Bagged and Tagged

Last weekend EDO said, "Dad, we've got to go get wood."  She was correct.  We'd only cut one load, earlier in October, and the pantry was bare.  Plus, we'd had a few nights in the 20s and the house was cold.  So, VSO came with us and we got a good load of dense (not papery) dead aspen.  Today EDO and I went back for another one.  Aspen doesn't have a lot of BTUs, but sometimes you simply grab what is beside the road.  And don't forget to tag it.

Survivor

I was out scrambling around on the ridges above Range Creek the other day.  I noticed a number of interesting things, including a small piece of broken masonry, probably a Fremont granary, and a Douglas fir tree that had recently been struck by lightning.  The strike had shattered the tree, splitting it nearly in half from top to bottom and widely scattering shards of broken wood.  With half of the cambium still intact, though, I won't be surprised if the tree survives.

USNY

We missed a week of fine fall weather in southern Utah because we wanted to visit the other grandparents.  It is difficult to do because, even with the help of a commercial jet, it takes 12 hours to reach their house in upstate New York.  We were, nevertheless, able to help Poppop with some fall garden clean-up, carve pumpkins with the cousins, and do the chicken dance on Uncle Glen's farm.

It was time well spent.  But.  As our return flight touched down at McCarren in the clear, sharp light of a Nevada sunset, EDO said, "It is good to be home."

October's Best Qualities

Last week, it was raining.  In fact, during the first week of October 2018, we received more rain than had accumulated since April.  (In other words, the first week of October was wetter than the previous five months combined.)  But.  October is generally known for its very fine Indian summer weather.  It is, in my opinion, usually the best month of the year for being outdoors.  Yesterday's conditions proved my point:  Sixties and sunny.  Spectacular fall weather.

An Unusual Day

Rain is rare in southern Utah, especially in 2018.  Before October began, in fact, it had been more than 40 days since the last wetting rain.  Even when it does come, rain normally arrives in brief, violent showers.  It is, therefore, extremely unusual to have several hours of steady rain.  It is even more unusual to have a steady rain that continues for 24, or even 36, hours.  It is currently raining at The Homestead, as it has done since I got up yesterday—a long, steady, 40-degree drizzle.  Very unusual.