Last of the Leaves Again

My earlier post had iPhone photos only, as I forgot to pack the connecting cord for the Cannon. Here are a few photos I took November 4 near Ithaca, New York, walking or with the car stationary.

These are in the order they were taken.

Lake Cayuga

Lake Cayuga closer

Lakeside park

Again, Lake Cayuga is in the background.

Back yard 11-14-13

In Alaska it’s above freezing (rare for this time of year) and we had mixed rain and snow last night — enough that schools are closed again today, driving is extremely hazardous, and power is out rather spottily throughout the area. (Mine went out around 1 am and came on just before 7. ) My regular station is off the air — lacks power to broadcast, according to their e-mail  — and the ones I could get were intended to be music. I did manage to get a bit of news around 7 which was all I heard about school closing, the fact that many traffic lights were out, and the widespread local power outages. I’ll add an up to date shot of my yard with the current storm when it gets light enough to take a picture, just for contrast and “Why did I fly home?” The water content of the snowpack has actually increased a lot more than the relatively minor increase in depth would suggest, and the wind and the warm temperatures (it was actually above freezing when I took the picture) have pretty well removed the snow from the bushes.

North Pole Weather, 11/11/13

I’m home again, and back on standard time. The sun will rise this morning at 9:14 am, and will set after 6 hours 41 minutes at 3:55 this evening. It’s only about 7.6° above the horizon at noon, now, and there’s enough snow on the ground that what little radiation reaches us is mostly reflected right back to space.

We had a winter storm over the weekend. Snow this time of year is welcome; it helps insulate the ground and keeps the frost from getting too deep into the ground. This storm, however, had enough warm air aloft to produce freezing rain mixed with the snow. Not a good start to the winter. Luckily, I restocked the refrigerator and freezer Friday, so I just stayed home and avoided the slippery roads Saturday and Sunday. But we did go from about an inch of snow when I got home to nearly 8” by sunset yesterday. Today? I’ll find out when it gets light.

I think my balance is a little better, and my hair is still returning.

P. S. As of 11:30 am it looks as if the snow has settled a little, to about 6″ depth. But we are also being told to brace for another winter storm later in the week.

Weather in North Pole, AK, Ithaca, NY, and Sierra Vista, AZ, 2/4/13

The sun rose in North Pole at 8:50 this morning, and will set 7 hours 27 ½ minutes later at 4:18, never rising more than 9.6° above the horizon. There is only a trace of snow on the ground, but this time of year even a little change in the reflectivity of the ground keeps the temperature down. Cloudy skies and occasional snow or freezing drizzle seem to be all that is forecast until I return home. I hope the snow isn’t too deep by the time I get back, though temperatures are still forecast to be above 0° F.

In Ithaca, New York, where I am right now, the sun rose at 6:43 this morning and will set 10 hours 13 minutes later at 4:55 after a maximum height above the horizon of about 32°. It was in the 50’s last week, but Sunday was snow (non-sticking) with temperatures in the 30’s. Today it’s supposed to be sunny, with temperatures in the 40’s. Sadly the leaves are well past their peak, but there is still enough color to enjoy.

It’s still quite a change from Sierra Vista. Sunrise there was 6:44 am, sunset will be 5:31, and the day length will be 10 hours 47 minutes. The sun has a higher arc, too, reaching 42.2 minutes, and the temperatures should be in the 70’s today. North Pole is really going to seem cold when I go home.

And my hair is still coming back from chemo.

North Pole Weather 10/14/13

The sun will rise this morning at 8:42, and set 9 hours 49 minutes later at 6:30 this evening. The jet stream is still keeping it warm here, but the wind has come up enough to blow most of the leaves off of the trees. It doesn’t feel like winter yet, but I think fall is just about over.

I flew down to Anchorage last Thursday to see my surgeon, and everything looks good. It would be nice if my balance would return (not to mention my hair) but I still have hopes. Meanwhile I’m trying to get ready for a much longer trip, to Arizona, Tulsa, and upstate New York. Interesting packing problem. As of  9:16 last night it was 46° F here, 68° in Arizona, 66° in Tulsa and 61° in New York. When I come back to the airport it could easily be 30 below. And highs in Arizona, at least, suggest shorts would be appropriate. And I need to keep my luggage down.

Interesting problem.

North Pole Weather, 10/7/13

The sun will rise at 8:20 this morning and set 10 hours, 36 minutes later at 6:56 in the evening. Noon elevation no longer reaches 20°. It’s still generally above freezing in the daytime, sometimes as warm as 50°F, but it freezes most nights now. Once the winter snow cover is established, which at this time of year will probably be whenever we have three to four inches of snow on the ground, the temperature will stay below freezing around the clock.

I’m not sure what happened to the maple this year, but it certainly did not turn red.

The leaves have mostly turned color but a lot of them are still hanging on the trees. They look very dry, though, and I suspect most of them will be down at the first good wind. Enough have fallen to pile on the mints and perennials for insulation, and I hope those plants make it over the winter. I hope also that I’ll be able to get out earlier next spring than I did this year, and that my balance has recovered enough that I can work outdoors. This year I’ve had to hire people to do most of the work.

The second monitor I use for the internet died last week, and I just bought a new one Saturday. I just hope it fits on my desk, as it’s a good deal larger than the old one. Funny how electronics are one thing that seems so stay fairly constant in price while having all kind of larger sizes and new features.

North Pole Weather 9/30/13

The sun rose this morning at 7:59, and will set after 11 hours 22 minutes at 7:21 this evening. The days are getting shorter by about 6 minutes 38 seconds a day, and the maximum solar altitude is down to 22.1°.

At least it’s warmed up enough to melt last week’s snow, though chances of snow at night (and rain in the daytime) still continue. The trees are almost all yellow to russet now, and the leaves are beginning to carpet the lawn. It’s time to get the moose fence up around the Amur maple, and the leaves piled over the perennials. This year I’m going to try the leaf piling over the mints, though I’m not very optimistic. The named mint varieties aside from ginger mint have not proven very hardy up here, though they are bouncing back from the frosts we’ve had so far.

The potted plants I’ve brought into the plant room are doing fine so far, and they do include rosemary, pineapple and orange mints, and pineapple sage as well as heliotrope and some scented geraniums. I hope the full-spectrum fluorescents keep them going through the dark days of winter.

North Pole Weather 9/16/13

The sun rose this morning at 7:17 , and will set almost 12 hrs 55 minutes later, at 8:12 this evening.  We’re still losing 6 minutes 38 seconds a day, and the equinox is less than a week away. Trees and plants in general are starting to respond to these shorter days, and some of the birches are now all yellow, though the leaves have only started to fall.

Plants respond to day length as well as temperature, and with clear skies the last couple of nights frosts have finally arrived. I’m not up to fall cleanup this year; I’m still too much off balance. So I hired help to cut the perennials short this year, as well as bringing in the potted plants, pulling the squash plants, draining and storing the hoses, and a few other things that were needed before it got any colder.

Aside from the lingering balance problems I’m doing well. Chemo is over (I hope) and I’m back to the stationary bicycle just about any time I watch TV or DVD’s. I can now manage a couple of hours a day. My hair is still showing no sign of growing back, and while the wig looks good if it is properly positioned, it keeps wanting to slide down my forehead. It’s going to be an interesting reunion in Tulsa next month.

P. S. Monday morning: it’s now official that the first frost at the airport was early Sunday morning, and my thermometer read 28° F at 8 this morning. What’s more, snow is forecast for Tuesday night, though it isn’t expected to stick. Summer may not be over officially, but it certainly feels like fall here.

North Pole Weather 9/2/13

Fall is on its way, and the sun is dropping lower and staying up for less time every day. This morning it rose at 6:35, and will set 14 hours and 28 minutes later at 9:04 this evening. We’re still losing about 6 minutes a day, and we start getting a little astronomical night (sun more than 18° below the horizon) in a couple of days.

I don’t seem to have had much frost yet aside from a little burning on the ends of the squash leaves, and none is forecast for this week – lows generally in the low 40’s. Highs are in the 50’s and lower 60’s, so it’s not been exactly Labor Day picnic weather. But then we take Labor Day to mean the end of the reliable growing season. The frost covers are over the squash and herbs. I pulled back the ones on the herbs Sunday to let them get the benefit of a few sprinkles, and let out a wonderful medley of aromas. Whether I get any more squash is uncertain – we picked it clean Wednesday, when I had some help, and only a couple more flowers are showing signs of development. So far only a few leaves are showing yellow on the trees and lawn.

Thank goodness the last chemotherapy session was over a week ago, as it was the worst of the three. I was so anemic Friday that I spent most of the day Saturday at the hospital getting a couple of units of blood and going low on blood sugar every time I checked. I wonder – could the transfused blood have had enough insulin to throw me off? If so, it was certainly gone by last night!

North Pole Weather 7/22/13

Pineapple sage

The sun rose today at 4:18 in the morning, and will set almost 19 hours 17 minutes later, at 11:34 this evening. We’re back to the rapid shortening of days, losing over 6 minutes a day—almost seven, by the start of next week. Solar elevation at the highest is barely below 45°, and the rains have finally arrived. For the moment, they’ve left again, but probably not for long.

Herb bed and bordering flowers

Yes, it turned cool and wet. Last week, while I was feeling disinclined to do anything but spend 20 hours a day in bed, it was hot and dry, and by the time I managed to dredge up enough energy to water the pot plants on Wednesday, the pineapple sage looked as if it was on its last legs —

Salmon Lynchis

sticks and dead leaves. That is one tough plant, as well as one that smalls wonderful, because by Thursday you’d never know it was even wilted. Thursday Sheila came over and watered everything (as well as doing a lot of weeding) so of course it’s been raining since Thursday night. Then Friday she put down fresh weed-stop between the raised beds, as well as taking me to the cancer center for tests.Saturday we had a few brief peeks at the sun, and by Sunday it was peeking out often enough I could take some pictures.Today so far there’s hardly a cloud in the sky.

I’ve made some changes in the garden. It’s been a couple of years since I’ve planted the non-raised part, so I had the lawn service put it back to grass

Lantana edging raised bed

this year. Right now it looks like a bed of chickweed, but there is grass growing, and I am assured that once it gets tall enough to mow, mowing and a little mild herbicide will take care of the weeds. (I normally avoid herbicides, but that particular area really needs something.) The raised beds are normally squash, beans and peas, but the only one I’ve been keeping up with on harvest the last couple of years is the squash. Two of the other three have been converted to mints and herbs, with flowers bordering them. The third is dirt now (it was chickweed) but will be getting transplants from the volunteer perennial seedlings. The white iris and delphinium seed like mad, as do some of the columbine and (most years) the lynchis. Might as well give them a home where they won’t be mowed.

We’re supposed to have sunshine again today, with temperatures in the 70’s. So far there’s not a cloud in the sky.

North Pole Weather 7/15/13

We have two sunsets today! The sun set at 12:01 this morning, rose again at 3:54 and will set after 20 hours 3 minutes and 48 seconds at 11:57 this evening. Last weekend was hot and clear – in the 80’s and sunny, with some smoke. Some increase in clouds is forecast for today, but still warm.

I am happy to report that the first round of chemo went well, aside from transportation problems and spending the entire lovely day indoors hooked up to medication. They did insist on steroids to protect me from possible allergic reactions, and I was predictably a mess Saturday on blood sugar. Steroids are notorious for that. I was up to 200% of my normal basal Saturday crashed Sunday morning, and bounced up again Sunday night.  But the nausea and vomiting did not appear, though my appetite was pretty well gone by Sunday night. Other side effects (such as hair loss) take longer, but I read Saturday evening at the Alaska Writers’ group Saturday reading, and attended Community Writers’ Group Sunday.Unfortunately I think that was overdoing it — by evening Sunday the aches and pains started and I’d lost all appetite.

I also felt well enough to tackle the garden a little Saturday. We got the herb bed finished and the perennials tied up Thursday, and Saturday I did a little cleaning up between the raised beds and took some photos. The tall columbine is blooming, the delphiniums are just starting and so is the salmon lynchis. I was afraid I got started too late watering the area that was garden (not raised) and has now been seeded to lawn, but by Thursday a good crop of grass had appeared. I hope once mowing starts it will discourage the chickweed!