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?

from a jd comment

by LTC Roy E. Peterson

You must make peace with your own past.
_Construct a mental suture
with timeless thread and mercy’s needle,
_Then focus on your future.

What other people think of you
_you never will control.
If truly bad, then prove them wrong
_For peace within your soul.

The only person who’s in charge
_of happiness is you.
It matters not what others think,
_or what they say and do.

You can’t compare your life to others,
_Not knowing what they’ve gone through.
What you can do is be supportive
_with friendship that is true.

Time heals almost everything,
_Focus on what’s ahead.
Keep only those good memories,
_Replay them in your head.

Stop overthinking all life’s problems
_Answers are everywhere.
Use more than one source to tackle them
_Then make a choice aware.

Your smile should be your asset.
_There is no cause to frown.
You don’t own all the world’s problems.
_They’ll only get you down.

Be kind and thoughtful to those you meet
_that’s the way to start.
Just one kind act that you have done
_affects all human hearts.

Be thankful for all that you have
_it could be less, you know.
Don’t be Comparison’s poor slave
_Let satisfaction show.

LTC Roy E. Peterson, US Army Military Intelligence and Russian Foreign Area Officer (Retired) has published more than 6,200 poems in 88 of his 112 books. He has been an Army Attaché in Moscow, Commander of INF Portal Monitoring in Votkinsk, first US Foreign Commercial Officer in Vladivostok, Russia and Regional Manager in the Russian Far East for IBM. He holds a BA, Hardin-Simmons University (Political Science); MA, University of Arizona (Political Science); MA, University of Southern California (Int. Relations) and MBA University of Phoenix. He taught at the University of Arizona, Western New Mexico University, University of Maryland, Travel University and the University of Phoenix.

I notice the engine is missing

A not-quite-so-old mine site. 1940s-1960s; maybe into the 1970s. A fair number of abandoned vehicles laying around. Off to the right is a shaft that's been fenced off.