Gale

Another one of those pesky jet stream loops arrived with high winds that dried up what rain fell overnight.  The National Weather Service said, "South winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph expected." There was more rain around 8:30am, but not as much as I'd like.  The only bird that ventured out to the feeder was a cardinal.  A few gulls played with the gusts over the creek. Later in the morning we got more of a soaking. The rain was very directional - only the South side of the oak got wet. 

As we ate lunch I saw a Carolina wren and the bluebird pair. A damselfly bumped along the window.  Crane flies and bumblebees clung to shelter.  The wind made waves on the creek flow downstream even though the tide was rising.  A streak of debris and trash followed the wind's direction. 

Around 2pm the sun was visible through the overcast.  Low clouds blew past from Southwest to Northeast.  I was outside to drive off starlings before they gobbled up all the suet.  A blue jay and a downy woodpecker scolded me.  Trees thrashed in the scary wind gusts.  And by 3pm the clouds were patchy with stretches of blue between.

The wind finally slacked off in the late, sunny afternoon.  Remarkably, it was still room temperature outdoors at dusk.  Venus shown brilliantly above the pines on the West side of the house.