The Crossing

Linking again today with Skywatch Friday from aboard the Powhatan on the James River.

Waxing Crescent

Jamestown-Scotland Ferry under a waxing crescent moon.

Linking today with Skywatch Friday.

James River

Shot these photos this past Thursday evening before the effects of Tropical Storm Ophelia began to be felt.

Sunset on the James

Linked to Skywatch Friday

Weather Station

 

I could enjoy, I think, having a weather station like the one at York River State Park shown above but I doubt my homeowners association would approve. :-)

 

 

Partly cloudy sky over Jamestown High School.

 

Linking today with Skywatch Friday

Signs

 

 

I sometimes think summer will last forever, and that these days when afternoon temperatures reach into the 90s will never end. Then . . . I look up, like I did yesterday, only to discover that, in fact, as Bob Dylan put it, "the times they are a-changin" after all. That epiphany came when I noticed the walnuts dropping from this tree, a sure sign that autumn is on the way.

 

Late Summer

There are some definite signs here that summer is beginning to wind down. There are no less than four low pressure systems off in the Atlantic somewhere, something anyone with any modicum of sense living near the coast pays attention to. Also, schools are ramping up. And, hey, we're smack dab in the middle of the NFL's preseason, and the Washington Commanders actually won their first game! Of course, it IS only the pre-season and we all know, I think, what that means--or doesn't. 

Anyway, I'm still enjoying some our late summer blooms. Here are a couple I came across just in the past few days.

(Mostly) Clear Skies

Well, with the exception of yesterday's brief and passing storms, conditions here have been mostly sunny and warm, with afternoon temps in the mid to upper 80s. Quite nice, actually.

Still keeping my eye(s) on the sky at Skywatch Friday. 

Mild May

We're enjoying an unusually mild spring so far, with sunny skies and afternoon temperatures only in the low to mid 70s. Frequently I hear people passing me on my walks say things like, "Enjoy it while you can!" And I know exactly what they mean. The combination of heat and humidity that this region is known for is bound to return. In the meantime . . .

Skywatch

Linking to Skywatch

 

Tulips

This weekend we're back to cold, wet, and windy conditions. So it's refreshing to recall these scenes from earlier in the week.

Yellow

This is no April fools joke! It's spring here in southeast Virginia and I'm definitely feeling it. My nose is stuffy and it feels like someone has wedged a ball of cotton between my ears! BUT, at least the scenery is nice and our local master gardeners are once again hard at work.

 

In the Air

 

Spring is definitely in the air. All you had to do yesterday was to breathe deeply and to feel the pollen threatening to choke you. Still, the sun was out and the temperatures, for a change, were actually beginning to edge up into the category of what I would call true spring. Nice! Even the birds seemed to be loving it as they appeared almost everywhere, singing and chirping--Mockingbirds, Towhees, Bluebirds, Nuthatches, Chickadees, to name only a few of them that I saw.

Equinox

Happy vernal equinox, everyone!

 

Sorry, Pasadena!

 

Snow in Pasadena? Not here. While it was cold and rainy yesterday, Friday was gorgeous! Much more like sunny California. :-)

Buds

 

I don't want to give people the wrong impression. It's not like Williamsburg is now suddenly bursting with color. It's not. But there are definite signs that spring is on its way, my favorite season of the year.

Variable

After staring at bare branches for weeks and weeks now, it was pure joy to see trees beginning to bud, although I am concerned that it might still be a tad early. I checked my records, though, and saw where we've had similar temperatures before. But we've also had very cold temps. So I guess you would have to say our weather here in southeast Virginia is, in a word, "variable."

Shadow

 

Looks like it's going to be harder and harder to find one's shadow here in the next few days as rain and, yes, even a chance (small, probably remote) of snow are forecast.

Mares' Tails

It's odd how even though I know that the world is growing warmer, I'm feeling colder in the winter. Maybe it's age, or anemia, or maybe I just need some warmer clothing. Maybe, too, yesterday's clouds had something to do with it. I understand that these so-called Mares' Tails only occur at very high altitudes where temperatures range between -50 to -40 centigrade! Just the thought of temperatures that cold sends shivers down my spine. Brr!!

Furnace

 

Not the most Christmassy of photographs, to be sure. But given the intense cold that so many of us are experiencing right now, I thought it nonetheless appropriate. This is the gunsmith's furnace in Colonial Williamsburg. Most telling, though, is this next photograph taken just moments after the tourists above had left. :-) Stay warm!