Wednesday afternoon the clouds rolled in, thunderstorms whoshed through…
…and we got back to normal temperatures. The highest temp in the current 10 day forecast is 71F. The nights are back in the 40’s.
We are enjoying being back to normal.
So far we are staying a few degrees less than the forecast high, but today hit 90F about 4:30. That is about 20 degrees higher than normal and higher than Bear, Auggie and I like.
Early morning is the time to be outside and shortly after 5:00 a.m., I had sprinklers going.
Then a morning walk at 6:00 a.m. – sunrise is just after 5:30 a.m. and there is light in the sky at 4:30.
Short nights as we approach the Summer Equinox are part of the problem with hot weather now. Sunset is after 9:30 with light in the sky until nearly 11:00 p.m. There is plenty of time for things to heat up in the daytime and not so much time for cooling overnight. We started this morning at 58F.
So … yes, the behemoth A/C unit. It is to be in the low 70’s and even as cool as the upper 60’s by the weekend but we have another 3 days of 90 or near 90 so it was worth the setup.
Mid-winter I bought an Instant Pot electric pressure cooker: Not my Grandma’s pressure cooker. After using it several times and seeing how things went, I got to thinking that I would really appreciate it when it got hot. With the exception of a little steam as it is coming to pressure and a bit of residual heat when cooking is done, there is not a lot of heat generated into the kitchen. This morning, it was already getting warm when I thought about cooking some pasta for pasta salad. I dithered a bit thinking that the pasta would just be mush in the pressure cooker, but finally gave it a try: 1 part pasta, 2 parts salty water, 7 minutes and quick release. The macaroni was perfect: taste and texture. I had a refreshing pasta salad for lunch!
Afternoon outside time – everyone in the shade – too HOT!
It rained in the night, but at dawn it was not raining and no puddles … the ground here on this foothill of the Rocky Mountain “back” sieves like a … sieve!
And though we needed all of this rain, I do confess that it was nice to have a break.
Bear is not sad … that is his “don’t keep pointing that darn camera at me” look. But it is natural light, i.e. early morning sunlight in the sunroom!
Sun and lupins and Auggie in the woods – glorious!
Yes, some clouds, but sun is shining on my little house and its front porch.
Some inside sunshine: fresh made Ghee.
The forecast for today was rainy…
but surprise… !!
After the early morning sun, it was cloudy and gray, but mid-afternoon it cleared. I could not resist. Bear and I took a quick trip to the dump and to Bigfork. We didn’t need to, but I wanted to and Bear is always up for a ride in the Jeep.
And it was worth it.
A bit of sun.
It is still raining.
Auggie is inside wondering what to do with himself.
I was folding laundry while waiting for my lunch to heat up and he kept a close eye on my progress.
And the same when I went back to work.
It is still raining!
As per usual in Northwest Montana, the “Spring” weather alternates between hot (75-80F) and cool (45-60F) … sunny and clear to cloudy and rainy. I enjoy the variety, but have been wishing for some soaking rain. We’ve had rain, but not a lot and especially not a lot following last year’s dry Spring-Summer-Fall-Winter. The last three days have been mostly cloudy and also included some steady soaking rain, particularly at night. It is forecast to continue through at least this week. I am not complaining, at all, at all!
This morning started cloudy, then cleared and was sunny for a trip to town for supplies.
Then it clouded over, got darkish and blustery and now it is raining.
Saturday afternoon.
January started cold and snowy and ended cold and snowy, but in between … a mixed bag:
