Weekend Ups and Downs

It’s weekend preview time here at Tony’s Blog and WSAZ.com. As is my custom, I like to weave the weather story around events. Off the top of my head, this is a big weekend with county fairs, festivals and the 9th annual Romp at the Raven. More on the latter follows!

First off, the ribs are hot and juicy while the air is pleasantly warm this Thursday evening in Charleston where Ribfest 2008 is underway. Like last night, this evening will be as good as it gets for mid-summer if you are “ribbing it up” or walking the midday at the Vinton, Jackson WV or Cabell County Fairs.

Here's a few links to the weekend events at the fairs in Milton, McArthur and Cottageville.

http://vintoncountyfair.org/schedule.htm

http://www.jcjf.net/

http://www.cabellcountyfair.org/

Evening temperatures will fall below 70 by 10 p.m. and bottom out in the 50s by dawn when patchy valley fog will cling to the river banks. That means a good sleeping night with the AC turned down, if not off.

Like Thursday, Friday will feature plenty of sunshine, though temperatures will be 3-5 degrees hotter, topping out in the mid to upper 80s.

Our next opportunity for thunder will arrive on Saturday with a few rounds of showers and thunderstorms likely during the day. As per usual with summer downpours, local street flooding and a few power hits seem a good bet. When and where will it rain? Well, Marina, Josh and our newest meteorological marvel Chris Bailey will keep you posted.

The Romp at the Raven

I am off until Tuesday as I set sail for the high country with Keith and Tim and the gang on a golfing soiree. Popularly known as the “Romp at the Raven”, this golfing event includes four rounds in a three day jaunt. We start at Snowshoe Mountain and end at Stonewall Jackson Lake.

On Saturday and Sunday, eight WSAZ linksters (some legacies, some alum) will play three rounds at Gary Player’s Raven Golf Club at Snowshoe. Among the visiting dignitaries, the colorful Glenn Wiley will be traveling from Raleigh, N.C., where he forecasts for the ABC affiliate. The Glen-ometer this weekend is a ten and all about fun. Glenn tells me he is forecasting a few boomers in the West Virginia high country!

Jimmy Treacy, former fiery sportscaster, joins us on a special exemption. The sometimes ill-mannered Treacy is known to throw a few clubs when his game is not quite on. Jimmy is also in charge of cold beverages, if you get my drift. Strong Jimmy Strong!

The eight-time defending champion is Keith Morehouse who is joined by his big bro Steve. Keith plays a game with which the rest of us are not familiar (70s and 80s). The joke at WSAZ is that we all make contributions to the Lake Morehouse college fund when we play skins.

Steve brings a slappy three wood and his own line of outerwear to the table. It was five years ago that Steve first made the trip from suburban Washington, D.C., to play in the Romp. That hot summer day, Steve wowed us all with a two-tone orange shirt ensemble. A bear of a man, Steve’s profuse sweating led to the two-tone look. Honestly, Steve looked like a hunter in the woods with his blaze-orange look. Steve has since added lime green and fire engine red to his growing wardrobe. Go to www.blaze orange.com to order your own from the Steve collection.

Tim Irr comes for the ride but seems to win every award that is not golf related. Tim is the defending pool and ping-pong champ as well as the best dressed golfer every year. A nice pair of khaki Dockers and a George H. Wright golf shirt are Tim’s bread and butter look. Since Tim will greet every stranger under the setting sun at Snowshoe (where Southern Living magazine says 4848 has the best sunset in the Southern USA), he is also Mr. Congeniality.

J.B. and Mark are behind the scenes here at WSAZ-TV. Both love golf and their families and hate giving their money to Morehouse. Mark is a native of St. Albans and the most knowledgeable Herd fan that I know. J.B. built his own house and is a man’s man!

For my part, I go every year with visions of beating Morehouse. Of the roughly 16 rounds we have played at the Raven, I have taken down Keith just once and that was after he slept with his contacts in overnight and had blurry vision the next day.

Rain (in 2000 it poured all weekend long) or shine, the gang will revert to their childhood days by blowing off some steam and hacking around the course all weekend long.

By the way, temperatures at the golf course (elevation 3,500 feet) are roughly 8 degrees cooler than here at home and at the Top of the World (Snowshoe’s summit) they run 15 degrees cooler. So our night time outer wear includes a pull over or sweater.

On the trip back Monday, we will stop by the new Arnold Palmer gem on the shores of Stonewall Jackson Lake in Lewis County where 18 holes of morning golf will complete a great weekend. This will be our first venture to the Stonewall Resort. From what I hear, it won't be our last!

Fore,

Tony