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Maine's brief inferno

Air temperature 61 F, wind south about 7 mph, sunny. Supposed to get up into the 80s later, so walk early. Next week, 90s and cowering in the breeze from our heat pumps.

Couple of mummified squirrels on my route, one bit of flattened fur that I would call a woodchuck if it wasn't for the pale underside so it could have been a marten, a patch of feathers gray and white that I think was one of my standard mockingbirds. Or maybe a youngster from that family, operating on a student pilot's license . . .

Usual late summer flowers, tansy and goldenrod and chicory and Queen Anne's lace. City has mowed some milkweed, tough luck monarchs.

No interesting metal birds out at the airport/base. Only air traffic was a noisy light plane landing.

Got out on the bike, across town and back over the hills and dales. Air temperature either 77 or 82 F, depending on which thermometer you choose, excessive for elderly cyclists and gonna get worse. Did not die.

15.69 miles, 1:28:34

Lawns are going brown

Air temperature 57 F, wind near calm, sunny. Trash out, to include a fall web-worm nest extracted from our flowering crab tree out back. Bike ride later, last before the heat stomps us with 90s F forecast for Sunday and into next week. We might get some thunderstorms next Thursday. Or might not.

Clever title here

Air temperature 59 F, wind near calm, partly cloudy. With no rain in the forecast until next week (maybe), have hauled water to the salvia transplants out front. Walk later.

Careful with those captions

Just had a bit on the evening news about Border Patrol arresting two "Indians" . . .

Turns out they meant citizens of India. But we have three Native American tribes up here, four if you separate out MicMac and Maliseet . . .

Food that fights back

Chopped up an onion for the "Spanish" rice and my eyes still smart and my nose is running. Don't usually have this violent a reaction. Fresh spring harvest?

Wednesday avian report

Six geese by the cemetery pond, all looked like adults. Maybe they left the kids with Aunt Maude and are taking some quiet time. Or maybe the raccoons and mink got the eggs . . .

Saw a couple of the pale purple asters along one roadside, none elsewhere. Lots of tansy and chicory and the damned loosestrife. Cattail heads continue to fill in.

No roadkill, unless you count the DOT crew out filling the road shoulders through the bog. With flaggers, and alternating one-way traffic, which is a hell of a lot of fun for a bike on a road with no paved shoulder . . .

Got out for my ride, upriver to the country club and over to the road through the bog and home. Did not die.

15.31 miles, 1:24:33

Which is the why now?

Air temperature 55 F, wind near calm, sunny. Air quality "good" with AQI 23. No rain in the ten-day forecast so I should water the replacement salvia out front. Bike ride on the morning schedule.

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Wonko the Sane was right.

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Looking out the window, saw a small upside-down bird-shape working its way down the trunk of an ash tree. Nuthatches are fun.

Another mouse gone

Air temperature 57 F, wind north about 6 mph, mostly cloudy. Pollution down into the "good" range with AQI 33. Foraging morning, walk afternoon?

Love, love, careless love

We have lost over an hour of daylight from the solstice. It was just around here somewhere . . .

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Unhealthy feelings. AQI has jumped up to 108, particulates, courtesy of western and northern wildfires. Got my walk in earlier.

Active Alert day

Air temperature 59 F, wind near calm, hazy sun. Air quality "moderate" with AQI 61. Canadians still trying to suffocate us. Will probably get out for a walk in spite.

Sunday roadkill report

Dead skunk in the middle of a lawn on my bike route, maybe 20' or 30' off the road. Had to have lived long enough to crawl that far. No stink.

Flowers limited to the usual suspects -- goldenrod and Queen Anne's lace, goat's-beard, chicory, the eternally-damned purple loosestrife. Milkweed pods showing.

No interesting metal birds over at the base. Did have a couple of regional jets take off during my water break. Amusing bit, the larger one climbed sooner than the smaller one. Neither used more than half the runway.

Rode across town and back, avoided the State Fair crowd by passing the site before it opens. Did not die.

15.68 miles, 1:23:50

Variable day

Air temperature 59 F, wind south about 6 mph, hazy sky. Air quality "good" with AQI 29, in spite of orange moon last night. Guess the Canadian pollution is maintaining altitude. Bike ride planned.

Previous business

Air temperature 55 F, wind near calm, clear sky. AQI 19, so the Canadians are not currently trying to kill us. May cut the top off the neighbor's broken birch where it is hanging over the property line and assaulting our mowing crew. Tree still lives, but . . .

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The firings will continue until morale improves.

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Hope everyone is ready for more expensive coffee, to prosecute Fearless Leader's snit with the Brazilian judiciary . . .

Friday maybe floral report

I may have seen the first tiny white asters by the roadside. Since various dominions have been mowing those roadsides, this will remain uncertain. Burdock blooming, more thistles going to seed, cattail heads filling out. Lots of chicory and tansy and such.

No roadkill, not even a flattened squirrel. Did see a live chipmunk darting for cover. Appears that a bicyclist imitates a large chipmunk-eater in the rodent brain. Also, no geese or ducks in the cemetery pond. Wonder what that's about.

Out on the bike, up to the country club and over to the road through the bog and home. Did not die.

15.36 miles, 1:26:45