Category Archives: weather

by | June 1, 2013 · 6:59 pm

Just ducky

There is an old saying, “Lovely weather for a duck” and for the past ten days the Twin Cities must seem like duck nirvana. Steady drizzle, heavy rain, wind, and cloud cover are giving the lakes and rivers a badly needed recharge. The ducks are quite happy, of course, even the hen mallard who built a nest behind the clematis.

Mallards are average sized ducks. A female ready to lay a clutch of eggs might tip the scales at three pounds and stands about a foot tall. I am close to six times as tall and easily 65 times as heavy. I had noticed a hen mallard in the backyard for a couple of days. She flew away when I approached Friday evening. Saturday morning, she was in the backyard again. However, her behavior was quite different. She immediately curled up and seemed injured. As I drew closer, she charged me hissing and flapping her wings like an upset goose, startling me for a couple of seconds, and then she slipped behind the clematis trellis. I figured out she had a nest and was defending it. If she is that determined to nest and risked her life to do so, who am I to say no? Assuming some varmint does not interfere, I will have a lodger for the next six weeks, and I could see up to a dozen little puffs of yellow fuzz scampering behind the hen when everyone leaves the nest for the last time.

Lucy and I had a hen mallard try nesting in the front yard eleven years ago, but she abandoned the nest within a week leaving three eggs behind. This was about the time coyotes were first spotted in the southern metro and we had fox as regular visitors. Nature is not always kind to neither man nor beast.

Yesterday’s hail did not seem to do any damage to the plant life though the aluminum siding on the south side of the house suffered some more dents. Anenomes, flax, bleeding hearts, honeysuckle bushes, and white violets are in their flowering prime with the yarrow and irises close to blooming and the blackberry bushes have flower buds. The silver maple trees in the neighborhood are laden with seed “helicopters” that are already falling, and I am sure the cottonwoods will soon make it look like a blizzard in June. Something besides ducks enjoy the weather.

There are some advantages to the unsettled weather: neither the furnace nor the air conditioner has run in over two weeks. Everything is green and the flowers are stunning even if they are trying to play catch up. Transplant shock is greatly reduced. The extra mowing helps make up for the reduced hiking and walking, but only slightly.

I hope your weather is cooperating and you have a chance to enjoy it. Give your loved ones a meaningful hug. Everything is just ducky when you have someone to love and to love you back.

Dawn Valley annuals garden 2013

The Dawn Valley annuals garden has a red, white, and blue theme this year.

Dawn Valley rock

This rock is located near Lucy and has some interesting blue veins on it.

 

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Filed under gardening, nature, philosophy, rebuilding, weather

by | May 26, 2013 · 9:51 pm

“Rhythm of the Rain”

I am confident our drought has broken. It does not take someone with a Ph.D. in Meteorology to decide that the equivalent of two months’ worth of rain falling within a week has ended fire dangers and pushed the moisture level in the soil down a foot. The 1962 hit by the Cascades referenced in the title deals with a guy whose lady left him. In a way, it reminds me of how we are feeling since it seems summer cruelly has run off and left us stranded. Again. At least the precipitation is not the frozen kind. The Twin Cities area will have many opportunities to get in rhythm because the forecast for the upcoming week leans towards another 2″ – 4″ of rain next week.

Obviously, our weather could be worse. We did not have a mile-wide tornado tear through our town like what happened in Moore, Oklahoma. Unfortunately, St. Paul endured the loss of two children in a mudslide caused by excessive rain and unstable stratigraphy. Rain is good, but too much of a good thing can cause problems. Some people dealt with ice-clogged lakes during the fishing opener. The sun has barely appeared in the past week and outdoor solar lights have limited run times. Some bemoan their waterlogged and muddy gardens. Overall, we are still fortunate because these are inconveniences, not life-altering events.

Everything is growing rapidly, as if the plants know their growing season is shorter. The blossoms are falling off the apple trees, partly because it has been very blustery this month. I did not see any bees, other than one particularly large bumblebee, so my guess is I won’t have apples to pick in September. Daffodils and tulips are mostly done for the season. Irises, lilacs, forget-me-nots, and columbines are in full bloom, the bleeding hearts and jack-in-the-pulpits are close behind, and bird nest building is booming. Bluebirds are occasional visitors, and Lucy would have enjoyed seeing the scarlet tanager in our neighbor’s yard; it was the first one I have ever seen. The May garden photo album has the latest updates for your viewing pleasure.

Today is Suzy’s birthday, so please wish her a happy birthday! Tomorrow (Monday) is Memorial Day in the United States. My cousin, Shari, placed flags at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery and many of my friends take part in Memorial Day remembrances. Thank you to all who take time to remember those who served.

Take some time to remember those who are no longer with us this weekend and how they had enriched your life. Give your loved ones a meaningful hug and be thankful they are still in your life, and that you are still in theirs.

Memorial Day 2013

Lucy’s Memorial Day bouquet

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Filed under family, rebuilding, weather

by | May 8, 2013 · 8:47 pm

That is why they are called hoot owls

Lucy and I would occasionally hear owls in our neighborhood. Every time we were lucky enough to hear one or more owls, it was in the middle of the night. Last night’s owl solo began at 3:45 am and ended just after 4:00 am. Each species of owl has distinct vocalizations and I am no expert on owls. It took a little digging around at The Owl Pages to figure out my soloist was a Barred Owl, also known as a Hoot Owl. Lucy has a picture of a barred owl taken at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum on her desk.

Owl calls in the middle of the night have spawned legends and old wive’s tales in ancient and modern cultures. The recurring theme is that hearing an owl calling at night means an imminent death. Around 46 years ago, a famous novel and subsequent movie titled “I Heard The Owl Call My Name” used a late night owl call to foretell the death of the book’s hero. We never felt an owl call was ominous, just fascinating. If I were to have believed every superstition I have ever heard, I would not have survived past my third birthday.

I am happy for an accurate weather forecast. I put down triazicide this morning to kill Japanese beetle grubs and I needed rain. It has been lightly raining and drizzling for almost two hours. I am done with my remaining gardening tasks. Perhaps I will mow the lawn on Sunday; it looks like it may need it then.

Yesterday I helped Julie and Dave spread 15 cubic yards of dirt. I know I am feeling it today. What is normally a tedious and hard task was fun (but still hard) because we could joke around and talk.

I spent the weekend with them and really enjoyed myself. They have a beautiful cabin and even though the weather was unseasonably cold and the lakes still had ice, there was still time for a lot of activities. Friday night we went to a bar and entered some raffles. When we left, we were money ahead, with steaks for the grill, and won a couple of free drinks. Dave and his brother, Roger, are quite close and their cabins are about a quarter-mile apart. Roger graciously tolerated my quirks while teaching me how to play Pegs and Jokers. There are many ATV trails in the area and we found time to go for a couple short rides. Even going 20 mph in temperatures stuck in the mid 30s was cold. Sunday morning the weather warmed up and the loons were calling. An eagle made several low passes over the cabin while making a chatter call. There is apparently and active nest in the area.

It was a fun weekend and the natural wonders were spectacular. The highlight of the weekend was watching Julie and Dave interact. They love each other and it shows. Their love radiates a special warmth and was quite soothing. It reminded me of how wonderful my time was with Lucy. Maybe the owl from last night was telling me something.

Give your loved ones meaningful hug and enjoy your time with them. Thanks for sticking with me!

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Filed under friends, nature, philosophy, rebuilding, weather

by | May 2, 2013 · 7:40 pm

“Edge of Seventeen” (inches of snow)

I was on the on the edge of 17” of snow, though that wasn’t what Stevie Nicks had in mind when she wrote “Edge of Seventeen”. Several days of dire forecasts trumpeting record-breaking snowfall, freezing rain, and other wintery unpleasantness slid about fifteen miles to the south and east of me. My neighbor spent time putting the blade on his Ford Bronco last night. This morning he spent time removing it without using it.

Snowfall amounts ranged from a trace to 18” in a band about 50 miles wide and about 400 miles long. Other than some sloppy flurries, cold wind, and ½” of rain, it would have passed for a late February day. My old home area, Emmons, MN and Lake Mills, IA, picked up close to a foot of snow and saw many crushed trees and downed power lines. Weather forecasts are not 100% accurate, and one person’s good fortune is another person’s misfortune.

Not that winter has fully left the area. Normal temperatures may not visit again until Monday and there is a minor threat of snow Friday and Saturday. After that, I hope this area gets a second chance at a normal spring and that the areas bearing the brunt of get a chance to clear out and clean up. A couple of sunny days will get rid of this round of winter.

The four decent days this week have the snowdrops blooming, daffodils and tulips budding, and the forsythia finally showing flower buds. The red remains of silver maple tree flowers litter many driveways and the tree rats, er, squirrels are becoming fat, happy, and stupid by gnawing near a leaf bud and lapping the maple sap. That also causes sugary drips on driveways and parked cars. Everything is running almost three weeks behind normal. Maybe the growing season will run three weeks later this year.

I replaced my weather station without falling off the roof and only dropped one wrench. Of course, it did necessitate a trip down to get it. Lucy and I shared a strong dislike of ladders. Mine is exacerbated by a mild rupture in my right ear drum with occasionally plays havoc with balance. The top of the roof is about 14 feet above the ground, but an asphalt driveway and a concrete patio increase the likelihood of a hard landing. I’m glad that chore is done for another decade or more.

I hope you are getting the chance to enjoy some pleasant and routine weather. If bad weather affected you, I hope you are safe and any damage was minimal. Life is as uncertain as the weather, so don’t waste an opportunity to give your loved ones a meaningful hug.

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Filed under gardening, music, rebuilding, weather

by | April 28, 2013 · 9:38 pm

“Walking on Sunshine”

Many people in the Twin Cities metro are walking on sunshine because of the wonderful weather change since Monday. Of course, the 1983 song by Katrina and the Waves has received ample airplay on a couple of the radio stations. Between Monday and Friday, the landscape changed from sooty gray on dirty white to mostly green on khaki. Wardrobes consisting of parkas and Sorel boots now are tank tops and sandals. Car washes and nail shops are insanely busy and Dairy Queen has a steady stream of cars in line from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm. The furnace is getting a rest and the air conditioner surprised me by kicking on late this afternoon. Sun and blue sky replaced the slate gray gloom. We have a surprise thunderstorm underway now rather than freezing rain and sloppy snow.

All my snow melted off Friday and the last of the ice in the backyard shady spot was gone Saturday morning. The temperature had not risen above 60°F this year. Friday was our first 70°F day and today (Sunday) was our first 80°F day. I took advantage of the weather and got the gardens prepped and seeded for the season and did some brush trimming and chipping. I am kicking myself for the wonderful mild sunburn I have on the top of my head from spending eleven hours in the sun between yesterday and today. It shows that I’m not as young as I once was. I am also very thankful for ibuprofen and Powerade.

May could still play a cruel practical joke on us. The weather forecasts for Wednesday night and Thursday night mentioned the dreaded “s” word again. Monday is the last 70°F day for the next week, and Tuesday that last day above 60°F. While the normal high is about 63°F, Wednesday will struggle to make it into the 40’s. The weekend might rebound to the mid 50’s.

I know eleven hours doing garden prep and brush removal sounds like a lot of work. Lucy would help and we would get it done in about half the time. I know she would be disappointed with the late start to the growing season, but she also knew many things were beyond her control. Our reward for a busy day of gardening was dinner at Romano’s Macaroni Grill or Don Pablo’s, then sit in porch on the glider. We savored these warm days with low humidity and no pesky bugs. We would also do some brainstorming and get ideas for the next project (or seven).

We thought ahead and went with low maintenance perennials. The spring readiness and fall clean up were the only two periods of hours of work. Watering, weeding, and cleaning the birdbath amounted to about two hours per week. Mowing takes about 1½ hours when needed, twice per week during the rainier spring and every other week in the drier summer. Thinking ahead gave us more time to enjoy the weather by going for walks. We would average about 200 miles per year walking. By not being in the backyard constantly, it gave the birds a chance to find the birdbath and nesting spots and keep us entertained.

The earlier sunrise time is giving the cardinals more time to sing loudly. I have two males that are in the midst of a territory dispute. One likes to perch in the ash tree outside the bedroom window and sing his own praises at the top of his lungs, usually at 4:30 am (it is still better than an alarm clock!). About a dozen bluebirds used the birdbath today despite my making a terrible racket with the chipper. A crow and a great horned owl had a dust-up, with the crow losing many feathers. The online falcon cam shows peregrine falcons nesting on the Black Dog power plant smokestack about two miles southeast of me. They may have hatchlings because of the flyovers at treetop level. I think they’re ready for spring, too.

Tomorrow is another delightful day, around 75°F with a slight breeze. I have to replace my weather station tomorrow, assuming the new one arrives, and that requires climbing up on the roof. The old anemometer took a hit from an ice chunk Monday. It lost so much weight that it dropped a cup! I know, don’t give up my day job to be a comedian. That will also give me a chance to clear the branches and twigs that fell on the roof after the ice and snow Monday. The old weather station is over twelve years old and the anemometer registered too slowly, even when it had all its cups. The new one accepts data on a USB port and not a serial port, and it has a more accurate anemometer.

My hope is the weather is wonderful where you are. Please give your loved ones a meaningful hug or two, let them know you love them, and take a few minutes to do some “Walking on Sunshine”.

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