Musings

Just wait

The fog today was dense and lingered, and seemed like it must extend to the oceans, east and west.

I heard droplets falling from the trees for hours, and saw them festooning spiderwebs and asparagus fronds. Aesthetic.

By afternoon, the sunny, clear, and warm conditions made it seem impossible that the morning had been fog-shrouded. It became so dry that I raked leaves under the maple, and now the compost pile is so large that I have too little “green” to temper that amount of “brown.” First world problem.

Enjoying the North

As the light increased, looming cloud-cover muted the beauty and I knew the ground fog would not appear. Yet, it was very still, no breeze, so I went to the lake before coffee (again) to see the mirror-lake.

The stillness began over a day ago, so that my new tracks and my old tracks co-existed. That is rare—that no waves erase tracks at the water’s edge in days. [You can’t see it, but the lake is just out of this image, left.]

The rest of the day I was in the cottage or doing outdoor chores nearby or in the field. The ferns by the door a fading, and I clipped some brown fronds, but left others that were merely brownING, as I often find the full pruning saddening…it means autumn and our exit is looming.

A few clouds

Every day is different. Trite, you may be thinking. Also, it’s true.

Bracketed photos

My photo excursions bracketed the sunny part of the day. Here’s morning light on a cold-stunned insect. It was about 48°F.

And here’s the oblique late-day sun illuminating the woods. Note all the fall color easing in and screening the green.

As you might guess, it was darned pretty all day, sunny and felt warmer than the thermometer indicated. It had the high at 64°F, but, ooh, I love solar gain [under such conditions].

Human-environment interaction

Change the light, I thought, by choosing a photo from a day or two ago. Good idea, I thought…

…for today was overcast and it tried to rain several times. When it was more temperate and I was restless, I did do a few outdoor chores, unearthing thistles by the clothesline, adding organic matter to the compost pile, downloading the update for my phone (then for the watch, they often need such attention in pairs; I do this using the neighbors’ satellite feed, so that’s the outdoor part…walking next door)—that kind of thing.

Reasonably virtuous for a slow-Sunday.

Timing is all

Hot sunset

After a hot and sticky day, the temp abated enough for a sunset stroll. And what a sunset. Now all the windows are open to let some cool(er) air in the cottage, as it is finally in the low, low 70s.

Water cycle

Of course, now that the rain barrel is full from the periodic overnight and morning rain, the plants are well-watered and don’t need a top-up from the barrel.

Loving it

Rain filled the barrel the other day. Now, I’m watering out of it. It’s a cycle.

Lows last night in the upper 40s. No kidding. Tonight, the prediction is the low 50s.

Changeability

I do love this ground fog. We didn’t have it earlier when we were up here—not enough moisture out there. Today was NOT overcast, thankfully.

I got The Beast going this morning and got plenty sweaty. When I started the last of the fog was around. By the time I quit, the sun was out. I didn’t work out in the field, but instead trimmed scrappy areas near the cottage…scrappy because the lupines are dried, and the grasses (etc.) are yellowing and browning. Autumn is coming.

A bit of garish from the deli cooler at the GrowSto, just to shake up your eyeballs. Apparently all-red sells better than multicolor. We managed to depart without either variation.

OverCAST

Today was Day2 of overcast; tomorrow may be the same. Not inspiring. Nice to not have wind, as you see early this evening.

I got the thistle terminology wrong on Tuesday. The spiky parts are prickles, and my derived word for the entire plant was prickers. Still is (in my head).