CELEBRITY MEET-UP!!!

Unlike last November when I met Dean Karnazes, I knew that I was going to see Jim Cantore. And I knew who he was. And I was excited.

Our local paper had published an article with the info that Jim was set to be the Grand Marshal at the annual Garrett County, MD Autumn Glory Parade.

And unlike Dean Karnazes, Jim Cantore may be less well-known to my readers unless they watch The Weather Channel.

But I DO watch TWC, because I'm a weather/meterology/storm junkie, and Jim Cantore is one of my most-admired meterologists.

Since this parade is a HUGE event (the Garrett County, MD Autumn Glory Festival was rated #1 on a list of MSN's top 10 fall festivals), you have to get there early, and since we did, I jogged a mile uptown to where the parade entries were lining up. There on the shoulder of the road was a bright-yellow car with a sign: "GRAND MARSHALL -- JIM CANTORE, THE WEATHER CHANNEL." He wasn't in it but surely would be, before long. Sure enough, about 10 minutes later a golf cart came driving up with some "chauffeur" ferrying Jim to his parade vehicle. And he was kind enough to speak to me, and to sign my well-worn Aubon Society Field Guide to weather, which I'm referring to all the time for "cloud reading" as we travel.

I was totally tickled. Dean Karnazes may be a well-known ultra-runner, but when I met him, I'd never heard of him.

Jim Cantore, however, kicks butt. You may have seen him reporting from the field, getting blown out of camera range by a pre-hurricane wind gust. Or not. But I did. And I think he kicks butt.