Tuesday, 8:15 am: After a few days of low temperatures in the 30s we’ve been busily harvesting our tomatoes so they don’t get frost damage. We’ve got them in bags, boxes and anything else that will hold them. During the day we take them outside in the sun to ripen more. Eventually my wife’s friend will turn this entire crop into salsa. Maine salsa, what a novel idea? A bit like the salsa commercial on television where the cowboy says where the salsa is from; and the other cowboy responds [with heavily cowboy inflected emphasis], “New York City!” Obviously this has absolutely nothing at all to do with our weather, although it’s possibly quaint in a Saint John Valley sort of way.

Fall foliage on our road

We were also busy yesterday away from our home. We had to FedEx some papers overnight. This meant we drove to the Presque Isle airport, about 48 miles away, to drop off the overnight envelope at the FedEx office. It’s always an adventure in this neck of the woods, and nothing is ever quick. Fortunately we have lots of time.

Our road in the foreground - the paved road is in Canada

Our area’s “on again-off again” cell phone tower project is now “on again”. I am keeping my fingers crossed we can join the 21st Century technological revolution. Maybe, in the future, we can actually use our cell phone in or by our house. Until then we’ll just clip-clop along. Hi ho Silver!

Brilliant read maple leaf in my wife's hand

Current values from our wireless Davis Vantage-Pro Weather Station:

Temperature: 48.6° [F.]

Barometer: 29.918 & falling slowly

Humidity: 86%

Wind: S at 1 mph very light & variable

Visibility: > 3 miles

Skies: Generally high overcast

Precipitation: None

Since midnight:

Low temperature: 45.1° [F.]

High wind: 3 mph at 3:05 am

Friday, 9:00 am: It’s Friday and it’s foggy, and what a delightful way to begin the weekend. I heard on the radio this morning Maine’s own Stephen King turned 60 today. Happy birthday, Stephen! You would appreciate this morning’s creepiness, I know I do.

One of our colorful maple trees in our garden

Last night was an evening bordering on frantic searching. Apparently a skunk was somewhere very nearby, and its pungent scent was wafting into our house. Our dogs relished the chance to get whatever residual odor onto their coats, which didn’t help the situation. Keeping our dogs inside didn’t help either – they brought the smell in with them. The other option was to let them outside and take chance they get a face full of skunk scent. Opening all our windows also didn’t help. Eventually we narrowed the search down to the crawl space underneath our tool shed, which we decided it was better not to poke our heads in to confirm it. After a few uncomfortable hours the odor dissipated, both inside and out. We hope the skunk moved on to a more suitable location; anywhere but here. Our house is back to normal this morning; no smell and I really hope no skunk, and it's dog bath day. Life in the fog shrouded Saint John Valley.

This morning my brother emailed me some photos from New York City. I can’t imagine that many people in such a small area. Just looking at one of the skyscrapers I thought; there’s more people in that one very tall building than there are in the entire hinterland of the Saint John Valley. At least we don’t have to pay to park up here.

Current values from our wireless Davis Vantage-Pro weather station:

Temperature: 49.5° [F.]

Barometer: 30.241 & rising slowly

Humidity: 100%

Wind: Calm

Visibility: < ¼ mile

Skies: 100% overcast - low ground fog

Precipitation: None

Since midnight:

Low temperature: 42.1° [F.] at 5:35 am

High wind: 1 mph at 8:21 am

Saturday, 9:20 am: There’s no surprise; the weather has changed yet again. It’s drizzling and heavily overcast. It’s hard to tell where the drizzle begins and where the clouds end. It’s one of our creepy and eerie mornings; luckily we don’t get them too often.

With the poor weather in my mind, I’ve decided it’s time for me to dig out my Three Stooges video collection and have a Jerome “Curly” Howard Day, and keep the rain outside. Last time it was Moe Day. It must be a guy thing! I kind of like mindless, pie in the face, humor. I’ve pretty much given up on cinematic sophistication, and anything with more than three syllables, and it is difficult to pronounce. Besides, life is too short to worry about such things, and they are funny guys.

In the twenty or so minutes since I’ve started writing this blog, the drizzle has become a downpour. According to my weather station it’s now indicating; “It’s Raining Cats and Dogs.” Obviously it is not a technical weather term, but it is a direct quote from my Vantage-Pro consol. Their software code-writer is probably having a good laugh.

Current values from our wireless Vantage-Pro weather station:

Temperature: 57° [F.]

Barometer: 29.826 & falling slowly

Humidity: 100%

Wind: SSE at 5 mph – light & variable

Visibility: < 1 mile

Skies: 100% cloud cover - low overcast

Precipitation: .17 inch – rain

Since midnight:

Low temperature: 53.7° at midnight

High wind: 20 mph at 5:47 am

Tuesday, 8:50 am: Another fine and misty morning at the edge of the country. I am peeking over the edge right now, and they’re peeking at me. It reminds me of the song, Holidays in the Sun. Well not exactly, but if you know the song, you get the idea about looking over the border.

In any case it is misty outside and once again I am delaying slogging through our damp lawn to attend to garden chores. At the rate our weather is cooling down I’ll be putting away our garden tools and cranking up our snow blower soon. Okay, I am exaggerating just a bit! We already have a small amount of frost damage in our vegetable garden, and the regrowth of our lawn each week has slowed down significantly. But that’s good news; less mowing for this writer.

This evening is our monthly trip to Fort Kent for our radio club meeting. As always it should be interesting. Sometimes the drive back in the dark is more interesting, depending on what oversized animal is facing us in the road. I think they are wondering whether to hop through our windshield, or do they just enjoy messing with us. I have been reading too many of Gary Larson’s Far Side cartoons. As you can see my university education has been put to good use – or not. Again, there’s no accounting for taste.

Current values from our wireless Davis Vantage-Pro weather station:

Temperature: 56.8° [F.]

Barometer: 29.936 & steady

Humidity: 100%

Wind: Calm

Visibility: < 1 mile

Skies: 100% overcast light fog & mist

Precipitation: .02 inch rain

Since midnight:

Low temperature: 52.5° [F.] at midnight

High wind: 2 mph at 6:36 am

Wednesday, 10:25 am: The barometer is going up, the temperature is cooling down and it is pleasantly breezy. It’s a good start to a Wednesday morning: Now if I can just remember where I put my dictionary. I know it’s around here. It probably got sucked into the black hole on my computer desk. I don’t think that’s what they meant about desktop astronomy.

But never mind. Last week when I was in Barnes and Noble in Augusta, they were promoting the 50th anniversary edition of On the Road by Jack Kerouac. And this morning I heard Garrison Keillor mention Kerouac’s book on Maine Public Radio [MPBN]. It’s time I revisit his book. It has influenced me, in varying degrees over the years, in how I approach life; a bit of a traveler; sans cigarettes and liquor. You know times have changed, a lot, when the Smithsonian magazine has an article, “Remembering Jack Kerouac” [pp.115-121] by Joyce Johnson in the September, 2007 issue. Since I wear beret, I am halfway there, wherever there is – on the road I imagine; reading obscure titles by even more obscure authors.

The wind farm in Mars Hill

My brother has updated me on the continuing effort in northern New York in the Adirondack Park to get improved cell phone coverage with additional cell towers. The opponents of the towers use much the same argument as opponent[s] to the cell tower here in Lille. The only difference is; one is a building [here] the other is a park [there], but both parties want a natural skyline at any cost – maybe lives? It seems like a lot of work for something the rest of America takes for granted. Once again – stay tuned!

Current values from our Davis wireless Vantage-Pro weather station:

Temperature: 49.5° [F.]

Barometer: 30.092 & rising rapidly

Humidity: 67%

Wind: 3 mph & breezy

Visibility: > 3 miles

Skies: Scattered cloudiness ca. 70% cover

Precipitation: None

Since midnight:

Low temperature: 40.4° [F.] at 3:55 am

High wind: 17 mph at 9:15 am

Monday, 9:45 am: After driving about ten hours from Mystic Connecticut we arrived safely home yesterday evening. The 87th Annual Reunion of the Society of the Fifth Division went smoothly and all appeared to have an enjoyable time. Many, including myself, rekindled old friendships. I have to admit none of us look like we did 37+ years ago when we were covered in mud, dirt and mosquito bites. Back then we were genuinely concerned we wouldn’t live to see another year: Sadly, some of us didn’t live to see the end of the day. Now we’re all older, hopefully wiser, and all a bit gray around the edges. There are many memories; some good and some not so good.

-- Three Old Soldiers --

All was in order when we returned home. As always there is a lot to do. It seems like we were just gearing up for our summer chores; now we are doing the same to prepare for winter. There’s never a dull moment in the countryside. Today really is Labor Day – lots of labor!

More next time after I have had a chance to catch my breath, unwind and recharge my thoughts.

Current values from our wireless Davis Vantage-Pro weather station:

Temperature: 63.8° [F.]

Barometer: 29.745 & falling slowly

Humidity: 73%

Wind: SSW at 5 mph – breezy

Visibility: > 3 miles

Skies: Scattered cloudiness – ca. 20-30% cover

Precipitation: .06 inch – rain

Since midnight:

Low temperature: 50.7° [F.] at 12:56 am

High wind: 20 mph at 9:29 am