“You kids get out in that yard and pick-up those balls gloves, they’re gonna get waterlogged.” Those were Mom’s instructions at the onset of a shower or thunderstorm. Waterlogged is an old nautical term used when the hold of a ship was so saturated that the vessel was similar to a log and was unmanageable. With so much baseball in our neighborhood, we were notorious for leaving our gloves, bats and balls scattered over the property. A glove, loaded with rain and left out overnight, was quickly waterlogged. A typical glove, weighing less than a pound, now weighed about three. Putting it in the sun could dry it out and the consequence was not only a sore pitching arm but the other arm holding up the waterlogged glove. Also, shower activity certainly increases the use of an umbrella and with a heat advisory today it could also be a shield and provide some comfort... Umbrella comes from the Latin word umbra meaning shade and was used in Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. The oldest reference to the umbrella in China dates to the year 21 CE and the King of Siam in 1687 gifted them to his subjects. Years ago, Ambient Devices marketed an umbrella that provided an alert when rain is expected. Labeled a Forecasting Umbrella the umbrella’s handle will flash would flash within a 12 hour rain detection. Data from AccuWeather.com activated the umbrella’s sensors and differentiated between storms, with fast flashes to slow flashes for sprinkles. Similar to current umbrellas, it was manually raised and battery operated.