Monday, August 13, 2012

Cooler weather = projects ahead

I must be more superstitious than I thought, because I momentarily hesitated before typing this: I think the summer’s heat has broken. Oh, I don’t mean that fall is here yet. I just mean that the heat and oppressive humidity of midsummer seems past its high point. Temperatures are currently in the mid-80’s, sometimes flirting with 90, but those days of the mid-90’s flirting with 100 seem past. Not a moment too soon, as far as I’m concerned.
Suddenly being outside is pleasant again, and the pre-dawn mornings are cool enough that I need a long-sleeved shirt or at least a heavy polo shirt. A walk with Dog or Baby Dog is no longer a sweat-fest. It’s a blessed relief. The chickens are no longer droopy-winged in the afternoon, beaks open. The dogs look forward to their walks and don’t act as though a walk is a punishment.

Cicadas are in full throat, or at least whatever passes for their throats, right now. They make it so noisy that conversations outside after dark are close to impossible. I’ve given up listening for the great-horned owls calling to each other down in the valley. I can’t hear anything over those cicadas. This is as noisy as it ever gets here on the mountain, and I look forward to when the sound will dim, and true quiet will return. Certainly cicadas are better than chain saws or lawn mowers but only just.

With the cooler weather, it’s time for me to do more than just think about some of the outside work that I should accomplish before winter outside the cabin. This year, it will be mostly some clean-up work, and the annual fix-up in the basement utility area. I need to clean up the back deck—currently littered with some downed twigs and leaves, not to mention bird feeders. I need to start thinking about cleaning the gutters—that one can wait for a while. I need to buy more of that sandpaper tape to put on the deck steps before it gets too cold to stick to the steps. That stuff is a wonderful help to prevent slips and trips in bad weather, but it needs replaced almost every year. I should think about giving the patio door frames another coat of stain.

The list is always endless. The only thing bad about cooler weather is that now I have to do something about all those projects. In hot weather, I can be excused for not doing anything more than thinking about them.

7 comments:

trump said...

I wish it were a little cooler, but this is August after all. I really love the Fall and I'm looking forward to it. Richard

Carolyn H said...

Richard: I sort of wish fall lasted about twice as long as it really does--especially if the season it shortened was summer!

Cathy said...

I hope you are right, I'm ready to move my desk in front of teh window. Where you got Cicadas making god awful racket, I have katydids and few other making hard to to fall asleep some night. Yet, fall is coming :)

Scott said...

It IS cooler, but only by comparison with the misery of July. As far as I'm concerned, it's still WAY too warm and humid. Unlike you, the slightly improved conditions haven't served to motivate me though, heaven knows, there's plenty to do.

dguzman said...

I sure hope the heatwave is over; it's been great for the tomatoes, but we haven't even been able to sit out on the deck most days and work has been unbearable (I work outside). We're having a bit of a "chilly" day up here in Central PA as well, with clouds, occasional rain, and temps in the 60s. Bring on the fall and the fall migration!

Carolyn H said...

Scott: I'm starting to be okay with the current temperature (perhaps if only by comparison to July) but the humidity can leave anytime. Even the fog, which is prettier, is starting to grate on me.

Carolyn H said...

Dguzman: Fall migration is starting! Both Waggoner's Gap and Second Mountain hawkwatches are open, and Laurie G has counted a few times up on Hawk Mountain. of course, with a high of 16 raptors for the day, it's more like wishful thinking than actual migration. But August is always a good time to get the eyes dialed in so you're ready for those heady days of mid-September Broadwing migration!