Monday, 21 July 2025
I walked around the corner to a local shop to do an errand, and today’s gully-washer hit! This was the view out into the back parking lot.
It wasn’t all bad, because I waited in a bookstore!
When I left, it hadn’t totally quit raining, but I had a broad-brimmed sunhat on so I was (largely) covered.
Saturday, 19 July 2025
We endured one of those fast gulley-washers this afternoon; it lasted maybe three minutes, of total deluge.
Wednesday, 9 July 2025
Just before dark, thunder boomed and moisture descended. This photo was from the earliest moments of The Arrival.
I’m not in a desert by any means, yet this event made me think about Gary Nabhan’s slim volume The Desert Smells Like Rain (1982). The title is from an observation by a Tohono O’odham child, a native of the Sonoran Desert, as I recall. [Link to read more about the O’odham by the O’odham.]
Sunday, 6 July 2025
I could write something about fall-blooming anemones, that is: nice flower-talk….
Otherwise, I’ll get into the non-existential (or is it existential?) crisis of the Southern Ocean’s potential transition toward persistently reduced sea ice coverage resulting from rising salinity. Is the latter (link) too boring? Too hard to grasp? Possibly; you have my sympathy—but such salinity shifts and the attendant oceanic changes are way toooo important to dismiss. Important as in global climate change. Bonus: follow the link and you’ll read about polynyas—I’m betting it’s a new vocab word!
Tuesday, 1 July 2025
Today was between two nights with rain, and I hear tonight’s weather events will include storminess. Fun (sarcasm). 🙃
Friday, 27 June 2025
This morning’s murky sky was from moisture; in fact, it may well be raining across the lake, as the trees there are scarcely visible. BTW, this log was out in knee-deep water yesterday—shows the power of breaking waves.
These bushes are heavy with blossoms, denser than we remember from previous years. Of course, the blooms additionally are heavy with rain accumulation. I can’t remember what The Botanist called them; with a little help from plant recognition software, I’m pretty sure they are Kolkwitzia amabilis, beautybush to everyday folk.
Sunday, 22 June 2025
The predicted heat streak really hit us today. We were lucky, however, as the windiness tempered the heat (to some degree 🤣). I thought this barrel reflection did a good job of showing the turmoil in the sky. I truly enjoyed my 4:30pm dip in the not-so-warm lake.
It may get down to 69°F tonight, so tomorrow will be another hot one.
Saturday, 21 June 2025
We had rain in the wee hours, then an overcast dawn-time, then a break. In that relative calm, the gulls wheeled around the cottage, then landed and strutted in the grass. They were looking for fishflies, I suspect…’tis their time of a feeding frenzy.
I found this boletus on my way to the beach during the calm.
The lake wasn’t as wavy as I expected.
As I returned to the cottage, the wind kicked up and tipped over the lupins this way and that, when some were already bent by the overnight storminess.
Late in the afternoon, the sun came out and it got relatively warm, while still steamy. The high was 79°F, I think, so lower than predicted (we’re supposed to have an overheated weekend), because of how the overcast, etc. played out. I doubt we’ll have such relief tomorrow.
Sunday, 8 June 2025
Yesterday we left idyllic lake-side life, scented with Canadian wildfire smoke, to arrive in clear skies and no nearby open water.
We abandoned lilacs and lupin, and now breathe the sweet scent of gardenias. BTW, the temp here is 80°F, with the AC running, while up north it’s 62°F and my cousin has a fire in the fireplace.
Tuesday, 3 June 2025
The on-shore wind was pretty strong all day, kicking up waves.
Nevertheless, these dandies managed to hold their fluff-n-seeds, and keep them from sailing away.
Around 6:30pm rain rolled in. Now, the rain barrel is nearly full (after just having a skim of water on half the bottom), and it’ll be overflowing before midnight. This is very good, as things were getting far too dry.