Tuesday, September 12, 2023

maybe finally cooling off a bit and other activity


The shrimp never made it into gumbo as we ate them for dinner that night.

This month or more of triple digits preceded by 2 months or more of high 90s has altered my perception of 'comfortable'. I was outside around 6 PM one day last week and it was almost pleasant. It was 92˚. This morning when I went out before 8, it was almost cool outside though I failed to look and see what the temp was. Sitting on the deck this evening it was comfortable, low 90s (with the benefit of low humidity). I looked at the forecast and no one need worry that I might swoon and fall and hit my head on the 23rd. The high temp has been upgraded to 95˚. I knew it was too good to be true. This morning though when I went out about 7:30 it was definitely pleasantly cool at 76˚. This is a real improvement since it hasn't dropped into the 70s in months.

My big activity Sunday was scrubbing all three bird baths clean of all the algae and crud that had built up. I had to use a steel bristled brush though to get through it all. It just laughed at my plastic bristled scrub brush. They haven't been this clean since they were brand new.

Yesterday afternoon we watched three episodes of Reservation Dogs, a series that follows the lives of four Native American teenagers growing up on a reservation in rural Oklahoma. It's streaming on Hulu and maybe Disneyplus. There's three seasons and we just started season two. It's described as a comedy, and it is, but it's also much deeper than that. I recommend it if you're looking for something to watch.

Some miscellaneous pictures...

Sunrise coming through the glass in the back door.



This frog hangs out by the hose bib in the backyard. Generally I only see the movement out of the corner of my eye when it leaps away but this day it leapt just a short distance and let me take a picture. It blends in well don't you think?



My datura finally started blooming.



Bees drinking from the birdbath.



This sunset was awesome. I took a lot of pictures and it was hard to settle on these three. Top: looking southwest. Middle: looking west, Bottom: while all that was happening, this was looking east.



27 comments:

  1. That middle sunset picture is asking for a watercolor.

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    1. it was pretty awesome and I thought the clear blue sky in the other direction was such a contrast.

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  2. Loved all your sunsets...and the sunrise on the wall bringing the shadowed butterfly into the shell arrangements!

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    1. the butterfly shadow is from a sticker on the glass to prevent birds from flying into it but it doesn't really work as I've heard at least 4 bonks since I put it up.

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  3. After today, we're looking at a forecast that calls for high temps in the high eighties for a week. WHAT?!
    Yeah. That is going to be amazing. Even some lows in the sixties. I'll believe it when I see it.
    Mr. Froggy is definitely in his finest camo. Unless it's Ms. Froggy. Either way- what frog? I can't see a frog! (Ha)

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    1. tomorrow it's only supposed to get to 88˚ with a high chance of rain for a couple of days then back up into the 90s. fingers crossed. I saw the frog again today. I guess it's getting used to me because it also didn't leap that far away.

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  4. Thanks for the "Reservation Dogs" recommendation -- I hope I remember it! Great photos as always. Love the sunrise on the wall and the skillfully concealed frog!

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    1. unfortunately Reservation Dogs was canceled after the third season. we're almost through season 2.

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  5. Loved Reservation Dogs ! Also love your sunset-extraordinary!,

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    1. it was pretty amazing and I thought the clear blue sky in the east was nice against all the clouds and color in the west.

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  6. The sunset trio would make a great series of pictures on the wall. I have no walls big enough to put anything on, but I like your pictures!

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    1. I have a short hallway with nothing on the wall because while there is a light, we never turn it on so it's always darkish.

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  7. Gorgeous sunset! It was in the 60s this morning - brrr!

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    1. be awhile before we get that low. maybe November, maybe December considering how hot it still is.

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  8. I think we'll take a look at Reservation Dogs. Sounds interesting, and we need something new to watch.
    I love all these photos. So beautiful.

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    1. it's really good though it was canceled after the third season.

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  9. Replies
    1. saw it again today. I guess it's getting used to me since once again when it leapt it did not go far.

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  10. Kudos to you for cleaning your bird feeders, an essential bit of maintenance that so many forget, or simply ignore. Hang on for a couple more weeks and cooler weather should be on the way. What a relief it will be.

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    1. fingers crossed on the cooler temps but I'm not holding my breath.

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  11. I'm glad to hear it is starting to cool off a bit down there. I'll be heading to Houston airport the third week in October so it should be cooler weather by then, I hope. Visiting my son and his family in Manvel for the first time. Love your photos of the beautiful sky!

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    1. hopefully it will be but there's been plenty of hot Halloweens.

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  12. Beautiful pictures. I also love Reservation Dogs, and I'll be sad when I've finished them all. As for the heat, I'll be so happy when this summer is over. I'm looking forward to some cooler nights.

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    1. right? we're almost through season 2. it was canceled after season 3.

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  13. I laughed and laughed at your disappearing shrimp that didn't make the gumbo. There's just nothing better than shrimp in any form, but I often end up eating them in a simple form: boiled and cold, or in garlic butter. Your sunset photos are glorious. At least we're finally getting the sort of clouds that make that kind of color possible. A cloudless sky usually produces sort-of-blah sunrises and sunsets; they can have nice color, but they're not nearly so interesting. It takes color and form!

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  14. Not to engage in schadenfreude but, aside from a few weekends of Canadian wildfire smoke, summer in Chicago has been spectacularly gorgeous. But we've also had drought which is gonna catch up on us.

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I opened my big mouth, now it's your turn.