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8 SOUTHERN SENIOR MAGAZINE | Summer 2023 How do you keep track of weather? Do you have an app on your smart phone or a favorite weathercaster on television? Do you favor one of the channels on cable or satellite? Technology provides lots of ways to monitor Mother Nature. I don’t need any of them! I have a personal forecaster in the form of my granddaughter. Although she’s in el- ementary school now, she’s been a “weather junkie” since she was a toddler. My little Dumpling watched weather reports the way other kids watched Sesame Street. She still does. I first discovered her addiction the day I got a call from her mother’s telephone number when Dumpling was a few months past her third birthday. “Gramma Mary Beth, you should take ‘mediate shel- ter. There is a tornado watch for Mississippi!” Her little voice trembled with distress as she relayed the news. I quickly opened my iPad to check the weather alert app I used. Sure enough, there was a tornado watch in effect—for Jackson and points north. I explained to her about how big the state was and how I was far south of the danger zone. Her breathing slowed as she took in the information. “Well, that’s good. But do you have a safe place ready?” My prognosticating pragmatist wanted to be sure I had everything organized—just in case. Once I reassured her of my readiness, she was happy. “Okay, Gramma. I love you. Bye.” Poof, she was gone. I wondered if her mother even realized the phone had been commandeered. By Mary Beth Magee www.LOL4.net Pint-Sized Prognosticator