Blackwater Falls always runs dark. The tannins from decaying leaves and evergreen needles in the water stain it the color of tea. Contrast that with a fresh snowfall, a hard freeze and enormous icicles, and you have a pretty sight, indeed! (Note the figure on the balcony at left, for scale)
Weather
Cold, Heartless Beauty
I have to take a break from reminiscing about Iceland to share what's going on right now. We've been accumulating freezing rain and drizzle for the past few days. This morning the sun is out, and turning every ice-coated branch into a crystal chandelier. It's beautiful - but these trees are carrying a lot of…Read more Cold, Heartless Beauty
First Snow of 2021
Fresh snow has a way of wiping the slate clean. Of covering up the blemishes, creating a blank canvas. It reminds me that the world carries on, marching to its own rhythm ignorant of my personal troubles, and that a fresh start is always possible. https://youtu.be/SXRPUUau_ts
It’s Too Warm!
It topped 70 degF at home this weekend (in the mid-Atlantic). Second week of January, and I'm in a T-shirt. It's not that this doesn't ever happen. Brief warm spells are a thing here - but we still haven't really gotten cold. The leaves are off the trees and it feels like April, with thunderstorms…Read more It’s Too Warm!
Growing Daylight
At my latitude, yesterday we saw 10:30 hours of daylight - and that's increasing as we leave Dark Winter behind and enter the Groundhog Days. Hopefully we'll start seeing enough daylight that we're not stuck at work for all of it!
On Groundhog Meteorological Prognostication
I'm a little late posting this, but hey, busy weekend. So... There are many, many groundhogs out there. Several are consulted each February 2 on the prospects of an early spring. (Punxsutawny Phil is merely the most famous of these prognosticating rodents.) I wondered - how good are they? I mean, just so we're on…Read more On Groundhog Meteorological Prognostication
Fresh
I'll admit, this wasn't taken today! I'd rather be seeing this than low 40's and rain, to be sure... This time of year, I always seem to be looking forward to the next snowfall.
New Beginnings
For me, 2018 closed in a cold rain. The year has been a challenge on many fronts - nothing insurmountable, but pressures have altered priorities, focused attention and activity. Engaging with the "friends I've never met" has had to take a back seat. But a New Year is a time to set goals (not just…Read more New Beginnings
Storm Surge
Along the barrier islands of North Carolina, storms regularly inundate the shoreline, undercutting and killing trees, which then fall into the sound. The actual shore shifts back and forth as erosion takes its toll. In some areas, fewer and fewer trees remain, as high water has become common enough that they can't get a foothold.
Calm Before The Storm
(Note, I posted this most places on Sept 12, as Florence approached - but remote interface for WordPress was acting flaky. Sorry it's late, the sentiment still holds true!) Calm before the storm. Out on the fringes of the Florence cloud deck, thinking of all those enduring the fury. Y'all stay safe!
Sailing Intro, Under Harsh Conditions
We had the opportunity this weekend to get some boys out on a Pearson 37 sailboat, the designation 37 referring to its overall length, in feet. Weather was not great - 20 knots sustained, heavy rain which came at you horizontally, and 3-foot swells. Despite that, we went sailing! Two reefs in the main, a…Read more Sailing Intro, Under Harsh Conditions
Summer?
Around here, meteorologically at least, spring has been sort of hard to get a grip on. We've gone from weeks of rain (very spring-y), to cold dreary late-winter holdouts interspersed with days of mid-summer 90-degree temps and high humidity. It's been a confusing time -- and so it's hard to really get a grip on…Read more Summer?
Spring Rain
I love how a spring rain makes everything look so green. It sets off other colors very nicely! Photo Credit - Lynn Abbott
Pif… Pif…
April 7. I know the view of the river, the marsh and the forest beyond is remarkable. I could see it a few hours ago. Geese maneuvered through the remnants of last fall's cattails, and the air was filled with calls from a pair of recently returned ospreys getting reacquainted. Now, I can't see more…Read more Pif… Pif…
It Can’t Be Spring
I heard my first spring peepers this weekend. Friday, Feb 16, they were peeping away... It had been warm (and rainy) for days. Saturday, the temperature dropped again (good thing, because I had a bunch of Scouts out skiing - it wasn't too bad, and we actually had snow falling for several hours while we…Read more It Can’t Be Spring
Flying Squirrel Outdoors 