Monday, 16 November 2020
That title might mean any of many things. What I thought about today was that at some point this season, I’ll be switching from preferring to walk in the shade (pant pant), to being happy to walk in the sun (oh so cool).
Never noticed a hibiscus bloom that looked quite like that.
Friday, 13 November 2020
Zeta brought the tree down. Eta brought the leaves down.
Zeta was recently; Eta was yesterday and the day before.
However, there are still many green and greenish leaves on the trees, although I heard the weather gal say this morning that we’re at peak color. Perhaps Greek peak.
Thursday, 29 October 2020
Zeta-center passed by to the northwest of us overnight, yet gave us plenty of action. Not as much rain as was predicted early on…but about as much wind.
That brought down branches.
And power lines.
Here at our address, just small stuff, whew.
But but but, the wind is kicking up again. No rain, but whew, wind-wind-wind. I’m gritting my teeth and getting through it while willing all trees nearby to remain upright and keep all their big branches intact.
Wednesday, 28 October 2020
Back in the bad old days, life forms were rated as to, well, sophistication.
In that hierarchy, these would have been lesser life forms. And “lesser” was freighted with all kinds of superior qualities.
Me, I think fungi and lichens and mosses and the like are very complex. And sophisticated…biologically, for sure! So there!
Also, at something like 2am the winds are supposed to really kick in. I’m not looking forward to that. The eye is supposed to pass just west of us, so that means we’re getting the worst of it, whatever it is this far inland.
Tuesday, 27 October 2020
I was lucky that this cluster of blooms was large enough that it had multiple bees…and I was additionally lucky that I could capture one’s soul.
Evening view. I hear that from midnight tonight until moon Thursday we are to have rain rain and more rain, with lightning for something like eight hours of that. Should make for an interesting drip drip walk tomorrow, ¿eh?, yet no bees?
Friday, 23 October 2020
Over the last few days we’ve south-shifted our latitude, driving mile after mile, leaving winter-is-pending. This means we’ve moved back to late summer.
And the evidence suggests it’s been a bit rainy. Fungi loves a bit of moisture. And some warmth…saw a prediction of 81°F high today On My New Watch. From Wea-Channel data/sponsor.
That’s a big change from frost on the pumpkins, roof, grass, and possibly deer napping overnight curled up in the orchard at our previous latitude. High of 75°F predicted for tomorrow…guess I should walk earlier rather than later, no?…for more temperate exercise conditions.
Saturday, 17 October 2020
We arose to frost on the grass (many places), as well as our roof…a sign of increasing overnight cold temps.
During the morning we had intermittent sunshine, and managed to get another round of hatch-battening completed on the “garden”—enough for the winter.
The meteorology report indicated rain in the 1 o’clock hour…and, indeed, it was raining by 2pm. And still is.
I haven’t seen flocks of Canada geese overhead for days…and I assume that means they are far to our south. So, being somewhat smart, we, too, have turned our thoughts toward our final days here and closing the place for the winter. We’ll be sad to go, to leave our friends here, and to leave the beauty of this area. We’ll not be so sad to leave rubbish weather off and on, day after day.
I had not anticipated this, but the temp now is about 39°F, and my watch-borne weather app indicates 48°F at midnight and 45°F at 3am. That doesn’t fit the typical “increasing cold overnight” model—however, we’ll take it!
Thursday, 15 October 2020
Early on, we had sun and plenty of blue in the skies. [I had hope.]
Not for long.
Indeed, when I walked mid-day, I experienced wan sunshine, constant wind, a few droplets now and then—constant changeup. In a further mystery, I had wind in my face going west and going north…pleasant (relatively speaking) that the return leg was southbound.
First photo: normal lens; second: wide (aka very wide).
Wednesday, 14 October 2020
Today was all over the place, in weather and in activities.
Taking advantage of the morning’s relative wonderfulness, I knocked back some of the weeds/grass encroaching on the rhubarb (red stem; has mostly died back for the winter), and in the process discovered many small hollyhocks…that didn’t flower. I can’t remember, but this may be it for these…hopefully there are more seeds in the soil. These plants have been nurtured first by my great-grandmother, then my father, then my cousin, then my neighbor. I’m the one who is doing a poor job of keeping them going….
Perhaps, given my track record, I shouldn’t be undertaking this experiment. We have feral mint all over the place, but it isn’t the mint I like (spearmint, I think). I took two small sprigs off a plant in someone’s yard in ATL, then brought them up here without smashing the life out of them in transit. Then, neighbor mentioned above kept them while we were between visits (got them to root, then potted them—she’s a sweetheart!), and got them large and healthy. Finally, they are in the ground. The tops’ll die back over the winter, and hopefully re-sprout come spring warmth. Fingers crossed. Mint is pretty darned hardy.
In the afternoon, came the rain. Rain on the new-planted mint!
We made a brief escape during the worst of the rain, and picked up the weekly paper (comes out Wednesdays), then drove the driving tour at the Refuge as the rain quit. Saw swans, geese, ducks, perhaps grebes, not sure about loons. And colorful leaves. And gorgeous skies.
Tuesday, 13 October 2020
Oh, my, was I excited when I got up and there was no wind blowing. And the sun came out. Double yay!
By afternoon, however, the sun left and the wind returned.
By the end of my walk, the wind remained and the sun toyed with my emotions.
And now, Gentle Reader, the sky is grey and we hear thunder. Thank you, Upper Peninsula Weather, for keeping me alert.