why so quiet here?

Life (and Weather) still happens, and I still watch and record. However, I've rolled my two 'blogs into a single one and use tags to keep things like weather events, yard-stuff and camera-babble separated. Please drop in there to find the most recent musings and amusements!

So try granitix2.blogspot.com/search/label/wx for weather topics, 

or use granitix2.blogspot.com/search/label/yard for outside projects! 

another wet season begins -perhaps

Storms await, and this week has a forecast of nearly two inches upcoming. We'll see about that! In any case it has been a curious warm season, hardly warm at all with clouds quite common. We had some thunder a few mornings ago but little moisture.

An interesting week awaits.

summer deferred

Here on the hill-top we await the sequel to summer. Late spring was dry and warm, but as we approach mid-July we sit under clouds and showers. We've had almost 3/4" this past few days, nearly the average July in a hurry. No matter, the thrush and grosbeaks still sing and flowers continue to bloom - probably with more enthusiasm than usual!

In the meantime the large yard goes unmown. That is partly due to rain but also to a flat tire on the riding mower. I finally have a spare in hand, but no rush to put it on while showers remain. Once the dry weather resumes I'll definitely have my yardwork cut out for me.

I have yet to attack the blackberry hillside, but I've a better tool for it at least. A rechargable 18v trimmer also awaits better weather, and I have blades to replace the string for more effective vine removal. We'll see how that goes.

Among other items that have been accomplished though, is the stone walk below the deck. It looks nice, far better now that some weed-block fabric sits below it! A nice place to walk, and also less of a hassle when the mower comes out - that corner of the yard was always awkward to get trimmed..

I've also trimmed several trees back, and relocated the weather gage to a spot with fewer branches overhanging it to mess with my rainfall totals.

the first peep

We've now reached the typical window for the Swainson's Thrush to be heard. Not to be seen, that's asking a lot - but the soft questioning peep? should be audible in the next few days. My wife's favorite sound is their mating song, but that usually takes a week or two more before both genders are well represented in the area.

We're listening..

In the meantime the first black-headed Grosbeaks and their 'tipsy robin' song have arrived.
How funny, 'tipsy robin' is now a song title; that really messed up my search!


Update, 19 May: the Thrush have arrived!
They might have reached us on the 18th, I suspected I heard one. They are more vocal at twilight, and that's when the heavy showers reached us - so I wasn't out listening in any case! No spiraling trills yet, just the short or longer one-note calls at this point. Too tired to set up a new nest just yet, perhaps?

Update #2, 21 May - at 5:30 this morning I heard the first song.
Until then I had only heard the peep or whit call.

long time no see

This has not been a feature of the 2018-9 wet season. It's definitely rather typical in November-January rather than April, and the amounts will not be huge; still, it's something. After a March that was just 41% of average, we'll take it!

Our Oct-Mar 'wet season' total was 84% of average, which is the first time in four or more years that we've been subpar. The weekly total is forecast to be about three inches, so no flooding or damage - but with April normal at just over 5", we may be in the above-average category for a week or two.

full detachment

A week ago our high was about 43°, and a few patches of snow still loitered on our driveway.
Today we hit 70°, and we never reached the dewpoint temperature. The east wind and its down-slope drying had something to do with that; in a few days showers will return, and our lines will overlap yet again.

Amazing turnaround in a single week though!

And the mosquitoes have arrived.
Drat.

moving day!

It seems like a week ago we were freezing every night - guess it was closer to ten days? In any case we're hitting 60 degrees now, shoots are shooting and spring has begun! Still chilly in the shade though.

The sun is now rising far enough north to influence the temperature sensor. Morning temps shoot up just after sunrise then level off or even drop a bit. It cannot be entirely fixed, but the summer location is in the shade for more of the day - so this morning I shifted the pole back to its summer spot. At least the high temperatures are well represented, even if the 7AM temps are a bit overstated!

Looks like I moved it around 10:30 AM.. note how the shadier spot makes a difference.