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Farewell to The Extreme!

I usually don't get crazy over celebrity deaths - it's a way of life for someone to pass away, even if we view the rich and famous as immortals among us mere mortals. But today, while scrolling through my news feed on Facebook, my emotions caught in my throat when I saw that Bill Paxton had passed away at the young age of 61.

My first reaction was that it was a hoax - it is fake news (Yeah, we've had enough mention of fake news lately). How many celebrities have been announced as deceased but it was wrong? Unfortunately, this wasn't the case for this particular actor.

I've been a fan of Bill Paxton since I was a kid. Tombstone, Apollo 13, Titanic, just to name a few. But the best movie where I completely fell in love with him was Twister - a cult classic, a movie that still gets watched by everyone and is familiar to most, despite it being over 20 years old. It is a tradition for me to watch it at the beginning of every storm season. This year, it will hold even more meaning to me.



As I sit here and listen to the Twister soundtrack, it makes me nostalgic for the times I have storm chased across Texas....(and Oklahoma and Kansas) And I'll be the first to admit that the movie gave me some inspiration to do it. I grew up on the plains of Texas where the weather is infamous for changing within seconds... from high winds, questionable winters, to mega thunderheads that pop up out of nowhere. It gets me excited just thinking about it. I'd like to thank Bill Paxton and the makers of Twister for heightening my interest in weather (I get that it's a fictional movie that really isn't realistic...) It still is somewhat responsible for giving me spring fever long before it's time to put up the sweaters and coats.

Godspeed, Bill Paxton. Thanks for your years of entertaining us! Dusty and The Extreme can chase together again!


GOING GREEN! GREENAGE!