Friday, 1 August 2025
All distant views throughout the day were tinged with smokeaze, that is, smoke haze (and thus the AQI suggested lesser activities, with little deep breathing). This photo, however, is just plain out of focus, so not honoring the sweet peas.
Monday, 28 July 2025
Another hot day, after a not-so-cool overnight, so I sure enjoyed my lake bath, today rather late, around 8pm, when the lake was quiet, as you can see. Tonight’s supposed to be cooler, whew!, and tomorrow the high will somewhat more reasonable…all of, get this: a mere 78°F.
Hmm, I’d better find a blanket, a light one, mind you, but still: a blanket.
Saturday, 26 July 2025
We stopped at a rest area with well-tended flower beds, and I took over a dozen shots. Looking through them, I realized all were of yellow or yellow-orange specimens, except for two rather desiccated white daisies. Am I part bee?
When we crossed the bridge, ever a hugely important landmark when connecting two immense peninsulas, the sky looked strange. I figured there were smoke particles in the mix with humid air, but never smelled it…which I’m happy about.
I took a lake-bath about 8pm, to sluice off the sweat and bring my temperature down after doing assorted cottage-opening chores in the heat and humidity. Now the temp’s dropped to 72° and it feels heavenly. The humidity is down to 82, but it’ll be picking up through the night, to decrease again when the sun arrives. After tomorrow’s heat (outrageous high of 90°F predicted), the highs are supposed to moderate. I sure hope so.
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.