The heavens have opened up, build your ark!

Finally, finally, we have gotten one of the oft-promised thunderstorms.  It has been raining hard off and on for at least the last two hours.

Except for some erosion on newly seeded slopes, I think this is great.  We have had very little rain for a few years.  Our cabin well is dry as dry as can be, paths that have had puddles in the past have been dry, and the berries have been very small. 

The downside is on the downside of our front lawn in Duluth.  We had more dirt put in the trench where we had sewer work done, and my wife has planted grass seed there.  The grass looks like a buzz cut on a sparse head of hair and won't be holding the water back very well.

Oh, well, there are good things and bad things to almost every natural event.  Oh, no!  The mosquito will be hatching in the millions!

Feeling guilty about the weather

For three Saturdays in a row, rain has been predicted for Brimson from midweek on.  And every Saturday we've had either sunny weather or a mix of clouds and overcast.  We have been overjoyed as far as we were available to be outdoors most of the day.

Our joy is tempered by the concern that every day of drought increases the fire danger.

I thought on Saturday night that rain had started.  I saw some wet spots on a cart and felt a bit of precipitation on my arms.  Apparently it was only condensation because of the air cooling.

Today was another mixed sun and clouds day.  We got lots done.

The Weather Channel is predicting rain for Thursday and Friday for both Duluth and Brimson.  We don't look forward to the return of mosquitos, but they are better than a charred cabin and woods.

Bad news, good news!

The Weather Channel and others predicted rain for today.  But we had mostly blue skies today.  Instead of periodically sitting inside waiting for the weather to clear, we were out and about and chipped a humongous pile of brush.

No rain means that our well level will stay too low to be usable; we'll have to bring water from Duluth.  But because it is so dry there are fewer bugs.  I think we had one fly today in our cabin and zero bugs outside.

Climate change can mean more violent weather.  We had quite a few blowdowns this year.  But, given fallen tree tops and small trees blown over, we don't have to fell bigger trees for firewood.

When life gives your lemons, make lemonade.  But don't put too much sugar in the lemonade, you'll raise your cholesterol.

Water in view but little on the ground

We have been having a drought in northeastern Minnesota and our house is in view of Lake Superior (see "Dandelion in drought").

We did have a fraction of an inch yesterday, and I remarked to my wife that the grass was starting to look green. She replied, "No, it's just a richer brown from the moisture."