Well, that "wintry" storm predicted for Saturday seemed to have been a fizzle; most of the day was drizzling rain with temperatures hovering around high 40s/low 50s. We thought the storm predictions were off. Ugly weather to be out in but certainly not what was predicted.

Then the storm hit about sundown. Late, but it arrived.

A quick moving front with rain, sleet, and hail pushed along with 60-70 mph winds. It was trying to snow ... but no cigar.

Sometimes there are disadvantages living on top of a hill.

The storm came from a less-likely direction and the lay of the land is such that the valley below narrows as it get to its head. Focuses that wind to a narrow channel and we live at the neck.

Around 40 minutes of such ... then it passed by and the sun broke through just as it was setting. 10 minutes of beautiful light for a photographer. Then the clouds moved back in as the sun dropped below the horizon.

Mrs DT had just put up a garden shelter - a semi-greenhouse. It flopped around quite a bit but survived the test. But today is a day to re-anchor the covering.

The temperatures did not drop as low as expected. The snow level stayed higher than expected. And the early morning sky was dark and clear with stars shining brighter than usual.

Against predictions, today looks like a beautiful day to clean up storm debris. For a short while at least. More of the same predicted for this afternoon and overnight.

A quick foretaste of things to come though ...

lifted from the bluebird of bitterness

I'm not anti-tech, I spent much of my life at the leading edge of some of it.

I just don't trust it - especially if software based.

No, not this web site ...

It's been an unusual October here. The weather's been more like September - we haven't had a hard freeze yet.

As I write this in early evening, the sun is shining and the temperature poked its nose up into the 70s.

Never say never but I don't expect to see 70s again for a few months.

But this is it. A storm is predicted to blow in tonight and predictions are for 12" snow above 4500 ft. Rain and sleet down here.

It's been 50s and low 60s for highs the past couple weeks - even those temperatures are warm for this time of year at this latitude (44° or so) and elevation (2500-3000 ft. Not really all that high. Not even in "high-altitude" cooking zone. Foothills, not mountains. Those are 10 miles or so east). I expect the pass to close tomorrow - first heavy snow usually has problems - but it's a main route (for here. It's a gravel road) and it's usually open.

The bugs know what's coming; out doing chores today, the gnats and other unidentified such creatures are swarming to the point of a choice between additional unexpected, undesired protein or a face mask. Had enough of those.

The stink bugs are making their presence known.

The wind's already picking up, the clouds are moving in, and the predicted highs for the next week or so are 40s and 50s. I guess the inevitable first freeze is here.

But I got the lawn mowed for the last time this season, got the new shed enclosed, hose lines from the garden and watering hole (for the critters) have been pulled in. Plenty of firewood stacked up and ready.

The greenhouses have been "de-summerized"; not sure they're winterized but we'll know in a month or so. The harvest has been beyond expectations. I guess the cantaloupes are finished. Probably the tomatoes as well. Too bad for the late starters, but they had an extended season. Beans, beans, beans. I like beans but who's going to eat all this butternut squash? Not I.

It's a little early to turn on the water line anti-freeze heaters. At least my water lines don't extend a foot inside the house like they did when I lived in Montana - nonetheless ...

Am I properly winterized yet? Close ... but what's winter prep without the weather pointing out what one forgot to prep?

Have I mentioned I'm ready for Memorial Day?

I was up with a buddy at the old Ruby Trust Mine a few miles outside and uphill from Ouray, Colorado when a minor storm passed over. Coming downhill, the clouds were breaking up showing one of the season's first snows high up. The aspens were still in transition here at roughly 10,500 ft but it won't be long before they begin to look more like bare white sticks when the brilliant foliage turns from green to yellow to brown to gone. The tallest peaks in the background top 13,000 ft. The location is near the ghost town of Sneffles and the Revenue Mine. (The location of the Ruby Trust as marked on Giggle Maps does not appear to be correct)