Posts from the ‘Weather’ category

A pretty good impression of Winter

I’m just inside from a last outing with Bear…8:46 p.m. The sky was mostly clear and the stars plentiful. It was 28F but did not feel bad as I stood and watched Bear make his rounds.

The kettle is on for my cup of “Get some zzz’s” tea and as soon as I publish and power down, I’m off to bed after a good day of work and play.

There were several short squalls with heavy snow and biting wind throughout the day.

I needed to get the motorhome to town for propane. It would not go one more night without a fill. About 11:30, the sun came out and the dusting of snow from the morning squalls melted.

Bear and I went quickly to Bigfork, filled the beast and returned. I was walking to the house when I noticed the sky had darkened and the wind was coming up.

The best squall yet started fast and furious and kept up for 20 minutes.

Suddenly it didn’t look like Fall anymore.

It left about an inch of snow that stayed despite a feeble attempt at some late afternoon sunshine.

A pretty good impression of Winter.

Suddenly gold

Suddenly, it is cold…low 20’s (F) overnight last night and it never reached 45 yesterday or today.

And the larch…from the valley to the mountaintop, they are…

…suddenly gold.

It’s wrong!

8:17 p.m. on September 23, 2011 – the first day of Fall and it is 73F. It was 81 at the warmest late afternoon. Tomorrow it is forecast to maybe hit 90!

That’s just wrong!

I got to a stopping point shortly after 5 and found Bob near the front porch keeping an eye on a critter hole…lying in the grass like it was Summer!

He had been out all afternoon.

I brought him in so I could go out with Bear.

I sipped on a Friday night glass of wine while Bear chased squirrels and a warm wind sang in the tops of the pine trees.

The light looked like Fall but the air felt like Summer.

It’s wrong :)!

Afternoon light

It is trying to be Fall but we are having a last blast of Summer… 75F at 5:45 p.m. today and we are to maybe set records on Saturday before dropping to “normal” Fall temperatures next week.

Bear and I went to the vacant subdivision for a diversionary late afternoon walk.

The clouds…like they were painted with watercolors or colored with pencils…smudges in the sky over the mountains. Cicadas were singing like the late Summer day that it is. It will be officially Fall, here at 3:05 a.m. – as in very early Friday morning, 9/23/2011 – late this year :)!

Milestones

Bear off leash, off the long line, running free! I was going to wait until Sunday but something made me try it yesterday. He still keeps an eye on me, does not chase the deer – in fact looks back to me if I don’t tell him “leave it” …like “aren’t you going to call me off?” He is responding to “Let’s go”, “This way” and if I ask him to come to me, he does…but I only ask this once a day on walks. We did the loop yesterday, a before bed perimeter walk and this morning’s perimeter walk by lighted collar and a loop walk – all off leash. So much fun – Bear gets more exercise and so do I plus more fun for us both.

Drug the A/C back out – 90 on Sunday/Monday, almost 90 yesterday – not cooling at night – blech!

Replaced all rug pads – great sticky pads, all rugs are staying put :)!

NOAA says next Tuesday for cool weather…counting the days!

This morning on the loop.

A really nice day

Just like that, it feels like we’ve turned the corner into Fall. It is wonderfully cool in the morning – almost chilly. The light is just that much different as to seem not really Summer.

Fresh oatmeal bread, fresh fruits and vegetables, green grass and trees and the morning light…

Bob just enjoying the afternoon…

Bear enjoying an extra treat after an afternoon walk – on the long line only! He knows he is not on a leash. He is staying close to me, often looking to check where I am. Today for the first time on the long line there were deer. He did NOT chase and did not even bark. He watched for a bit and then turned away. Completely different behavior than on the leash. I am thrilled with how things are going right now. My hope is that as I can give him more freedom, he will enjoy it while staying with me and continue to respond as he is to boundary commands: this way, far enough, leave it. I am so proud of him!

We came in, had a quick game of chase the stuffed bone, a stomach rub and the extra treat.

It was a really nice day!