Caves
The Caves are here.
Gone To Seed
Asclepias, that is.
And another sign of the advancing season, the bottle gentian. This year an entirely new cluster over by Morgan’s Meadow.
Can never have too many gentians.
Meldrum Bay
Excursion, exploration, and then delectable dinner at the Inn with J&ME and Murray & Elaine.
Rain...
...and lots of it. Another dark and stormy night, with extended stretches of rather heavy downpours. Some erosion on the driveway, but no runoff and no water in the swales—the parched forest just soaked it all in.
Best time for kayaking is in non-standard conditons.
It Was a Dark and Stormy Night
At least Pax thought so. Beautiful, clear moonrise, featuring a big orange moon. But then sometime in the wee hours, a few flashes and some rumbling—certainly enough to get Pax wedged under a bed...and to disrupt the sleep patterns of everyone else in the house. In spite of the severe warning nothing really amounting to much.
This afternoon, a Windrider sail with fluky winds (still rather fun). And then, observed with cocktails from the Zen spot, a brisk, cool northwest breeze, telling me that front had gone through and we were now into a period of pleasantly cool and dry. But NO.
Pax did not agree. So, takling Pax at his word I checked the forecast and the radar, and it turns out that we have another severe thunderstorm warning for tonight. Hard to believe.
Fire Ban Lifted
Occasional bursts of rain throughout the day were apparently sufficient to convince the authorities that fires were once again okay. Premature in my opinion, but then more rain is forecast.
And now a nearby tree frog has decided to chirp loudly, which I take to mean it agrees with my position. Incredible, surprisingly loud vocalization.
————
From the apprehensive present, from a future packed
With unknown dangers, monstrous, terrible and new —
Let us turn for comfort to this simple fact;
We have been in trouble before … and we came through.
Reset
Slowly transitioning back to the spring/fall setting.
Time to look forward.
The Ending of Summer
A damp but busy day.
Big Wind, Even Bigger Fun
Woods walk, bike rides, bags game, swims, cookout, skinny dipping, reading in a chapter book, etc.
Hunting frogs
Photo by Mimi
Photo of Tamia by Katy
Photo of wasp nest by Katy.
Kids Here
and dogs, while parents take boat back to Gore Bay in strong headwinds.
Venus too low to view from end of pier, but moon, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter awesomely visible.
Vervain and Cardinal Flower...
...not to mention horn worm.
Brisk northwest wind after the rain. Pleasantly cool, almost chilly.
Rainy Afternoon at the Cottage
A long, slow afternoon with nothing in particular to do. All quiet except for the remnants of surf on the shore and the slight drumming of rain on the roof. Reading, mixed with naps and the occasional dog walk. Pretty much the classic, if not iconic, picture cottage life.
Earlier, an hour's sail on the Windrider when the east wind was still blowing strong. Rain just starting (very light) on the return leg, adding significantly to the fun.
Switching Back From 13 To 2
The zip line bucket is down, and the wading pool is stored away. Beds are reset to their original configuration. And, I got $7.50 back in bottle returns.
Mostly cloudy with an east wind, but Mimi still got in her daily swim.
Rain forecast, so full of hopefulness.
———-
Summer weather patterns are increasingly likely to stall in Europe, North America and parts of Asia, according to a new climate study that explains why Arctic warming is making heatwaves elsewhere more persistent and dangerous.
Rising temperatures in the Arctic have slowed the circulation of the jet stream and other giant planetary winds, says the paper, which means high and low pressure fronts are getting stuck and weather is less able to moderate itself.
The authors of the research, published in Nature Communications on Monday, warn this could lead to “very extreme extremes”, which occur when abnormally high temperatures linger for an unusually prolonged period, turning sunny days into heat waves, tinder-dry conditions into wildfires, and rains into floods.
Fish and Chips and an Evening Sail
To South Baymouth where we met up with J&ME for fish and chips under the cedars in the back patio of a fish and chips shop right near the ferry dock. Three dogs with us...and Pax was the most problematic.
Then a lovely evening sail around the bay on Heliotrope in a warm south wind, which we let pass by for a while in order to jump over the side. Heading back in we bespoke the Lollipop.
Dispersal
The Nies family back in Wisconsin after the long drive. The Janowiec family off for a week’s cruise on a chartered motor yacht.
Photo by Abby
———-
Aristotle:
Lack of experience diminishes our power of taking a comprehensive view of the admitted facts. Hence those who dwell in intimate association with nature and its phenomena are more able to lay down principles such as to admit of a wide and coherent development; while those whom devotion to abstract discussions has rendered unobservant of facts are too ready to dogmatize on the basis of a few observations.
Time For Measurements
Wrapping up the week on the Nies side of things.
Smoked Ribs, Rock Stacks, Lots of Swimming
Another day of warm sun and no wind, perfect for the big water pad, and trips to Sandy Beack by jet ski. Also perfect for evening ice cream and jumping off the high dock at sunset.
Impossible To Be Bored
Therese so many things to do we can’t do it all in one day
(Thanks to Ellie for writing up tonight’s blog.)
Happy Trails...
...(and tubing, too.) Not to mention frisbee. Also caught frogs, kayaked and wet to John and Mary Ellen’s. (Maddie is helping me write my blog.)
Cousins Day
Day shifted two hours later than usual, and included naps (unheard of among the bigger kids). Day for recharging batteries, including the jet ski which failed to start this afternoon.
In spite of which, good times and good cousin fun. In fact, Ellie supplied the title for tonight’s blog. Can’t fail to mention, however, a morning hike up the river and a swim below the falls.
