Maybe it’s because it was a fairly quiet summer, in terms of severe weather. Or maybe I just got complacent and haven’t paid attention to what the NWS Storm Prediction Center has been saying.
Whatever the reason, it’s been a long time since I’ve shared a map like this:
Monday brought a flood watch, running through today (Wednesday). Tuesday’s SPC maps put Ozarkansas at the heart of a “slight” risk (2/5) of severe weather, including high winds, hail and a strong tornado or two.
Supercells would be afoot, beginning in the early afternoon.
I paused yesterday morning to consider what, if anything, I should and could do ahead of the storms’ arrival. I concluded that there wasn’t anything pressing, then decided to knock out a few chores anyway.
Both of the compost buckets I keep behind the cabin were full. So was the shuttle can in the kitchen. I loaded all three into the Ranger and took them down to the compost tumbler on the lower level.
That isn’t the most pleasant of tasks, but it’s done for another six months or so.
Not far from the tumbler is the stump of the cartoonishly large princess tree I felled in July. The stubby pollard, I noticed, already had put out new growth — ten or twelve very healthy shoots, as tall as eight feet. That didn’t shock me.
As long as I was right there, I pulled my loppers out of the Ranger and cut it back. More drastic measures will be required this winter.
Up-top at the shed again, I took care of the next chore — re-filling Smudge’s kibble canisters. And I took the kitchen trash out to the garbage cans. Seemed like the thing to do.
Small stuff, because why not?
With Tuesday being the first day of fall, I found myself naturally looking for signs of the seasons’ change. Leaves definitely are starting to turn here and there. Sight-lines through the woods are brighter, longer, as trees begin to thin.
On the lower level, goldenrod is in bloom.
You’re expecting me to identify that species, right? I’m not sure that I can. I consulted my field guides and enlisted the aid of apps, but the goldenrod genus is tough to nail down — an estimated 130 species are native to the US, 40 of which grow in Ozarkansas.
If I had to guess, however, I’d say it’s Solidago gigantea, or tall goldenrod (aka giant goldenrod). Best I can do.
By now I’m accustomed to the weather forecast being a moving target, especially the onset of rain, snow or storms. Yesterday was no exception — a predicted 1pm kickoff became 2pm, ultimately pushed back to 3pm.
And then, in a blink, the rain’s arrival was moved up to 11am. Shortly before that, radar sure looked threatening:
I hiked upslope behind the cabin, expecting to see the western sky looking equally dramatic and ominous. It really wasn’t.
I walked back down. Just as I closed the cabin door behind me, it started raining — hard.
It rolled over The Mountain in waves, all afternoon. Occasionally it’d stop long enough for me to walk the Heeler, then return with a vengeance.
As of sundown Tuesday, my rain gauge had collected over four inches in 36 hours. Storms continued well into the night.
Miss Smudge loves playing in water but doesn’t much like being outside when it’s raining. She hates thunder, too. I, on the other hand, love storms, and I love walking in the rain.
I did a fair amount of that yesterday. It was glorious. And I capped the day with bourbon and Ryan Hall Y’all‘s live stream.
Today I’ll relax and gather myself for tomorrow’s hearing.
I’m not sure what the next few days will bring, quite frankly. If you come here and don’t see a blog post, don’t worry — I’ll catch up with you soon.
Take care of yourselves, Patriots. Stay calm. Stay sharp. Stay free.
#WiseUp #LibertyOrDeath #Ungovernable