Musings

Weather watch (again)

Confession: this photo is from last week in the UP, a daisy-ish fleur in a mowed path, nestled in with a dusting of fallen leaves.

I thought it was dry up there, yet it’s dry dry dry here, too—no rain yet in this month in ATL, which is…WOW!…as it’s already the 23rd. OTOH, it’s great to see a flower even if the weather is especially arid and un-supporting of plants.

Out the windshield

We saw (not heard) so many diverse views today. I have managed to pick two images; they are not representative. Look at this soupy fog in the valleys when we began our drive in the Appalachians.

I didn’t expect anything like this display at the state-line welcome center where we entered Tennessee. The message (perhaps): watch out for ghosts, dolls, and pumpkins!

Weather vagaries

See those menacing clouds just above the horizon? They are down at the Lake Michigan shore. We heard that the rain they produced came down hard and sideways. Here: nothing, not a drop.

Outdoors

I read that we might see northern lights last night, and we went out at the beginning of the window suggested, meaning a late bedtime for me. The camera caught hints, but we saw nada.

This morning I found a busy carpenter ant (guessing) on the birch stump, but by the time I had my camera, it was too shy to get its soul captured.

The sun sparkle was terrific at mid-day, and the waves were low rollers. Now, the wind is gusting (up to 33mph, my device suggests), and rain will roll in during the dark hours. Such is autumn in the northlands.

Time change

Yesterday’s golden sun gave the dock extra pizzaz.

Today’s sunrise sun was obscured, and the dock removed for the winter. [Sigh.]

Later, the sun porch lived up to its name, and became a comfy dining room.

Stormchasers

Or should the title be where’s the mare? These golden horses are at the (south) Kentucky Welcome Center on I-75. I have no idea where mom went.

To explain the title: we’re northbound (again), to leafpeep and eventually close the cottage for the winter. We waited out Helene in ATL, then got on the road this morning and ended up driving into the storm, now just a lot of rain and a few gusts and general windiness—too much rain by far some places. Mostly, we could just motor along, wipers keepin’ time.

Waiting worked

The storm did hit us, lots of rain and wind gusts (the former gone; the latter still somewhat active). We were lucky; it was far worse elsewhere. We didn’t lose power or internet, and we long ago perfected hunkering down. This solitaire with mahjongg tiles was part of my personal hunkering arsenal.

Hello Helene

We got a burst of rain about 12:20 this afternoon, then it stopped. It started back up about two hours later, and hasn’t stopped. So far, the wind’s not kicked up; that’s what I dread most. It’ll be an unsettled night. We’ve got all devices charged up…including the car 🤣.

Technicality

Maple leaf

This memory picture, from October 2021, is in honor of the fact that technically autumn arrived this morning. You couldn’t tell it by the weather here, however, with a high of—was it?—89°F…and a low expected overnight of 71°F. Pure summery weather, that.

Very little eventing

I prepared for rain, wind, and outer bands. We got some wind, not much rain, and lots and lots of overcast. I enjoyed the cool most of all. [Elsewhere, of course, they got dumped on.]