to Storm Mountain by Keith C. Heidorn

I welcome your active participation, comments can be sent to me at see@islandnet.com. Send me weather questions, your observations on special weather events or just how you feel about the weather and weather watching. I especially hope to see feedback from teachers on the relevance of materials to their classes or areas they would like to see covered.

I hope that by visiting this site, you will learn something new or begin to see common weather conditions in a new light. As well, I hope I can stimulate you to join me as a weather watcher. Initially perhaps, it will serve primarily as an escape, if only temporarily, from the tensions and frustrations of daily living. But I think weather watching will grow on you and take you to the next level where you will find not only knowledge but also a way to seek expression and enjoyment.

Finally, as I end fourteen years of presenting you with these articles, I hope to continue the Weather Doctor and associated materials for many years to come.I hope you continue to read them.

May your Weather Eyes be always looking up,

Keith C. Heidorn, PhD
The Weather Doctor
21 October 2011

THE WEATHER DOCTOR IS FONDLY DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF: Eric Sloane, Guy Murchie, David Ludlum, George R. Stewart and that Transcendental Meteorologist Henry David Thoreau.
I have stood on their shoulders and been given a better view of the sky and the weather.

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I have recently added many of my lifetime collection of photographs and art works to an on-line shop where you can purchase notecards, posters, and greeting cards, etc. of my best images.

To Purchase Notecard, Greeting Cards and Posters featuring my images, visit The Weather Doctor's Nature Gallery