Finally, after hearing about numerous bear sightings this summer, I saw a black bear. A huge black bear. As I rounded the last corner coming into town from the float pond, the black bear was standing there and then began running down the road in front of the truck. I stayed a little ways behind it, wishing it would dive into the bushes instead of me following it into town. After a few minutes it did veer into the brush. I was able to get a good look at it as it ran down the road--long enough to marvel at its size.
While I have seen a few black bears before, this is the largest. As the bear was running, I estimated that the back of the bear was about four feet from the ground. A several hundred pound bear for sure.
This one might be a new sighting or a repeat of a large black bear spotted early this summer. There is a cinnamon colored black bear hanging around the area, especially the float pond. However, this bear was jet black---and big.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Monday, August 1, 2011
A cool, rainy summer
While the rest of the U.S. had a sweltering July, we enjoyed a cool, rainy month. We didn't have the normal warm, sunny July but more typical August weather of clouds and rain. The high for the month was on July 8 with 79 degrees. Our hot weather came early, with the only 80 degree temperatures for the summer on Memorial Day weekend--and it wasn't even officially summer yet.
Amazingly, we had measurable precipitation every single day of July, with the minimum being 0.03 inches and the maximum being 0.10 inches. Not a significant amount, but enough to make it feel like a rainy month.
August was ushered in with a cool temperature of 39 degrees--the first 30 degree weather since May 21 and July 5. As odd as it may seem to want to wear a down coat in August, I was quite happy to pull it out of the corner and wear it most of the morning. The cool morning brought an anticipation of crisp fall mornings and snow.
While it isn't dark at night yet, the evenings are dimmer and the sun isn't as high in the morning. The sun is officially setting tonight at 11:38 PM and rising at 4:44 AM. We are losing over 8 minutes of sunlight a day! Autumn is just around the corner, with the possibility of a frost less than a month away.
Life in the arctic is perfect for those of us who enjoy cooler weather--summer temperatures in the 60's and 70's is perfect and the occasional cool morning is always welcome when a down coat is handy.
Amazingly, we had measurable precipitation every single day of July, with the minimum being 0.03 inches and the maximum being 0.10 inches. Not a significant amount, but enough to make it feel like a rainy month.
August was ushered in with a cool temperature of 39 degrees--the first 30 degree weather since May 21 and July 5. As odd as it may seem to want to wear a down coat in August, I was quite happy to pull it out of the corner and wear it most of the morning. The cool morning brought an anticipation of crisp fall mornings and snow.
While it isn't dark at night yet, the evenings are dimmer and the sun isn't as high in the morning. The sun is officially setting tonight at 11:38 PM and rising at 4:44 AM. We are losing over 8 minutes of sunlight a day! Autumn is just around the corner, with the possibility of a frost less than a month away.
Life in the arctic is perfect for those of us who enjoy cooler weather--summer temperatures in the 60's and 70's is perfect and the occasional cool morning is always welcome when a down coat is handy.
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