DEAR SUN SPOTS: You have helped so many people, except my father-in-law. He wrote to you about Happy Horseshoe Campground and got no reply. Maybe it got lost.

Some said you don’t take letters, just emails from the computer. I hope not. I don’t know anything about computers.

My questions are: Where is Anne McNamara? She was new on Channel 13 News.

My second question is: Why do the weatherman give seven-day forecasts when the next day they change? We hardly ever get two in a row. Maybe in Portland they do.

Thanks. — BLT, Peru

ANSWER: As you may have noted, Sun Spots answered your father-in-law’s letter a couple of days ago. She apologizes for the delay, but she is just now catching up with the spring overflow.

Some letters must be published right away because they are time sensitive (an upcoming event), or must be dealt with right away, say an expiring warranty or health topic. Others are from people just curious about something. Those are often set aside until time and space allows.

It is not true that Sun Spots only answers letters via email. Although more and more people write to her that way, she still gets many letters via snail mail, and many of those writers, like you, are not computer fans. Sun Spots understands that, especially with older readers, but if you are still of working age, computer skills often are a must these days and very useful even to the most senior among us. Medicare has a very helpful website.

Now to your two questions. Sun Spots couldn’t find anything about Anne McNamara. She isn’t included on WGME’s list of personalities. She has a Facebook page, but she didn’t respond to Sun Spot’s query.

As for weather, while the difficulty of predictions does vary somewhat in different locales, long-term predictions are generally problematic. The further out a prediction reaches, the more likely it is to change. Bodies of water, hills and valleys, and other land features also affect the accuracy of weather forecasts.

This makes sense if you think about it. Predicting weather in a desert (flat, dry) isn’t as challenging as mountainous regions. As moisture-laden clouds pass over mountains, they cool, which can lead them to drop their load, but where? Will it be snow or rain?

Even knowing what will happen in the next day or so can be difficult, because weather patterns can change suddenly. A storm can suddenly develop, or it can dissipate. A good example is tornadoes. While weathermen know when conditions are ripe for a tornado, they cannot predict when or where one may form.

Scientists are trying to improve the accuracy of forecasts, especially in regard to dangerous weather, but 100 percent is still a way off.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: The Old German Church, founded in 1773, located on Route 32 South, Waldoboro, will hold its annual service at 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 7. The service is sponsored by the German Protestant Ladies Auxiliary, assisted by the Waldoboro Woman’s Club.

The Rev. Beverly Blaisdell of the Waldoboro United Methodist Church, assisted by the church choir and organist, Paul Smeltzer, is leading the service.

A prayer will be read in German and English by Bob Butler.

A brief service of Holy Communion will be offered following the final hymn and blessing. Donations will be accepted. Free refreshments will be served after the service on the lawn adjacent to the church.

Nearby, the church’s historic cemetery includes graves of the early German settlers. Volunteers from the German Protestant Ladies Auxiliary and the Waldoboro Woman’s Club will act as hostesses during July and August when the church is open 1 to 4 p.m., seven days a week.

The beautiful Old German Church mugs made by Alan Eastman of Waldoboro will be on sale for $10 each at that time and also at the Aug. 7 annual service.

Come, celebrate the German ancestors who settled Waldoboro and their many descendants. For more information, please call 832-7742. Thank you. — Mary Lee Merrill, publicity chairwoman, German Protestant Ladies Auxiliary, merily@localnet.com

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be e-mailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com.

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