Miriam Sellers still gets up at 7:00 a.m. to observe and record the temperature and rain level for Gainesville for the National Weather Service in Peach Tree City.
Bill Sellers, now age 86, started it in 1965; she took it over in 1992 and its a lot simpler than one would suppose.
The measuring equipment, supplied by the Weather Service, is in the front lawn of the Sellers home on Sunset Boulevard off Dawsonville Highway.
It's very simple," she said. "It's nothing but a rain container to measure the rainfall and a thermometer to measure the high, the low and the present temperature."
During those 43 years, the Sellers have seen some unusually cold weather, with sleet, snow, ice and temperatures in the teens.
Right now, the 85 year old weather observer says its unusually warm. "It was 68 degrees here yesterday," Mrs. Sellers said. "It is unusual weather now, it's not like December, it should be a lot colder."
Miriam Sellers does not mind getting up early; she does that anyway, she said. "It's one of those things that's just part of your life. The Weather Bureau has to have people out doing this, they can't possibly be every place."
"Our title is the official National Weather observer for the City of Gainesville."
Miriam Sellers remains Gainesville's official weather observers after 43 years.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2008/12/216316