Designing in Life

Happy Spring to All

It's spring on the calendar, but sure is summer outside.  82 degrees for the 20th of March in Vermont is more than a little odd.  I'm not complaining though, because I am taking full advantage of it.

We had visitors this weekend.  Beth, Jim, Chloe and Phoebe came on Saturday and were off for some spring skiing on Sunday.  A short and sweet visit, but we sure did have fun.

Chloe checked out the fossils embedded in the stone on our front pathway.

Phoebe had a ride on Pop Pop's shoulders.

We flew a kite.

And Chloe took many photos of our neighbors.

On Sunday, Nick and I hiked up Snake Mountain.  The bonus for this early spring hike was that there were no black flies.

A perfect day, and a perfect weekend.  Happy Spring!

Spring is in the Air

I say this as the remnants of snow are melting outside from Friday night's snowfall. 

The temperatures are ranging wildly from 20 degrees to (predicted for Wednesday of this week) 68, and the weather is just unpredictable.   What we do know in Vermont, is that March can bring some crazy windy days (today is an example) and that some of the largest snowfalls of the winter season can happen (although there are none in sight for at least the next 10 days).

Here are a few spring sightings.

Peacocks and a peahen crossing the road not covered in snow.

Irises starting to poke out of the ground in search of sun.

Our cat shadow basking in the warm sunshine.

Since the sun is out, and it will be in the 50s by 1:00, I will be working on a spring project today – washing the winter dirt off some of the windows, so that I can enjoy the increasing brightness and warmth of the almost-spring sunshine.

The Eagles Have Landed

The warmer than normal temperatures in our area have brought us some wonderful surprises.  Lakes, rivers and streams have not iced over this year, leaving open water and prime real estate for our large feathered friends.

I drove past these two for a couple of days while on my way to work.  The third day I remembered my camera, but figured they probably wouldn't be there because I had it with me.  I was pleasantly mistaken.

 

Starry, Starry Night

About 4:25 this afternoon (EST) I looked out my office window to see it was still light out, alhough only minutes before the sun dipped below the Western Adironack Mountains.  It was a spectacular, clear-skied sight.  Yes, we are inching our way back into daylight.

For about a month I've been watching two very bright objects in the sky just after sunset.  I knew that the one closest to the Western horizon was Venus.  But there was another equally bright object in the Southeastern sky that I was pretty sure must be a planet also.  It was (and still is) Jupiter.

I got binoculars out when I got home to take a look.  One time Nick and I were on Mt Katahdin (in Baxter State Park, Maine) and we were able to view Jupiter's moons.  Sure enough, I could make out two moons if I glanced farther away from the side of the planet.  Pretty amazing.

Anyway, I thought I'd let you know (and give you plenty of time) that Venus and Jupiter will cross paths and exchange places in February.

Jupiter and Venus at sunset on Feb. 16, 2010. You'll need a clear view of the horizon to spot them just as the sun is going down. Do not look directly at the sun -- it can harm your eyes.
CREDIT: Starry Night Software.

"On the evening of Tuesday, Feb. 16, from our vantage point, Jupiter (moving left to right) will pass Venus (moving right to left). The two planets will appear to be separated from each other by an amount equal to the diameter of our moon in the sky.

"Even though Venus is much smaller in diameter than Jupiter, it will be very much brighter to the eye because it is much closer to the sun and to Earth than Jupiter.

"On Feb. 16, Venus and Jupiter will easily fit in the field of a small telescope. Jupiter will appear more than three times the size of Venus, a brooding giant far beyond brilliant Venus.

"Try to follow the action over the next week as the two planets rapidly approach each other. After Feb. 16, Jupiter will be gone behind the sun for the next month, emerging as a "morning star" late in March. Venus gradually gets farther from the sun and more brilliant, reaching greatest eastern elongation on Aug. 20 and greatest brilliancy on Sept. 23, before passing between Earth and sun on Oct. 29." Information from space.com.)

Some say I'm obsessed with the weather,the sky and any phenomena those things create.  They're probably right.  I am so often awe-struck by sunsets, rainbows, sun dogs, Northern Lights, shooting stars and so much more.  So many things – here for only an instant, then gone.  Just makes me realize whoever it was that said, "Take time to stop and smell the roses," wasn't just talking about roses.

So, get out there and start looking.  You might be surprised at what you've been missing.

Vermont Fall in Full Swing

Frost has not placed it's chilly white feet upon our house yet, so there are still some stray vegetables in the garden, along with many flowers still in bloom.  Of course, that means the grass is growing, which also means there is still lawn mowing to do.

It has been overcast lately, but we were treated to some sunshine the other morning.  Although the colors of fall this year are not as brilliant as in years past, we are still being treated to some nice hues.

I know cooler temperatures will come, but for now I'm enjoying the extended warm weather.

Aurora Borialis – Northern Lights

I was not up at 1:00 in the morning to see them this morning.  If the skies are clear tonight, we might be treated to another show.  They are amazing, to say the least.  Fountains of light in the sky.

Here is the news story from Nation Now.

A geomagnetic storm is raging in Earth's atmosphere. If you're lucky, you just might be able to see the results over the next few days.

On Monday, NASA reported that a strong to severe geomagnetic storm is in progress after large solar flares over the weekend spewed a cloud of charged particles toward Earth.

Joe Kunches, a space scientist with the National Oceanic and Atmostpheric Administration, put it this way in an interview with The Times: "The Earth's magnetic field is pretty disturbed."

A solar flare is an explosion in the sun's atmosphere that sends out a burst of radiation. Sometimes that radiation is not directed toward Earth, and sometimes, like over the weekend, it is. If that burst hits Earth's own magnetic field, strange things start to happen.

"When these charged particles go by our own magnetic field, it's like dumping gasoline on a fire," said Kunches. "Everything gets a lot hotter."

He said we are officially entering the beginning of solar flare season -- a rotation that lasts about 11 years.

Geomagnetic storms come with positives and negatives. One major plus for sky watchers: They can cause auroras to be brighter and closer to the equator, so that more people see them.

If you live in the northern part of the United States and away from city lights, you might be able to see the auroras -- commonly called northern lights, in northern latitudes at least -- as far south as Colorado.

Kunches adds that the moon will help tonight -- it's not too bright, so the lights will be more obvious.

On the downside, geomagnetic storms can interfere with orbiting, human-made objects that we depend on -- satellites that allow us to use our cellphones and access our GPS devices, for example.

Kunches said it's possible that GPS systems may be affected over the next 24 hours.

So if you can't get directions to the nearest Starbucks on your cellphone, now you know why.

But look up, watch the light drip down like rain, and you'll find that Starbucks can probably wait.

 

 

Welcome to Fall – Radishes, Sunflowers and Puffballs

Yes, I admit it.  I have been MIA for a while.  I have been living a very hectic work-life, and sitting in front of the computer for any amount of time in the evening has been painful.  But here I am, and now that it is dark out so early, I really do have time for blog posts.

As many of you know, hurricane Irene devastated parts of Vermont.  Vermonter's hardest hit are waiting to hear if they will get some FEMA help in rebuilding their homes and lives.  In any paper you look at up here, you will see ads for all kinds of fundraisers regarding helping your neighbors rebuild.  Vermonters are a hearty bunch, with strong coummunity ties.  The state has worked hard to get all those roads opened that you Fall "leaf peepers" love to travel on.  Don't hesitate to come.

My garden suffered from the rain of Irene.  Most things were flattened, but have made a comeback.  That would be the weeds also.  But that will be an ongoing problem hurricanes or not.

For some reason, I  thought I'd try to grow a little fall vegetable garden after listening to a newscast encouraging gardner's to give it a try.  So right now, I actually have radishes, arugula, carrots, basil and lettuce nearing the picking stage.

The radishes have just reached their optimum size for eating.

When Chloe and Phoebe were here in June, we planted some sunflowers, which were also flattened by Irene.  But they made a wonderful comeback and are a bright spot in the back yard.

On my way to work yesterday morning, I spotted what looked like a small-sized soccer ball in a grassy edge of a wooded area.  I knew immediately what it was; turned around and plucked it from its earthy rest.  A puffball!!  I'm not sure of the true name of this mushroom, but I know they're referred to as puffballs, because when they are at the end-of-their-life stage, they have a hardened exterior and are filled with spores.  When kicked they explode an the spores look like a "puff" of smoke. 

I brought my puffball home, and we had half of it for dinner.  Marinated in olive oil and garlic, I then sauteed it.  I would have been happier to grill it, but it was raining.  I'm hoping we'll have the second half grilled tonight.  (Make sure you know what you're picking.   Wild mushrooms are poisonious.  Puffballs are very distinct when they are this size.)

I hope you've all had a wonderful summer.  I have a hard time seeing it end, even though Fall is a wonderful and beautiful time of year in these parts. 

Hazy, Hot and Humid – With a Sparky Update

Yes, the dog days of summer are upon us.  The temps are in the mid-90s, and it seems the pool temp is about the same.  This means swimming much later in the day, which means I haven't had much computer time in the evening.  And that's why you haven't heard from me.  However, I've had a couple of Sparky Update requests so I thought it was time to show you his progress.

When we rescued him, he was just a little larger than the size of a quarter.  Here he is now.

As you can see, he's growing up.  It must be all those worms I dig every day for him, and all those flies Nick swats at night for him to eat.

We've had other water creatures visiting.  Because of the hot weather, then downpours, it seems a lot of people have had frogs in their pools.  These guys got released into a place where they wouldn't be able to make their way back to a pool.

This rogue summer visitor sprang up by the house.  (gotta love those volunteers!)

And if I need some time to just contemplate on one of these hot days, this is where I'll be.

I'm off to the Jersey Shore for a few days to spend time with my family.  I can't think of another place I'd rather be on a 95 degree day than on the beach – unless it is white-water rafting.  That's where Nick will be on Sunday – a field trip with his younger co-workers!

Happy Mid-Summer

 

Enjoying Summer

Summer has finally settled into our world.  The sun is shining, the flowers are growing and there is even evidence that vegetables will be eaten soon.

This past Monday, we enjoyed summer by watching one of the local parades.

We were lucky enough to get a shady spot with a great view.

We saw big horses,

and little horses,

and calvary on horses.

And, uh, there was this guy.

An some gun shooting.

We saw new cars,

and old cars,

tractors,

and a cow.

 

We saw so much more.  A parade is such a wonderful way to celebrate.  Hope you all did some celebrating this week too.  Happy Summer to all.

Spring Has Not Sprung

I don't know how it happened, but Vermont did not get the memo about spring arriving.  Even though there are signs of spring wherever you look, the air is winter-cold.

In an effort to think in a spring-like frame of mind, there are flowers on my table.

I know we're not alone in our quest for spring-like weather, because I hear from my sisters farther south that it is cold there too.  Still, if you know anyone who has any pull in warm-weather making, please make an appeal on behalf of all those who are just a tad sick of winter this year!