Fragrance Lake on a beautiful day

View of Puget Sound from Overlook

Today, Melanie and I revisited one of our favorites, Fragrance Lake, on a simply perfect, beautiful day. We went up the Fragrance Lake trail, with a side excursion to the Overlook, a short .2 miles from the trail. Once we got to the lake, we started down the Two Dollar trail, made a complete loop around the lake and returned via the service road. It made for a 6.5-ish mile loop, with somewhere around 1,400 feet of elevation gain and loss.

Gate at top of trail

We didn't hurry, but I did take time for a few breathers on the way up. I got my second Covid booster shot two days ago, and I didn't know if I might be tired from it or not, so I was careful not to overexert myself. I felt fine for most of the day. And when I looked up from the trail as it leveled out, I was quite impressed with the tree growing out of that stump and had to share it with you. I don't know how long it has taken to get so large, but one day, as it continues to feed off the "nurse stump," it might grow to be full size! Nature is amazing.

Fragrance Lake

When we reached the lake, it was smooth as glass, as you can see here. The mild temperature and lack of wind kept us from needing much in terms of hats, gloves, and coats. We stuck them into our backpacks and just enjoyed our lovely environment. We did see quite a few people for a Thursday, but they were outside like us, taking in the gorgeousness that is Fragrance Lake.

Partial boardwalk around the lake

As we made our way around the lake, we took our usual side trip to the Two Dollar trail, going part-way down until we took a turnoff that would take us to our lunch spot. This is becoming our "usual" journey to make sure we get in at least six miles, which we did today.

We stopped here for lunch

We had climbed up enough distance to see the lake below us on the left. We stopped long enough to enjoy a quick lunch, and Mel pulled out some delicious chocolate for the two of us to savor. I smiled when I saw this picture, one of the few that was actually straight: most times I must fix the angle, since most of my shots tip one direction or the other. You can see we had plenty of shade from the unaccustomed sun.

Waterfall

On the way back, we passed by the waterfall that varies so much from day to day. It was still flowing, but not as full or as hard as the last time we visited. Still, it was sure pretty to my eyes.

And then we had returned to the car, both much renewed from our time outdoors. I was in a particularly gloomy mood, from the news of the war, and a talk with my sister yesterday when I learned of some difficult times going on with family. I really needed to have a reset, and today's hike was just the thing. In perfect weather, with a good friend to share it with, trees in bloom and birds singing, I am now feeling quite a bit better. I heartily recommend it!

:-)

Interesting weather

Dianne, me, Melanie

 On Saturday, Mel and I, along with our friend Chris, went twice around Lake Padden, our choice because the awful weather during the previous night included howling winds and lots and lots of rain. It was still stormy, but less so, when we left for the lake. By the time we had gone once around, however, the sun was shining brightly and the winds had died to next to nothing.

Afterwards, Mel and I headed off to Scotty Brown's restaurant to meet Dianne and enjoy a nice lunch together. Dianne is still in recovery mode after having a problem with her hip for awhile now. Although she's not yet ready to hike, she sure was amenable to lunch and a midday holiday quaff with us. I ordered 6 ounces of the house red wine; Mel the pinot noir, and Dianne ordered a martini! I've never actually had one of them, but if it tastes half as good as it looked, I might have to try one.

I hadn't been inside a restaurant to dine for ages, since we have had to be careful with the pandemic. We wore our masks until we were seated and then again whenever we got up for the restroom. The beautiful sunshine that poured through the windows gradually lessened and the clouds built up again. But we enjoyed our drinks and meal before going out to our cars. I was surprised that the rain had started again.

As we stood there saying goodbye, suddenly we were engulfed in a heavy windstorm and sideways hail and rain! In just a few minutes, we were soaked. But within a short time in Mel's wonderful SUV with heated seats, I was just fine. This morning I had to drop my car off for some major work and will now walk to the auto shop not knowing if the weather will hold or not. Just to be on the safe side, I'll be ready for anything.

:-)

Checking it twice

Lily and me

A passerby took this photo of Lily and me at Boulevard Park this morning, a blustery day but with very mild temperatures, with plenty more wind to come during the rest of the day. I did check twice before I started this post, since after yesterday's fiasco on my other blog, I wanted to make sure I'm on the right one. I spent an entire hour (which is my usual time) writing yesterday's post, but then I accidentally posted it here. When I realized my mistake, I deleted it immediately and intended to post it on the correct blog. It was right there on my screen after I deleted it, but when I navigated over to this place and tried to reinsert it, the text was gone! Gone for good, it seems. 

I have been admonished to remember to copy and paste if I were to make such an error next time. At first I thought about starting over, but it would have messed up the entire rest of my morning, so I simply apologized and posted only the picture and a quick mea culpa. 

It wasn't a wonderful post, but I talked about the weather (rainy and windy) and my burgeoning meditation practice and what I've learned so far. I guess mindfulness doesn't extend to most of my mental processes quite yet. But I didn't get all that upset or perturbed, and I credit my calmness to the practice I've begun of following my breath. And I notice that I am making quite a bit of effort to work it into my morning routine, because it's begun to matter that I find a way to quietly sit for a bit.

While I walked to the bus this morning to take me downtown to the coffee shop, I pondered how much my life is going to change after Wednesday, which is the last day that my friend John will be there for at least a month. He is having his right shoulder rebuilt on Thursday, and he won't be able to drive until he can put on his seat belt, among other things. He had the left shoulder done last year, and it's really improved his mobility, but he uses his right arm and hand to a much greater degree than his left. He won't be able to move it backwards or out to the side for some time. He will be staying with his daughter who lives quite a bit north of us. I'll miss him, that's for sure. 

I'll take the change in my daily routine as an excuse to explore some new bus routes that will add some variety to my walks. Not that I couldn't do that any time, but I have noticed that I am a creature of habit and don't make changes all that easily. But just like the pandemic has disrupted other aspects of my routine, this change can be one that I can use to make my days more interesting.

Cornwall Park roses

Until I started asking John to drop me off at the Cornwall Park Rose Garden to walk back home, I had never visited it. Now I can't imagine not seeing these beauties on a regular basis. Even at this time of the year, there are roses, and I like to take the time to stop and smell them. And capture them like in this picture.

:-)

Getting back to normal

Geriatric black eye

I asked SG to take a picture of me this morning, so I could compare the immediate aftermath of the injury with the look of it today, four days later. The bruising has continued to move downwards, and for now the only soreness that remains is in the eyebrow, which took a pretty big hit. I went in this morning and got my glasses readjusted, since I think much of the bruising was caused by the impact of my glasses with the ground, as well as being pushed into my face. But they also are responsible for keeping my actual eye from being hurt, since there is a serious scratch across the left lens. Thank you, dear glasses!

When I walked to and from the bus this morning, getting close to three miles of walking total, I realized that I am feeling a little trepidation about possibly falling again and hurting myself. It's beginning to make sense to me that as we get older, we are less likely to engage in risky behavior. Although I really like to hike and take brisk walks, it's not without a renewed sense of caution. "Be careful" is becoming like a new mantra that makes me want to avoid getting hurt again. 

Of course, I will always take the occasional pratfall, how can I not? It's not worth it for me to stop doing all the activities that give me so much pleasure. But there is truly a difference in the way we move through the world as we age and naturally become less robust. 

Today's Cornwall rose

Walking through the Rose Garden this morning gave me plenty to feel grateful for, and I am truly enjoying the cool weather and current lack of rain. It is supposed to start raining sometime soon and continue for several days. I'll be out there, maybe not stopping to take as many pictures, but it makes my day so much more pleasant when I can be outdoors for at least part of it. There are many reasons why fall is my favorite season, not the least of which is that the weather is not just one way or the other, but fluctuates between rain, clouds, and sunshine. 

:-)

Rain will be around awhile

In the mood for a little rain?

I checked out the weather app on my phone to see what to expect for the next few days. Our cold snap is over, and the temperatures are even expected to be a little warmer than normal. We are accustomed to rain here in the Pacific Northwest, but this is a little extreme even for us. Wish there was some way to transfer portions of this wet bounty to places in the world that could use it. Fortunately, Australia is finally getting a little bit of rain, but I suspect it could use even more, and we've got plenty to spare.

It looks as though we'll have some showers to start with, and by Thursday, our hiking day, it will be raining in earnest. Thank goodness I've got all the proper gear. Around here, you can't wait for the rain to stop in order to get some exercise. I just hope we won't have any flooding. At least the warm weather and rain have melted all that snow. There's hardly any left, making walking and driving around much easier. The familiar sound of rain drumming gently on the roof is actually rather soothing.

I have a couple of books to read, one to finish and another one ready to start. Life is feeling pretty good right now, with my aches and pains having taken a break, it seems, and not bothering me.
:-)

Sunless Saturday

Whatcom Falls this morning

I know I have taken this picture numerous times, at different times of the year, with major changes in water volume, as well as leaf colors. This morning it was a perfect condition to get a nice photograph, with cloudy skies but no direct sun.

The ladies this morning headed out from the parking lot to go up Galbraith Mountain. I at first joined them, but for whatever reason I could not keep up. Even a slow jog didn't keep me from falling behind. Perhaps part of the reason is the soreness still in my upper legs from Thursday's hike. But after having struggled for a short distance, it was obvious that today I wouldn't be able to keep the fast pace.

So instead, I turned around and went for a short walk at my own pace in Whatcom Falls Park. I had plenty of time to find the best place to take the picture above, and then I walked back to my car and off to find breakfast. Lily wasn't with me today (she isn't a fan of Galbraith Mountain) because she is working 13 days in a row and will miss a couple of Saturdays. She and I went out for pizza and beer yesterday, and this morning the scales confirmed what I been suspecting for awhile now: I've got to stop eating like this! I've gained several pounds this month and have decided it's time to put on the brakes.

This afternoon John and I are going to a wedding of the coffee shop owner and her soon-to-be husband. It's an outdoor wedding, and they lucked out with the weather. We just finished a very cold snap and then rain, but today it's cloudy and mild. I look forward to shedding a few tears; weddings always make me cry.
:-)

October!

Pumpkins!

October already? I had no idea that September was ready to be retired. As I walked to the bus yesterday, I ran that old jingle through my head about which months have thirty days and realized that I was running headlong into October, without even feeling like September got a fair shake. We had so much rain, and looking ahead to this Thursday, it looks like more is yet to come.

I've been plowing my way through several books, some of which come from the library after I placed a hold on them awhile back. Then I forget what little I knew about the book. Once it shows up, I end up with one more to read than I am comfortable with. Having three or four books going at once is becoming a habit. But no matter: when it's raining outside, curling up in my easy chair with a good book is preferable to just about anything else.

The weather has definitely ushered in a new season, and I'm looking forward to that mythical Indian Summer that will hopefully show up just in time for a lovely trip to the mountains. However, it's possible I've made my last foray up there for the year. We'll see. In any event, I am enjoying the partly sunny days we've had lately, in between the rain. Hope the weather wherever you are is to your liking.
:-)

Lovely final August day

Cool clouds

We've had some beautiful weather this past week, even with a little rain and reaching the 80-degree mark (for me, this was on the hot side). But today, it's pretty perfect, in the low 70s, and the trees around town are beginning to show their slow march towards autumn. The feeling of fall is in the air, and the days are getting noticeably shorter. We are 23 days from the equinox, two full months away from the solstice in June. As I said, pretty perfect.

Today eighteen of us (all ladies except for one; Gordon has joined us again) walked from the downtown Farmers' Market to the ferry terminal in Fairhaven, a round trip of about five miles. I did pretty well,  but I was nowhere near the front of the group. It was just fine with me to be in the middle of the pack, or even close to the back, but with a spring in my step just to be out and about.

Last Thursday's treat to myself

Since I still couldn't hike with the Trailblazers because of my knee, I walked the first part of today's walk with the ladies to Fairhaven and then took the bus back to town, so I wouldn't overdo it. (I'm learning patience, slowly but surely.) I treated myself to a delicious smoothie and sat and gazed at past hiking pictures while I enjoyed it. When I saw the pictures posted by both Trailblazer groups, my usual one and the other, I was just a tiny bit sad that I wasn't there with them, enjoying the absolutely gorgeous day.

I'm hoping to join them this coming Thursday, since it's only a seven-mile hike, with moderate uphill. And I could stop at any point and wait for them to return, since it's an out-and-back trip. I'm hoping to make it all the way to the glaciers, however. We'll see what happens. In any event, I am feeling better every day and hoping for the best.
:-)

Now that's weird

Astronomy Picture of the Day

I read the Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD) each morning when I get up to start my day, part of my morning routine. This one caught my eye, because it looks like I'm seeing the moon rising through a mountain. But it's actually the shadow of a mountain, with the sun setting behind the camera, with an almost-new moon. You can read all about it here, on APOD. A beautiful optical illusion.

We are just getting ready to experience some warmer weather for a change, and everybody is excited, since we've been much colder than normal for the entire month of February and the first part of March. It's about time. This means that all those patches of ice that have bothered our hikes will soon be history.

My baby brother turns 60 tomorrow, which astounds me. I remember the day he was born, in Texas, when I was sixteen. I remember dropping an ink cartridge that day in school. In my mind's eye, I can still see the dark spread of black ink on the tile, thinking that it figures: it was Friday the 13th. Now it seems like it was a lucky day after all. Happy birthday, dear brother!
:-)

Weird holes in the clouds

Courtesy of the Stringmans on Whidbey Island

A friend asked me yesterday to take a look out the window, where a strange phenomenon caught her eye: a hole in the sky! I then found that this was happening all around the area, and Cliff Mass wrote an article all about what was happening. You can read the entire post here.

I snagged that picture from his blog. Here is what he had to say about the weird holes:

No...these were not alien incursions into Washington air space, but the impact of aircraft passing through a cloud deck of supercooled water (liquid water at 32°F or below).   The planes climbing or descending through the clouds caused the supercooled water to turn to ice crystals and fall out, leaving a circular hole.  These features are also known as "punch hole" clouds and often form in mid-level altocumulus cloud decks.

Actually, I think he was just covering up for the aliens. I've never seen anything like these before. Have you?
:-)

All about being in the right place

From PetaPixel

I saw this picture on Facebook yesterday and was really fascinated by its beauty and wondered how it was taken. An airline pilot, Santiago Borja, captured it while his plane was circling around the storm on its way to South America. Here's what he said about it (from that link):

"Storms are tricky because the lightning is so fast, there is no tripod, and there is a lot of reflection from inside light,” he told the Post. Still, somehow, the seasoned pilot who calls flying and photography his “two greatest passions” managed to get the shot.

The article also includes Santiago's website, which I just now checked out. It's filled with more astounding weather pictures. "The Post" mentioned in the above quote is referring to an article he wrote for the Washington Post about his picture. Which reminds me, I saw the movie The Post this past weekend and loved it!

I offer this as my mea culpa for not writing a post yesterday. There'll be another taken on tomorrow's probably rainy hike.
:-)

Gratitude Thursday

Our Thanksgiving table

What a fine Thanksgiving spread we had... yesterday. SG and I decided to celebrate Thanksgiving one day early so we could have today, Thursday, to do whatever else we might want with a day completely without any expectations.

The first thing I did was hop in my friend John's truck (along with my friend Lily) to have an adventure seeking some coffee. Not only is my gym closed, but our regular place Avellino's was closed, too. We drove around in the rain looking for a place to have a good cup of coffee. All the places that I knew of were closed as well. We ended up at Starbuck's, which we usually avoid because the quality of the coffee doesn't hold a candle to our favorite spot. Another Avellino renegade was already there, and while we talked over coffee, Gene called me from the beach in Hawaii. I put the phone on Speaker, and we had quite a nice chat together.

This was the ninth year that Gene has gifted us with our Thanksgiving Alaskan salmon. I'm not sure that we will do it again next year, because Gene sold his boat and won't be going fishing in Alaska every summer any more. All good things come to an end eventually, but I must say I have really enjoyed his salmon as the best I've ever tasted.

After I got back home,  I decided to binge-watch the rest of the Stranger Things season 2. Although I don't usually enjoy scary movies, this series is campy enough to not be quite so terrifying. By "campy," I mean over the top and farcical, making it possible for me to handle the gruesome bits.

We had the most amazing weather yesterday. We reached 68°F (20°C) for the first time ever at this time of the year. It broke the previous record set in 1995 by eight degrees! Mild and windy, I was more than surprised at our wacky weather. Today it's back to normal temperatures and raining, naturally.

I start my eye drops on Sunday for the first cataract surgery set for Tuesday. Then it will be nonstop eye drops for months, if I consider both eyes. By Christmas I'll be all set with new eyes and new eyeglasses for distance vision. Wow! What a cool time to be alive. I'm grateful for the possibility to have better sight. And for much, much more, too numerous to list it all. However, one important thing I'm grateful for is YOU, my dear reader. Happy Thanksgiving!
:-)

Our wonderful weather

Foggy downtown scene

For more than a week now, we've had simply wonderful sunny weather, with dense fog most mornings, which give me pictures like the above ethereal scene, taken early one morning this weekend. And now it's all coming to an abrupt end. By Thursday, our hiking day, we are forecast to have a 100% chance of rain. That doesn't mean it will rain constantly, but if we even have a few minutes of rain, that forecast will be correct. Considering that much of our rain doesn't always happen when we're out in it, I'm going to stay optimistic. The forecast for the following days is even worse.

Optimism has carried me through the last few days since my last post. I've done quite a bit of research online to figure out how much advantage I'll gain by having cataract surgery, and it seems that in most cases, it helps, at least for a short while. The kinds of intra-ocular lenses that are available these days is also fascinating. I'll know more when I have my pre-op consultation on the 13th, but for now I'm going to keep my spirits up by considering all the good in my life and hoping for the best. It doesn't help anybody for me to get down in the dumps and all sad about things I can do nothing about.

I just finished my Tuesday yoga class and found that I could perform almost all the asanas our teacher was showing us without a problem. It's the first time I got my hands in prayer position behind my back! I didn't know I could even do it; I just had to be shown how to try. My shoulders are  both going to feel it tomorrow, I'll bet. I sure do enjoy pushing my limits, it seems.
:-)

Another lovely Saturday

Sunrise from my front porch

When I get up to do my exercises on the front porch right around 6:30am, I notice that the sun isn't actually over the horizon any more. Yesterday the sunrise was outstanding, as you can see here, but it didn't last long. Before another few seconds had passed, it was entirely grey, with the sun hidden behind the clouds. However, by the time I had finished my morning trip to the coffee shop and the gym, the skies were clearing and the temperature rising.

Lape Padden in the early morning

And now we have completely clear skies, as you can see in the above picture. We ladies met this morning at lake Padden for our walk, quickly shedding our jackets and enjoying a quick-paced walk twice around the 2.6-mile loop. It is that time of the year: cool, crisp mornings and warm days. We are headed into a mini-heat wave (reaching into the low 80s, 27°C) for the coming week. Yes, that's a heat wave for us, with the temperatures a bit warmer south into Seattle.

It will be good for my quickly ripening tomatoes, so I'm happy about it. I managed to recover from Thursday's long hike and feel pretty darn good today. Also, I feel very blessed to live in such a beautiful part of the country. My heart goes out to those who are dealing with Hurricane Harvey, which is inundating southeast Texas.
:-(

Enticing Tuesday

My neighbor's porch

Okay, I know it's late for this post. I was sitting next door at Lynn's enjoying a glass of wine with these lovely ladies (who had just returned from a walk) when I realized that I had forgotten my Tuesday post!

It was partly because today was the first session of a new yoga semester, and once I returned home I decided to run some errands. And then before I knew it, the entire afternoon had passed me by. These ladies were drinking their wine and I decided to join them to tell the story of my friend Ronni, who posted her first aprè-operation post yesterday: a mere four days after a 14-hour surgery, she wrote this post for her devoted followers, of which I am one.

And now it's after 5:00pm here in Washington state, and I'm enjoying the last of my own wine before settling down to write a quick-and-dirty post for you. Today has been incredibly perfect, weather-wise: it's not even 70°F outside, with a light breeze, making me think that heaven could not be more perfect than this. I wish I could send this to you via blog post, but you'll have to use your imagination,  I suspect. What's your weather like?
:-)

No hike for me today

Stepping off the bus into slush

I didn't make it to my yoga class yesterday, even though I was dressed and ready to go. As I left the house, it was beginning to snow. Hard. On top of all the snow we've had, the forecast said it was going to change from snow to freezing rain, and since I didn't know what the roads would be like in two hours, I reluctantly stayed home. It snowed and snowed, no rain.

The weather was supposed to change to heavy rain overnight, but it didn't, and when I woke to subfreezing temperatures and the freezing rain had finally begun, it made no sense to me to try to make it to the Senior Center to go on a hike in the rain and snow. But it was hard to make that sensible decision. Instead, I headed out the door at my usual time to catch a bus to the coffee shop and a strength-and-tone class I don't usually attend. What surprised me the most was how quickly the cold snow had begun to melt. Several times before I boarded the bus, I stepped into icy water well above my ankles.

But it could have been worse, way worse. I found this picture on Facebook this morning, of a car in Sumas (about thirty miles north of here). They definitely got the freezing rain. If I had seen this sort of scenario here, I would have not even bothered to go to the Y, since nobody else would be there! The elementary schools in the county were closed for a fourth day today. There were several treacherous spots where the snow is still nothing but a skating rink. A very wet one at that.

Not a pretty picture

Soon. I think life will begin to return to normal after today. Life is definitely throwing us some curve balls, eh?
:-)

A fine way to start the weekend

Sunrise at Lake Padden

A dozen or so of us ladies met at Lake Padden for our Saturday loop twice around the lake. I had heard that recently the lake had completely frozen over, and that people were out walking and skating on it. If you look closely at that picture, you can see there is still some ice in the foreground of the lake, but the ducks and geese were in some open areas. Recently we had such a cold snap that many of our small lakes froze right up. I found some pictures on Facebook to prove it.

Taken ten days ago at Lake Padden

I even heard this morning about someone out there with a baby stroller, pushing his little one around on the ice. Frankly, I don't think it was such a good idea, but apparently the ice was solid enough that nobody fell through. In fact, the picture below made me laugh.

Ice hockey

Yes, some of these guys must have grown up around Minnesota and hauled out their gear in nostalgia for those other places in our country where they might have lived. Or maybe there really are ice hockey teams around here somewhere? In any event, Lake Padden no longer frozen all the way across. Although it was cold this morning, right around freezing, in comparison to these pictures, it was balmy.
:-)

Moving into the fall harvest

Blue skies and sunflower

I took this picture yesterday when it was very hot here in Bellingham. We broke a temperature record Thursday as well as Friday. Yesterday was the hottest of the two: it got up to 88°F, which might not seem like much to those used to scorching hot temperature all summer, but we are fragile Pacific Northwestern flowers!

From my front porch just now

But look at it now! Grey skies, lots of clouds, a cool breeze, and it's twenty degrees cooler out there. I went walking with the ladies this morning, and we were all feeling the chill but enjoying it, too. Nobody was complaining.

Volunteer vine taking over the garden gate

I went out to the garden just now to check things out, and I noticed that this volunteer squash vine is spilling out across the fence and snaking its way up the gate as well. It's sort of pretty, but I suspect we'll be cutting it back soon.

Keith's pumpkins and other goodies

I noticed also that my garden neighbor Keith has grown some pretty good looking pumpkins, along with some yellow squash I don't recognize and other unidentified veggies. I just peeked over and didn't wander around. You can see that the vines are beginning to wither, exposing the fruits. It's that time in the garden when we are getting close to harvesting these plants.

I should probably be out there while it's nice and cool to weed my own patch, but instead I'm going off to the movies with my friend Judy. We will see Hell or High Water, a modern Western shoot-em-up, with Jeff Bridges in the lead role. It's gotten great reviews, so my expectations are high, although it's not my usual movie cup of tea. I'll let you know if it's worth seeing. (NB: Yes, go see it; it's wonderful!)
:-)

Heat wave and minus tides

Kayaker at low tide

This morning Lynn and I headed out to meet the walkers at the ferry terminal in Fairhaven. As usual, we were early (a failing of mine) so we went down to the nearby beach and watched this young woman put her kayak into the water and paddle away. There was more beach than usual, because both today and tomorrow we will have minus tides. It means the tide is below mean sea level. They always come with the new moon, which happens tonight at 8:00pm. Right about now the minus tide is happening in Bellingham Bay, with tomorrow bringing an even more minus tide. I found this information on line here.

Padden Creek this morning

We ladies (and one man) walked from the ferry terminal to Arroyo Park and back, around six miles. It is a warm and sunny day, with the entire west coast getting temperatures way above normal for a few days. I found this Public Alert on line for Portland:

Excessive Heat Warning remains in effect from 10 AM today through 10 PM Sunday for much of interior Southwest Washington and northwest Oregon. An Excessive Heat Warning remains in effect from 10 AM this morning to 10 PM Sunday.

Fortunately for me, we are located near the Canadian border but still, we will be having much warmer than normal weather, with the temperature right now (around noon) hovering near 80F (26C). And this is after having been freezing cold in snow just two days ago! Of course, we were way up there in altitude, and now I'm at sea level.

Hula hoops sparkling in the sun

I got the idea for this shot from the Furry Gnome. He recently visited a Farmers' Market and took some colorful pictures. Lynn, Judith and I wandered around the market for awhile, ate a few tasty bits, and then went home. I'm now fulfilling my final Saturday duty, a blog post. Then I'll have some lunch and find a way to keep myself cool and comfy for the rest of the day.
:-)

Our weather is back to normal

Taken this morning from the front porch

Although this last year we had a terribly hot and dry summer, our weather now has returned to its normal temperatures, and I hope it will be a long time before we have another summer like this past one. Take a look at this picture taken in July and compare it to the one above; you'll see what I mean. We don't usually have day after day of sizzling temperatures and no rain. Although it's normal for our lawns to turn brown in the summer, it usually doesn't start until mid-August. This year our lawns were crispy brown by the end of June! But they have once again returned to their normal lush green. Those trees are only now beginning to turn color: I do hope they'll have lots of nice red and yellows for me to enjoy.

I saw another wonderful movie this past Sunday, Bridge of Spies with Tom Hanks playing the part of James Donovan, who negotiated the exchange of prisoners during the U-2 spy plane scandal in 1960. After I saw the movie, I read about the incident and found that everything, or almost everything, in the movie was based on fact. Tom Hanks is obviously going to be nominated for another Oscar, so that means that he and Matt Damon (from The Martian) will take of two of the coveted five spots for Best Actor. They are both outstanding and I highly recommend both movies.

This week I also ordered the book on which The Martian is based, read it already, and enjoyed it thoroughly as well. I learned where the movie and book deviated, but I can understand the changes they made in the movie; it did stay true to the spirit of the book in any event. They don't always, you know. Now I'm off to the library to pick up a book I put on hold. Life is pretty full right now.
:-)