Waiting Out The Rainstorms

Work a little, take a break. Work a little, take a break.  A parade of little weather cells moving from south-east to north-west, occasionally passing overhead and dropping five to ten minutes of rain on those trying to work below (and on unappreaciative dogs).

A shrub I have yet to identify, right at Donna and Al's driveway and the Lane. To me, it looks adapted for hummingbirds, quite a few of which have been observed recently. What is this plant?

A note on slugs:
There are many. Any walk down the Lane requires observant stepping if the walker wishes to avoid crushing any number of these shell-less creatures. And, I surmise, the slugs we see along the Lane, on the sharp gravel, are just the misguided ones. Why would a soft and slimy creature want to crawl across gravel? Also of interest is the slime—left behind it's creator, it glistens and seems to be iridescent.

These slugs have what some people call antennae—those prongs sticking out of the foreparts. Some of those protrusions have eyes, while others, we are quite sure, have noses.

The multitude of slugs on the Lane appear to have very keen senses, either olfactory or ocular. Recently I found a still meaty deer bone that was crawling with dozens of the creatures, and yesterday I rode by a bit of real dog vomit (not the fake fungus ) crawling with even more. Although they never seem to move, these slugs can either see or smell (or both), and they quickly and invariably find the protein.

Photos of the deer bones and dog vomit have not been posted in the interest of decorum.

A Fire In Flower Time

Weather too variable for any kind of planned activity.  

Moderate to heavy rain from pre-dawn to about 10. Perfect for:  1) sleeping in; 2) leisurely coffee; 3) reading the Sunday paper; 4) world famous waffles; 5) all of the above; 6) moving to Phoenix. Seeing as it was chilly and damp, a fire seemed like a good idea, and for the most part it was.

When the rain stopped, the dog (with companion) walked the Lane to Thompson's, and then the woods trail back. After that an attempt was made at assembling the extra section of pier needed to accomodate high water. The moment pier work commenced, the sun shone forth in all its majesty, and humidity blew the top off the psychrometer. Once that project was abandoned due to overheating a cool wind came up, along with clouds, and some drizzle.

The evening brought clouds, a bit of rain, sun, a flat calm, and a chilly NW breeze.

So much for the plan to go for a a sail. On the up side, Sue got quite a bit of sewing done.

Pretty Much Perfect

Awakened by sunlight, and lovely from then on.  West wind, pleasing temperatures. Clouds enough to add interest, but no more.

The lean-to is 99% complete and fully operational. Great place to store unsightly stuff, nice workspace (especially when raining), perfect place for parked bikes.

A pair of golden crowned kinglets accompanied Pax and me on our morning walk down the Lane. They were not shy, and this is the first time I've ever had up close acquaintance. Remarkable creatures, with songs and calls almost beyond the range of human ears.

Part of the day spent assembling the components for another dock section. Why? High water. Way, way, up. And yesterday we had something like a seiche that washed a number of shoreline items away including a section of Pinebox pier (reported missing by Al, and retrieved by Sue in the Susie Pea). I even had to slash back  existing underbrush to be able to walk along the shoreline trail from Tyson's to here.

The beet seed I planted about a week ago in the Kagawong garden have not yet sprouted, in spite of ample water. Am I impatient, or is the seed bad? On the upside, a big leopard frog has been sitting over them for the past 3 days, so I'm rather sure that at least no insects have been bothering them.

Many Moods of Mudge (again)

Dark, dank, and drippy from dawn (if you could find it) until noon; then sunny and hot for an hour or so; then a fresh breeze from the west cooling things down and chasing the humidity away.

To Manitowaning for a bicycle tire inner-tube. Then home by way of Little Current. Lunch at Elliott's (up the hill on 6), which has been recently purchased by a young lady well trained in food. Interesting and delicious menu. This place is going to give Anchor Inn a run for its money.

It was so warm when we returned from our travels that wading into chilly Mudge Bay water to install 3 more sections of pier felt rather good.

Tramp steamer from Nassau visiting Little Current.  Not sure how it got through the swing bridge.

Long Day, But Dim

Heavy clouds. Occasional light rain. Followed by dinner time thunderstorms. Sewing and lean-to work. 

C D ghoti? 

Making The Most Of...

...the year's longest day. Up early. Weed-whacking and road work. Five sections of pier. Visit with Bob Ellen. Cocktail cruise. Supper. Dog walk. And still sunset looks to be hours away.

Rather nice to have almost limitless light (15 hours and 45 minutes.)

Water is way up. Need an extension.

Sue at the helm.

A Fine Day For Downpour

Great towering puffballs, floating lazily by, and then unloading countless tons of water over a very limited area. Mostly sunny and nice, with two cloudbursts (in this particular area).

Today's plan focused primarily on boating, but other chores and projects somehow intervened, and no boats were boated. One can avoid going to the dump only so long.

Lively Ride

From Gore Bay to Kagawong.  Mark as crew again. Jib and mizzen, with a strong south-west wind. Big rollers out in the Channel, maybe 5 feet. Strong gusts coming down Mudge Bay.

A new experience for Mark who seeks every opportunity to learn to sail. We can just hope that various bouts of heaving over the rail will not dampen his enthusiasm.

Rain Forest

Three or more hours of  steady, moderate rain in the early morning hours.

I know because, for some reason, Pax came in to hide between bunks in my room instead of staying in Mimi's room where he always gets precipitation support. Kept me awake, he did, which is why I am glad Sue normally deals with his phobia.

A metal roof is a marvelous rain gauge (even if it disturbs Pax). Most rains, according to this gauge, are infinitely variable—the pitch, caused by drops on steel with a sound like a xylophone or marimba, is never steady; it changes by the second. But this morning's three-or-more-hour rain never varied by a wavelength. One invarying drum roll.

Then in late morning...a cloudburst, filling the swales and causing erosion on the driveway. And, thus, all my worst drought worries have been banished. 

In celebration, to Mum's (better than Dad's auto sales, don't you know), and then to JD greenhouse for four coreopsis for the front deck, as per usual.

Now, for dinner—buttered beets, Sue's potato salad, and Burt Farm smokies. 

Holy paterfamilias! is all I can say.

All Day Rain

Or almost all day. Light but continuous. Good for grass, garden, and forest. Also perfect for leisurely breakfast, reading, writing, sewing, and napping. But then by late afternoon a rapid clearing to sunny and steamy. Must have been a warm front.

Almost finished lean-to.

It is anemone time, though in some instances these delicate flowers have to compete with the more assertive daisys.

Launch Two

Heliotrope back in the water.  

Foggy, foggy morning, giving way to sun and humidity, and no wind. Hoping for wind tomordrow.

Strange Booms

Sue finished up prepping Heliotrope while I helped Kerry with the framework of the garage-side lean-to. We all (Pax included) heard occasional loud rumbles, in spite of the clear sky.

At times like this it is important to remember how far sound travels over water, and/or the power of the Great Manitou.

Launch One

Morning spent finishing Heliotrope's pre-launch checklist. (All systems appear to be operational.)

Afternoon spent stepping the mast on Windrider, and then dropping her back into her element.

Perfect day (if you don't mind sun). Loud surf early, about dawn, with the wind from the northwest. Then about nine an abrupt shift 180 degrees. Loud surf now with the wind ESE.

Boat Work

Sue on Heliotrope, me on Windrider. Hot work becasue of intense sun, but now launches are immanent.

Pine pollen paint.

Took a little time off boat work to train the binos on a Tamiasciurus, who was chittering now and again while working through the ash trees off the front deck. Although it was not immediately obvious, s(he) appeared to be pulling leaves that had a curled edge. Then she would hold those leaves with both hands and scrape them with her lower teeth—like a human eating an artichoke. A bit of detective work later,  I came to think that she was eating eggs, the eggs of some flying insect that lays them on the underside of ash leaves. Not the emerald ash borer I'm pretty sure. Eventually, I found a number of leaves having circular masses of little yellow eggs on their underside, but still not certain if Tamia likes them sunny side up or over easy. Either way, these eggs must be a stopgap food source until the pine, spruce, balsam, and cedar start producing seeds.

Limitless Puttering...

...which is fun if you like it and have unlimited time. Busy all day but still no shortage of things for tomorrow.

Cloudy, damp morning giving way to sunny, hot, and humid afternoon. The horseflies have made their appearance.

Chased By The Storm

A big red blob on the radar racing across northern Wisconsin, where it knocked the power out in the Minocqua/Tomahawk area where the Janowiec family were renting a cabin and boating, over a long weekend.  Dark clouds to the west in the American Soo, where, oddly enough, the power was also out. Then, although we drove fast,  lightning and raindrops somewhere around Bruce Mines. Back over our stern quarter, towering cliffs of blue-black cloud. And then, wending along the lovely Mississagi River just west of Blind River, blinded by horizontal rain and flying tree shrapnel. From there to Espanola it was heavy weather. But we made it. 

"One can never complain about rain" has long been my refrain, so I won't start now.

Lovely cool temperature this evening (upper 50s.)

Catching minnows? in the fire pit.

Paradox.

Victoria Lane

Summertime party.  

Lots of fun, mostly outside, but also some "Coding" and some microscopy. Delicious brisket prepared on the Green Egg. Very warm and very windy.

The garden, such as it is, has been restored to something close to civilized. Piles of galinsoga have been removed, but some still lurks (as I can see in this photo). Given decent precipitation (plus an additional weeding and some thinning) we may have an ample beet crop this fall.

Too Hot to Walk

But we did so anyway, to the post office and then back along the big loop. By the time we, Pax and I, got home we were panting.

Another remnant of the big storm.

Most of the rest of the afternoon was spent in air conditioning, which was turned on today for the first time this year. 

And, while everything is still greenly lush, we have, with alacrity, gone from soaked to dry. It felt it prudent to water the beets and tomatoes.

Bridge Over Untroubled Waters

On the last day of school, while waiting for Katy to get home. Will will now be K5 and Katy 2nd grade.

Indolence

Summery day, starting cool but warming fast.

With Sue off on her southern errands, Pax and I had the day to ourselves—for walking, bike riding...and reading.

Reading The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, by Jacqueline Kelly. Nominally a young adult novel, it is actually a marvelous piece of literature, and I am a bit abashed at not having known of it previously. No werewolves or vampires here, instead lots of good science woven into a coming of age story. As the title suggests, the great Mr. Darwin contributes subtly to the story, which is set in the year 1899, in Fentress, Texas.

Brilliant writing by an author who is also a lawyer and a practicing physician.

Oh, to be a polymath.

Big softshell soaking up the sun on the bank of Whitewater creek.