Autumn Already?

Today is the official start of autumn. I am not ready for summer to end. I like the long days!

Appropriately, it was cool and rainy all day. I happened to have two medical appointments scheduled in Harrisonburg, so I didn’t particularly miss the sunshine. The rain was fairly light, and driving in it was not a problem.

My visit with the rheumatologist ended on time, so I wound up with an hour to spare before the next appointment. I took some pictures, in spite of the weather. By the way, I like Dr. Maleki, even though appointments must be booked four months ahead. I was a surprised when he suggested a referral for sleep apnea, but it’s worth a try. I don’t think I have trouble sleeping, but I do get very tired and sometimes sleepy during the day.

Some photos from today:

Why did I take a picture of elevator doors? It was to remind me to tell friends who might not already know that restrooms are usually located near the elevators. This is because in multi-story buildings, the elevator shaft is very strong, and that type of support is used for securing the plumbing. Knowing this has saved time for me more than once.

Storm Front

The weather reporters were warning that a violent storm was coming. I could see it in the distance.

We had wind and could hear thunder. Then we got a few minutes of rain, and that was it.

This was on Tuesday. We had a similar brush with a storm a few days before that. We could use more rain.
 

More Scenes at the River

Today started out hazy and quickly got worse as the smoke from Canada's wildfires reached us. First I noticed the acrid smell, then the irritation in my eyes. By late morning, the haze was thick and air quality was rated as unhealthy, so we didn’t go to a park today. These photos are from yesterday‘s visit to Seven Bends State Park. 

The person in the blue shirt was fishing in the Shenandoah. Just a half hour later, I crossed back over the bridge and shadows had gotten darker.  A photo of the water looked almost black and white, so I went ahead and desaturated the trace of green that still showed in the grass and dark trees.

Birds on Boards

It’s Wild Bird Wednesday, and I only have two bird photos to share. I haven’t been filling the bird feeders because it’s better for birds to eat their natural diet in the summer. Yesterday I moved the automatic Birdfy camera back to the deck, but so far the only pictures it took were of me pouring water into the birdbath. 

 Using my camera, I took one picture of this cute downy woodpecker before it flew away.

I got several pictures of the house sparrow, but they’re just cell phone shots and this is the clearest one. 

Our weather has turned very hot again, and smoke from distant wildfires is predicted to reach us soon, so I probably won’t spend much time outdoors until things clear up. 

A Slow Week for Birding

Although I don't actually go birdwatching like Stewart and David, I enjoy taking pictures of birds when I get a chance. Right now, my feeders are down except for the hummingbird feeder, and I haven't seen one yet, so I didn't get any bird photos in my backyard. The only one I took this week was this snapshot that I took while walking the dog.

I felt this post needed a more colorful picture, so I went back to my pictures from this time of year in 2020 and found this one of mallard ducks and a killdeer. 
 

Today the heat wave reached us. The temperature reached 97°F (36°), and it’s predicted to get even hotter. I did a small amount of yardwork before 10 AM, and by that time it was already getting uncomfortably warm and humid. Fortunately, my home has central air-conditioning, but even that is not as cool as it normally is. I’ve got the ceiling fan on. I just hope the power stays on and the AC doesn’t break down. 

Cool, Clear Water

The City Daily Photo theme for July 1 is "Water."

I set up a shot for the theme while I was watering roses. We’re looking at airborne drops of water that I sprayed from the hose. The evergreen trees in the background produced a Christmas tree look. I was hoping to form a rainbow, but I guess the sun was not at the right angle, although it was behind me as needed. I have created a small rainbow with a hose a few times in the past. It appears that some of the individual drops in this picture formed spots of color.

So far, our county is not under mandatory water restrictions. We’ve had a drought, but we received some rain over the past few days. Temperatures are going up very high tomorrow and are expected to stay that way until the weekend, when we may get some rain.

Dan, can you see that big, green tree?
Where the water's runnin' free
And it's waitin' there for you and me?
Water, cool, clear water?

(Lyrics by Bob Nolan, Recorded by Various Artists.)

I’ll close with a shot of the North Fork of the Shenandoah. 

White Azalea Blossoms

Azaleas are blooming in spite of our up and down temperatures. Many of our other blossoms suffered from frosts that followed early hot days. I hear that the apple blossoms were hard-hit, and orchard owners will take a loss this year.

My childhood home was surrounded by azaleas and dogwoods, as well as tall oaks. 

North Fork at South Hollingsworth Road

Woodstock, VA

This view changes with the seasons. Here we are in April, and the water level should be a little higher, but we are in a severe drought. 

Ricochet Weather

March madness could refer to Virginia weather. We had early spring weather, but winter came rushing back. 

Yesterday was unseasonably warm, with temperatures in the 80s. Today the temperature dropped to 33°F. It was the greatest drop in temperature over a 24 hour period in 90 years! And it snowed this morning! 

Flowers had already started to bloom.

Yesterday was warm. I took Charlie for a ride and he actually did very well in the car. We’ve been working on his fear of the car for over three years. He finally seems to be enjoying himself.

We took a walk in Strasburg. I wanted to get a few pictures of the “Signs of Fascism” demonstration. It takes place on Wednesdays in varying locations.

I heard one man in a pickup truck call them effin’ communists. They responded with “Have a nice day!” 

At the risk of stating the obvious, name-calling is not productive. Education can be, but it has a long way to go in rural areas. This is not a political blog, but some issues are too big to ignore.

Last night it rained, and it was still raining this morning. When I tried to take Charlie for a walk, he turned around in the driveway and pulled me back to the house. He did not like the cold rain. Well, I was taking him to daycare after breakfast anyway because I had a physical therapy appointment. 

I was there doing assigned exercises when someone said it was snowing! It snowed hard for a little while, but by the time I left, it had turned back into rain. 

I went shopping and use the “Gas Buddy” app to find the cheapest gas around. The price has gone up by forty cents a gallon since the latest war started in the Middle East. 

The rain stopped this afternoon and the sun came out. After I picked up Charlie, I stopped behind the county recreation building to take a Skywatch picture. The temperature was still cold.

Seen from my Door

Earlier this week, I heard loud machinery and looked out my front door and saw a work crew digging around the storm drain across the street. Eventually they replaced the sidewalk with gravel and blocked it off with caution tape. I suppose they’ll come back next week to fill in the concrete, weather permitting. For now, Charlie and I have to step out on the street to detour around it when we take our walks.

The weather was mild that day and pleasant through most of yesterday. Then the cold returned. There was a chance of snow this afternoon, but it passed to the north of us.

The forecast said that New Jersey and New York were going to get hit with a severe snowstorm this evening. Marie was headed that way on the train today, so she left earlier than planned and changed her ticket to a train that got her there an hour and a half earlier. Tonight she posted that she made it there just as the snow was starting to stick.

She returns to Southern California in January after a winter break. The weather there has been pretty awful, with torrential rains that flooded some towns and closed roads. I hope her luck continues so that she stays safe and comfortable.

Cloud Watching

These clouds are the kind that I look at and see interesting shapes. Is that a turtle?

Our weather has seemed mixed up this week. We had days when no rain was forecast, but a heavy storm came through suddenly. Today rain was forecast, and it did come, but it didn’t last very long.

Yesterday, a summer storm arrived unexpectedly. I took a picture of it splashing down on bricks.

Evening Clouds with Branches

“Most floods are caused by man, not weather; deforestation, levee construction, erosion, and overgrazing all result in the loss of ecosystem services.”
—Paul Hawken

Return of the Ponds

Maurertown, VA

Last summer, the ponds in Shenandoah County Park dried up due to the drought. Recent rains have brought them back.

We are officially out of drought stage, but ground levels of water are still low. As I write this, a thunderstorm has brought showers once again, and relief from a very hot spell. The heat will be back, of course. Some parts of the country are getting it worse than we are in Virginia.

The Last Week of May

It was a busy week. Marie left on Monday, which was Memorial Day. I had a dermatology appointment on Tuesday, and had to have a spot on my cheek removed for a biopsy. They also treated other sun-damaged spots, leaving me with a slightly beat-up looking face. And it rained. 

I always rest in the car for a while after that sort of appointment because I want to be sure that I have recovered enough to drive safely. The spray that they use on my face leaves me lightheaded. I took a picture of dogwoods through the wet car window.

I canceled the dental appointment that I had for Wednesday because I wanted a day to recover before the funeral that I was going to on Thursday. It rained again, and stopped long enough to take Charlie to Riley Park for a quick walk.

On Thursday, the weather was good. I’ll write about Dr. Poland‘s funeral later.

Yesterday we had more rain. There was a tornado warning, but it didn’t touch down here, although I heard it was seen in Page County. I did pick up my grocery order during a break in the weather.

Today was quite chilly for the end of May. I took Charlie to Camp Roosevelt for a walk, not venturing far from the car because there was a chance of rain again. I’ll share pictures from that trip on another day. 

In the meantime, here’s an image for Caturday.

Relief from Drought

We've had some pretty good rain this month, which is fortunate because we were in drought conditions for a long time. We are now officially in "abnormally dry conditions." That is still a concern, of course, but at least the spring rains are helping the crops to get a good start.

The first picture of a puddle on pavement was naturally without color, but  I desaturated it to make sure it qualifies for Black and White Weekend. 

I took the second picture looking out a window from a medical office.

The rain has been good for trees too. This one is a redbud.

In a Mirror, Staring.

It's only been a week since I wrote a little rant, but I'm going to complain again anyway. But before I do, here's a picture of Charlie in the side mirror. I've noticed that I've used a mirror as a framing technique several times.  Ha, I’ll probably do it again!

Poor Charlie. He likes to take walks more often than I’m able to. I don’t understand why he needs to go out six times a day. He should have a fenced yard and a buddy to play with, but my yard is so small that I don’t think it would be a sufficient space for him to play. I’m worried that I’m not going to be able to give him enough walks much longer.

I went to the orthopedic doctor on Tuesday. He gave me an injection in my left knee. It’s been in pain for over three months, and now the other leg is giving me trouble. The injection helped a lot, but I’m concerned about the way my other leg sometimes feels unsteady, like it’s giving out. I’ve almost lost my balance a number of times. 

The doctor give me a form for a temporary handicapped tag for my car. I don’t need it all the time because I can walk short distances, but if I arrive at the grocery store and the parking lot is very busy, I may need a handicapped spot. I hate needing special treatment, and I don’t like feeling old, yet here I am. 

As I drove home today, I listened to a radio program on the economy. Usually I enjoy it and learn something. Today it was really depressing. If you are reading this in April 2025, you know what I’m talking about. It’s almost surreal.

I’m retired. My savings are at risk. My Social Security is at risk. The cost of living is going up. I did prepare for a small downturn, but not a catastrophe, and it looks like there’s a strong chance we’re facing one. 

Also on the news are more weather-related disasters. No doubt many of the disasters are the result of human-caused climate change. And environmental changes can cause social changes, as people try to move to a more livable place. They’re not always welcome. (Deliberate understatement.) 

I am not a pessimist by nature, but I am not an optimist either. I try not to let cynicism make me bitter. But sometimes I just want to scream, “Stop it! You’re ruining everything!”

Well, Mr. Rogers said, “Look for the helpers.” I see they’re out there. I just hope they can rally enough of the complacent folks and the scared folks, so they can join the strong and the caring people and put us back on track. God help us!

A Tornado Watch Day

We were under a tornado watch all afternoon. The day started out with dark clouds and wind. I took Charlie for the usual morning walk except more hurriedly.

The sun came out, but since it was windy and a tornado was possible, we stayed home. The power went out for several hours. Charlie was very sad because he wanted to go on an adventure and he had no idea why I would not take him.

The electricity finally came back on in time for dinner. Our evening walk was brief. By that time, the tornado watch had been extended to 8 PM and a thunderstorm was on the way.

Even a dark sky can be a beautiful blue.

Mosaic Linkup / Sunday Best

The heavy rain came, but did not last long. One of my windows leaked, though. It’s already been repaired several times!

I’m glad we didn’t get a tornado. Yesterday there were horrible storms over large sections of our country. 

I’ve been around a long time, and our weather has definitely changed. There are still politicians and a few corporate people who don’t believe in climate change, and some gullible people believe them. The majority of Americans are concerned about climate change. I hope it’s not too late to keep things from getting worse.