Weather!

[owlice]

It's a beautiful day here; a little windy, but clear and warm. I'm sitting on my back patio, chucking white oak acorns for the little cat to chase and bat around. The light has that rare quality it has only after the autumnal equinox, a sharpness and clarity that brings out the edge of each leaf, the texture of the chestnut oak's bark, the highlights of a blue jay's feathers. Goldenrod droops over the fence where it can, lies horizontal where it cannot; though still blooming, it is spent. The pot of johnny-jump-ups that someone gave me in April is brown save for four little green stalks; it is not yet ready to give in to October. I am, though; I love the fall.

[mexhunter]

Hello Owlice:
Enjoy it a lot.
Greetings
César

[orin stepanek]

It's a beautiful day here; a little windy, but clear and warm. I'm sitting on my back patio, chucking white oak acorns for the little cat to chase and bat around. The light has that rare quality it has only after the autumnal equinox, a sharpness and clarity that brings out the edge of each leaf, the texture of the chestnut oak's bark, the highlights of a blue jay's feathers. Goldenrod droops over the fence where it can, lies horizontal where it cannot; though still blooming, it is spent. The pot of johnny-jump-ups that someone gave me in April is brown save for four little green stalks; it is not yet ready to give in to October. I am, though; I love the fall.

Hi Owlice! I love the Fall also. It does have one flaw though;--it is followed by Winter. I hope this comming Winter isn't as nasty as last years.

[owlice]

Thanks, César! Today is really lovely. I sat outside for hours.

orin, last winter looked like this:

I don't like cold, do love snow, but last winter there was too much snow even for me. When I have to wait two weeks for a front-end loader to dig out my street, I cry "Uncle!"

[Chris Peterson]

This morning was the first day we had ice on the stock tanks, even though it didn't quite get down to freezing last night. It's looking like we might have our first fire tonight. The autumn has been abnormally warm, so far. Last year, we had already had six inches of snow by the equinox. Today was the first day the temperatures didn't get out of the 50s.

And last year, the leaves had all dropped by now.

[geckzilla]

We actually had tornadoes here about three weeks ago. Amazingly, I lived in Oklahoma for much of my life and never had one near me. Figures that I live in Queens for a mere 3.5 years and get to experience one. Two were confirmed through Doppler imaging but the rain was thick so there were no visuals. They were relatively weak tornadoes but we lost a lot of old trees in the area. Not in our neighborhood specifically but in very close ones. We were also fortunate enough to not lose power. Cleanup is ongoing... I guess the tree trimmers are making a lot of money this year.

[Ann]

Yesterday was an absolutely lovely day in my hometown of Malmö. the sun was shining from a dazzlingly blue sky, it wasn't very windy, and the thermometer (a Celsius one, of course ) managed to almost hit 15 degrees. I walked around in two of Malmö's big parks and looked at the trees and the way the leaves were beginning to change color. A few bushes and small trees were brilliantly scarlet red, other leaves were orange and yellow, but most were still green.


Kungsparken, Malmö. But the picture was not taken in October.

Close to where this picture was taken there is a lovely outdoor cafe. I had lunch there, while people were speaking English, German and Danish around me. The tourists were here!

Click to view full size image

Slottsträdgårdens kafé (The Cafe of the Garden of the Castle) is extremely popular with parents of small children, and with grandparents of small grandchildren!

Then I went to another park where there is a terrarium where they keep all kinds of reptiles - snakes, lizards, turtles, crocodiles - as well as monkeys and birds. My favorites are the wallabies, however. They are adorably cute. I couldn't find a good picture of Malmö's wallabies, however, so I'll post a picture of two monkeys instead:



Okay, all right, here is a wallaby baby from Malmö:



Then, finally, I saw the musical-comedy Spamalot, based on Monty Python's The Holy Grail. And yes! It was so funny!!!


The brave knights of Spamalot! Wo-hooo!!!

Ann

[orin stepanek]

Aah! The beauty of fall. My Ash has turned a beautiful yellow and is shedding it's leaves. It is always my first to go bare.
Orin

[bystander]

Not really weather, but a "whole lot of shaking going on"

Magnitude 4.3 Earthquake In Norman Area Felt In Tulsa
KTUL News Channel 8 | Tulsa, OK | 13 Oct 2010 9:11 AM CDT

A magnitude 4-point-3 earthquake in the Norman area was strong enough to be felt in the Tulsa area Wednesday morning.

It happened at 9:06 a.m. Both the National Weather Service and U.S. Geological Survey confirm the quake with an epicenter about six miles east of Norman. Felt reports have come in as far south as Dallas and as far north as Wichita, Kansas.

Wasn't that big a deal, but it did make me take notice and turn on the news.
Norman, home of the University of Oklahoma, is about 30 miles south of me.

Epicenter as identified by the USGS

[bystander]

Earthquake rating upgraded to magnitude 5.1
Oklahoman | NewsOK | 13 Oct 2010

The Oklahoma Geological Survey has upgraded the rating of this morning's earthquake to magnitude 5.1, which would be the second-strongest earthquake reported in state history.

OGS research seismologist Austin Holland said continued analysis of the survey data showed the epicenter was about 8 miles southeast of Norman, south of Lake Thunderbird near E Post Oak Road and 84th Avenue SE. Initial reports rated the 9:06 a.m. quake as magnitude 4.5 or 4.3, but Holland said further analysis showed a consistent magnitude of 5.1. The U.S. Geological Survey continues to report a magnitude 4.3.

[owlice]

bystander, what did you feel?

[bystander]

Not much, just a little tremor. A swag lamp started swinging. A neighbor's car alarm went off. Turned on the news and started getting reports about 15-20 min later.

[emc]

No comparison to an earthquake but… although the sun is shining here in Canton, GA… it is raining acorns at my house today… making loud noises as they hit my roof and especially the gutters. Our animals have taken refuge on the porch and I don’t want to go to the mailbox without protective head gear… Only ones happy about this are the squirrels, but they seem to be keeping to their nests right now.

[Littlejenny]

7:00, I wake up in my room , open the small window near to bed, the wind a closely flow to my hair, autummn has come to my country, that's great

[emc]

Click to play embedded YouTube video.

Cat Stevens - The Wind, from The Teaser and the Firecat

[owlice]

I spent the weekend on Maryland's Eastern Shore; it was very windy on Saturday and nearly as windy on Sunday. Two friends and I were birding on Saturday and didn't want to get out of the car in some spots because of the wind!! We bicycled in a fundraising ride yesterday (for Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge), and my face was windburned scarlet by the time I finished. (I was the last person in, of hundreds of participants, but the scarlet face was definitely from windburn, not from embarrassment!)

Other than the wind, the weather was fabulous! Cool in the morning, warm the rest of the day without being too hot, and not a cloud in the sky either day. The area is completely flat; there was a lot of sky to see. Also a lot of birds, and nice houses for sale which probably have really dark skies. And bicycles... a lot of really nice bicycles.

[neufer]

No comparison to an earthquake but… although the sun is shining here in Canton, GA… it is raining acorns at my house today… making loud noises as they hit my roof and especially the gutters. Our animals have taken refuge on the porch and I don’t want to go to the mailbox without protective head gear… Only ones happy about this are the squirrels, but they seem to be keeping to their nests right now.

<<The acorn, or oak nut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives (genera Quercus and Lithocarpus, in the family Fagaceae). It usually contains a single seed (rarely two seeds), enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne in a cup-shaped cupule. Acorns vary from 1–6 cm long and 0.8–4 cm broad. Acorns take between about 6 or 24 months to mature.

Acorns are one of the most important wildlife foods in areas where oaks occur. Acorns, along with other nuts, are termed mast. Wildlife which eat acorns as an important part of their diets include birds, such as jays, pigeons, some ducks, and several species of woodpeckers. Small mammals that feed on acorns include mice, squirrels and several other rodents. Such large mammals as pigs, bears, and deer also consume large amounts of acorns: they may constitute up to 25% of the diet of deer in the autumn. In Spain and Portugal pigs are still turned loose in dehesas (large oak groves) in the autumn, to fill and fatten themselves on acorns. However, acorns are toxic to some other animals, such as horses. The larvae of some moths and weevils also live in young acorns, consuming the kernels as they develop.

Acorns are attractive to animals because they are large and thus efficiently consumed or cached. Acorns are also rich in nutrients. Percentages vary from species to species, but all acorns contain large amounts of protein, carbohydrates and fats, as well as the minerals calcium, phosphorus and potassium, and the vitamin niacin. Total food energy in an acorn also varies by species, but all compare well with other wild foods and with other nuts.

Acorns also contain bitter tannins, the amount varying with the species. Since tannins, which are plant polyphenols, interfere with an animal's ability to metabolize protein, creatures must adapt in different ways to utilize the nutritional value that acorns contain.
Animals that cache acorns, such as jays and squirrels, may wait to consume some of these acorns until sufficient groundwater has percolated through them to leach out the tannins. Other animals buffer their acorn diet with other foods. Many insects, birds, and mammals metabolize tannins with fewer ill-effects than humans. Species of acorn that contain large amounts of tannins are very bitter, astringent, and potentially irritating if eaten raw. This is particularly true of the acorns of red oaks. The acorns of white oaks, being much lower in tannins, are nutty in flavor, which is enhanced if the acorns are given a light roast before grinding. Acorns of the white oak group, Leucobalanus, typically start rooting as soon as they are in contact with the soil (in the fall), then send up the leaf shoot in the spring.

Acorns, are too heavy for wind dispersal, and so require other ways to spread. Oaks therefore depend on biological seed dispersal agents to move the acorns beyond the mother tree and into a suitable area for germination (including access to adequate water, sunlight and soil nutrients) ideally a minimum of 20–30 m from the parent tree. Many animals eat unripe acorns on the tree or ripe acorns from the ground, with no reproductive benefit to the oak. Acorns germinate on different schedules, depending on their place in the oak family. Once acorns sprout, they are less nutritious, as the seed tissue converts to the indigestible lignins that form the root.

In some human cultures, acorns once constituted a dietary staple, though they are now generally considered a minor food with the exception of Native American and Korean cultures. In Korean culture in particular, dotorimuk, acorn jelly, and dotori guksu (acorn noodles), are commonly eaten. Acorns appear only on adult trees, and thus are often a symbol of patience and the fruition of long, hard labor. For example, an English proverb states that Great oaks from little acorns grow, urging the listener to wait for maturation of a project or idea.A German folktale has a farmer trying to outwit Satan, to whom he has promised his soul, by asking for a reprieve until his first crop is harvested; he plants acorns and has many years to enjoy first.

The Norse legend that Thor sheltered from a thunderstorm under an oak tree has led to the belief that having an acorn on a windowsill will prevent a house from being struck by lightning; hence the popularity of window blind pulls decorated as acorns.>>

Don Quixote, Part 1. The Second Book
III. Of That Which Passed between Don Quixote and Certain Goatherds

<<The goatherds did not understand that gibberish of squires and knights-errant, and therefore did nothing else but eat and hold their peace, and look on their guests, that tossed in with their fists whole slices, with good grace and stomachs. The course of flesh being ended, they served in on the rugs a great quantity of shelled *ACORNS*, and half a cheese, harder than if it were made of rough-casting. The horn stood not the while idle; for it went round about so often, now full, now empty, much like a conduit of Noria; and in a trice it emptied one of the two wine-bags that lay there in the public view. After that Don Quixote had satisfied his appetite well, he took up a handful of *ACORNS*, and, beholding them earnestly, he began to discourse in this manner: ‘Happy time, and fortunate ages were those, whereon our ancestors bestowed the title of golden! not because gold (so much prized in this our iron age) was gotten in that happy time without any labours, but because those which lived in that time knew not these two words, ‘thine’ and ‘mine’; in that holy age all things were in common. No man needed, for his ordinary sustenance, to do ought else than lift up his hand, and take it from the strong oak, which did liberally invite them to gather his sweet and savoury fruit. The clear fountains and running rivers did offer them these savoury and transparent waters in magnificent abundance. In the clefts of rocks and hollow trees did the careful and discreet bees erect their commonwealth, offering to every hand, without interest, the fertile crop of their sweetest travails. The lofty cork-trees did dismiss of themselves, without any other art than that of their native liberality, their broad and light rinds; wherewithal houses were at first covered, being sustained by rustical stakes, to none other end but for to keep back the inclemencies of the air. All then was peace, all amity, and all concord. As yet the ploughshare presumed not, with rude encounter, to open and search the compassionate bowels of our first mother; for she, without compulsion, offered up, through all the parts of her fertile and spacious bosom, all that which might satisfy, sustain, and delight those children which it then had. Yea, it was then that the simple and beautiful young shepherdesses went from valley to valley and hill to hill, with their hair sometimes plaited, sometimes dishevelled, without other apparel than that which was requisite to cover comely that which modesty wills, and ever would have, concealed. Then were of no request the attires and ornaments which are now used by those that esteem the purple of Tyre and the so-many-ways-martyrised silk so much, but only certain green leaves of burdocks and ivy intertexed and woven together; wherewithal, perhaps, they went as gorgeously and comely decked as now our court dames, with all their rare and outlandish inventions that idleness and curiosity hath found out. Then were the amorous conceits of the mind simply and sincerely delivered, and embellished in the very form and manner that she had conceived them, without any artificial contexture of words to endear them. Fraud, deceit, or malice had not then meddled themselves with plainness and truth. Justice was then in her proper terms, favour daring not to trouble or confound her, or the respect of profit, which do now persecute, blemish, and disturb her so much. The law of corruption, or taking bribes, had not yet possessed the understanding of the judge; for then was neither judge, nor person to be judged. Maidens and honesty wandered then, I say, where they listed, alone, signiorising, secure that no stranger liberty, or lascivious intent could prejudice it, or their own native desire or will any way endamage it. But now, in these our detestable times, no damsel is safe, although she be hid and shut up in another new labyrinth, like that of Crete; for even there itself the amorous plague would enter, either by some cranny, or by the air, or by the continual urgings of cursed care, to infect her; for whose protection and security was first instituted, by success of times, the order of knighthood, to defend damsels, protect widows, and assist orphans and distressed wights. Of this order am I, friends goatherds, whom I do heartily thank for the good entertainment which you do give unto me and my squire; for although that every one living is obliged, by the law of nature, to favour knights-errant, yet notwithstanding, knowing that you knew not this obligation, and yet did receive and make much of me, it stands will all reason that I do render you thanks will all my heart!’

Our knight made this long oration (which might have been well excused), because the *ACORNS* that were given unto him called to his mind the golden world, and therefore the humour took him to make the goatherds that unprofitable discourse; who heard him, all amazed and suspended, with very great attention all the while. Sancho likewise, held his peace, eating *ACORNS*, and in the meanwhile visited very often the second wine-bag, which, because it might be fresh, was hanged upon a cork-tree.

[owlice]

One of my favorite things to do with acorns (aside from chuck them for a cat to chase) -- use the caps as whistles. They are very loud! I keep a couple or three acorn caps in my car so I can be annoying loud wherever I go.

[neufer]

One of my favorite things to do with acorns (aside from chuck them for a cat to chase) -- use the caps as whistles. They are very loud! I keep a couple or three acorn caps in my car so I can be annoying loud wherever I go.

Our lady made this short oration (which might have been well excused), because the *ACORNS* that were given unto her called to her mind the golden world, and therefore the humour took her to make the asternauts that unprofitable discourse; who heard her, all amazed and suspended, with VERy great attention all the while. Neufer likewise, held his peace, eating *ACORNS*, and in the meanwhile visited VERy often the second wine-bag, which, because it might be fresh, was hanged upon a cork-tree.

[emc]

I’ve never tried eating an acorn… now I reckon I know why. Must be in my genetic matrix handed down from my ancestors that acorns are not good for humans to eat. Deer do like them though, we have a few that like to visit our backyard now and then.

[owlice]

Our lady made this short oration (which might have been well excused), because the *ACORNS* that were given unto her called to her mind the golden world, and therefore the humour took her to make the asternauts that unprofitable discourse; who heard her, all amazed and suspended, with VERy great attention all the while. Neufer likewise, held his peace, eating *ACORNS*, and in the meanwhile visited VERy often the second wine-bag, which, because it might be fresh, was hanged upon a cork-tree.

The golden world:
[attachment=1]golden.jpg[/attachment][/i]

has its blue moments:
[attachment=0]blue.jpg[/attachment]

(And that second wine-bag may explain a whooooooole lot! )

The trees here are turning. My chestnut is still green, but the white oak tree is gradually turning its deep autumn red. Some of the poplars are a sickly yellow-and-brown; the summer's dryness was hard on them. The poison ivy, usually vivid in its fall coloration, is also pale. Sycamores are browning, and maples are just starting to show their late season colors. The woods are lighter now, brighter, with the sunlight slanting through the canopy. Acorns are plentiful; it's as though the trees thought this might be their last hurrah and have put everything they have into producing more more more acorns. They are everywhere, and huge, and sprouting almost before they reach the ground.

[neufer]

The golden world has its blue moments

(And that second wine-bag may explain a whooooooole lot! )

The trees here are turning. My chestnut is still green, but the white oak tree is gradually turning its deep autumn red. Some of the poplars are a sickly yellow-and-brown; the summer's dryness was hard on them. The poison ivy, usually vivid in its fall coloration, is also pale. Sycamores are browning, and maples are just starting to show their late season colors. The woods are lighter now, brighter, with the sunlight slanting through the canopy. Acorns are plentiful; it's as though the trees thought this might be their last hurrah and have put everything they have into producing more more more acorns. They are everywhere, and huge, and sprouting almost before they reach the ground.

(Your apparent cultivation of poison ivy may explain a whooooooole lot! )

Click to view full size image 1 or image 2

<<Fall burst upon the northern Allegheny Mountains in Pennsylvania
in mid-October 2010. Within a span of just five days, the forests
went from green, with a slight hint of fall color, to VIVID ORANGE.

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured the fall transformation in this pair of images from October 13 and (move cursor over) from October 8. The annual display of fall color peaked during the week of October 12, making it the optimum time for leaf viewing in northern Pennsylvania, according to the Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry. Southern regions were just approaching peak color.

The area depicted is primarily mountains and highlands of northern Pennsylvania. The large image, which includes much of the northeastern United States, shows that autumn was in full swing throughout the Northeast. Fall color typically peaks in mid-October as leaves gradually lose chlorophyll during the lengthening fall nights. Chlorophyll colors leaves green, so as the concentration of the pigment fades, so too does the leaves' green color.

Other pigments — carotenoids (yellow, orange, & brown) and
anthocyanins (red & purple) — can then show their colors.>>

Second Windb-AgNathandorffer

[bystander]

Gentle rain, occasional distant thunder, nice cool temperatures. Great day for naps.

[orin stepanek]

Gentle rain, occasional distant thunder, nice cool temperatures. Great day for naps.

I try to avoid naps. I don't want to toss and turn at night. Besides; I'm trying to get some painting done before Winter sets in.

[owlice]

neufer, that's a great image; thanks for sharing it!

It's 73°F and calm with lots of sun and occasional cirrus clouds. I took a too-short 15-mile bike ride through woods and around the lake; one maple completely turned to fall foliage stands at the edge of the lake like a flame. The sweet gums are starting to turn. I love these trees; the star-shaped leaves turn all possible fall colors, yellow and orange and deep, vibrant red and even dark purple.

Click to view full size image

I don't understand people who walk or ride with earbuds! Aside from the whole safety issue, they miss so many nice sounds! I heard a white-throated sparrow's "O sweet Canada Canada Canada" today, and numerous cardinals and mockingbirds. Water rippling over the creek bed, children whooping in play, and the frenzied scrabbling of a kamikaze squirrel who appeared intent on being run over. (Dumb squirrel! He lived to see another day, but barely.) I also heard a small plane starting up, and though I was tempted to ride over to the little airport, which is close to the lake, to watch the take-off, I refrained.

I was startled once by a doe, who was just a few feet from me, saw turtles sunning themselves, and woolly bears, so perfectly colored for Halloween, marching along the path to wherever woolly bears go. It is a perfect fall day. The forecast for the next four days is clouds, rain, and thunderstorms.