SUMMERTIME COOLDOWN

A westerly view over the canyons

I tried to beg off the afternoon walk on Thursday (Aug. 10). It was so hot – 96 or so here in the country. I wondered aloud if it would be another hot autumn.

“It will cool down for sure just before dove season opens,” Mike opined.

Looking north over the north field toward Teakean Butte

We went back to town on Friday (Aug. 11), where our unofficial thermometer showed the afternoon high at 110. We took the dogs to the beach for exercise and a cool-down swim.

Elderberry bushes look good this year

Frankly, I didn’t think much about the predicted cooling trend. So it’s going to cool down ten degrees or so – big deal! As for the smoke, the cooler air would have little effect, they said. Some may move out but more will move in.

At first, you know, the cooler temps just feel pleasantly refreshing. Saturday evening we heard a few distant thunder claps and opted to walk the dogs instead of going to the beach.

To the northwest from the north field

But – Sunday morning, it commenced to rain. We drove to the farm in intermittent rain, and it rained here most of the morning. And now it’s cooler. I know some don’t like to hear that autumn is on the way, so I'll just say that late summer is definitely upon us. The sun is still warm, but mornings and evenings are cool. Today’s high was in the low 80s while the lows are in the mid 50s. We dug out warmer pajamas, and we enjoy a lightly warmed bed.

Little Canyon -- still hazy

As for the smoke, it did clear out here in the upper country. I can see Teakean Butte to the north and Cottonwood Butte to the south, and even Little Canyon is fairly clear.

Bess practices her hunting skills

We have just a few hummingbirds visiting our feeders. And today Mike saw tiny baby quail. He says they must hatch ready to run. We sight deer frequently – both whitetail and mule deer. 

Of course, harvest is over. We enjoy hiking the fields, but it isn't easy. The rapeseed stalks love to trip me. 

Oh! One more thing. Sunday I announced that on Monday I would make hawthorn jelly, but Mike said, "Why not today?" Well, I thought about it and decided maybe I should do it. I added a cup of service berry juice to the haw juice, and the end result was quite tasty. KW