Musings

We had a winter day today, both like and not like a Michigan winter. The temps were warmer, so no ice like this (from last week), but we did have the unbroken grey overcast.

Somehow, frost got the tomatoes in the front yard over a month ago, but the protected ones in the back yard have survived. They’re not too happy, but they haven’t been frosted, either. (Remember, in their Mexican homeland, they’re annuals, or at least that’s what I was told there.)

Posted at 10:22 PM | 1 Comment »

This picture proves we saw snow before we scooted south, where we’re merely finding cold—admittedly, the Atlanta version of cold.

The Guru piloted us down our friend I-75 in the dark hours, arriving in the wee hours this morning, happy with the plethora of lovely recollections we have of visiting friends in many states in the central USA, and seeing sights ranging from Paris, WI to Toledo and Cleveland, to rural OH and KY. Among the many highpoints were seeing Ruth in Chicagoland, spending a quiet Sunday in Milwaukee, going to the DIA and Eastern Market in Detroit (etc., happily), visiting with many relatives in Michigan, and attending Maureen’s defense yesterday.

Interested in reading more about the jiggety-jog nursery rhyme, click here….

Posted at 5:13 PM | Comments Off on That jiggety-jog moment, again

I experienced many interesting and exciting events today. The standout: yup, the snow drifted sideways in the wind, catching for a few minutes here and there in protected places. By afternoon, the temps weren’t much warmer, but the snow ceased to fall and be blown about. Which made me happy!

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on November = winter (northern hemisphere)

“Wintery mix” is one of those phrases that’s rather inexact as to details, but you can be pretty darned sure that you won’t find it very pleasant.

Here’s a favorite wifi stop…possibly waiting for springtime.

Posted at 10:22 PM | Comments Off on EL has changed since I left

We traipsed to the park, expecting nothing in particular in the way of excitement. We were wrong.

We discovered movie (video? whatever) shooting happening (or soon to happen) at scenic spots around the park. The Guru found lots of technical angles to check out, but we managed to avoid being in any of the shots (mainly because we didn’t walk by when the cameras were “rolling”).

That was pretty exciting, but it wasn’t all! Just after we strolled away from the park, the heavens opened, as they say. But, not so much. A few drops. We took refuge on the porch of an empty house with a building permit out front. Turns out, we saw more than rain—a few tiny (small?) sleet crystals!

And sure enough, within fifteen minutes of the rain/sleet stopping, we walked in sunshine and shed a layer or two.

Posted at 6:20 PM | 1 Comment »

Today has been drippy with rain, and generally unpleasant for any outdoor activities, plus the temps have dropped to the lowest they’ve been since the cold burned off last spring.

The in-house temps have dropped enough that we actually (finally, some would say…) turned the heat on—at least downstairs!

So, for today’s picture I turned the calendar back one year, to discover that then we were preparing to overnight in the desert, a night that was a bit too warm for a 30°F sleeping bag. A gorgeous night!

Such a contrast!

Posted at 5:07 PM | 1 Comment »

Decorations on somebody’s porch, the other day when it was sunny….

I looked out the window today numerous times at typical piedmont Georgia fall weather—intermittent rain. We had some serious cells, but nothing super-scary. (Yet.)

Speaking of scary, why are spiders and their webs so prominent in today’s Halloween decorations? I don’t remember them from my childhood, except as part of the natural features of a Michigan basement haunted “house” we once did. (I was wrapped with sheeting strips and stood in a dark corner in a quiet pose—a mummy.) So, have they been extrapolated from haunted houses? Or do they symbolize darkness and therefore the unknown and scariness?

Posted at 6:14 PM | Comments Off on Why webs?

Flowers from yesterday.

I very much appreciated the rain this morning—although it delayed the dawn and had me nervous from the lightening and general storminess—because it’s gotten so dry here.

Posted at 4:14 PM | Comments Off on More delicate fall flower color

’Tis the season for the algae to return to Lake Clara Meer. Today I found the water decorated with the earliest of the fallen leaves. Nice visual combination: the green-brown mosaic….

Posted at 10:22 PM | 1 Comment »

The view is east. From the bathroom. And this morning fairly early I saw a couple-spike buck still in velvet on the mowed area just a few feet away. He moseyed on, walking funny—couldn’t tell if it was a limp or something wrong with his hips. My eyes lifted to the sky. Clouds obscured to still-low sun, with nice cloud layers portending a fine sunrise, from the right angles. I finished my personal business and grabbed the Big Cam and headed down to the beach, stepping high to try to keep the drops remaining from yesterday’s rain from penetrating to my toes. Didn’t work. Still, the view of the lake from the bluff was terrific.

I descended and walked to the end of the dock (TY, M&D), and soaked in the views. To the southeast were three loons keeping company, and maybe doing a toned down version of the circling we observed earlier this year. Soon I heard loon calls from east around the point in the photograph and to the southwest, as well as from the trio. I even managed to record a bit of it. (Not being as talented and experienced as KW, I offer you the story and not an audio or video clip.)

Anyway, while I was soaking and didn’t have the camera stuck to my face, I saw a very large bird arrive in silhouette fluttering his/her wings to land on one of the dead branches you see poking skyward on the end of the point. Cra-a-ack, I heard, and the wings fluttered and the big feathered shape disappeared back along the shore to the east as a dead limb fell into the center of the very tree you’re looking at above. S/he returned maybe 4-5 minutes later and fluttered, but did not land, perhaps remembering distant times when this was a good spot to fish from, and also remembering the perils of the previous landing attempt.

Posted at 4:28 PM | 2 Comments »