Wash Day - 12/4/17

     Shiver me timbers! Woke up to a blanket of freezing fog this morning. The meteorologic term is radiation fog. It occurs when clear skies and no wind during the night allow enough heat to escape for the air to reach its dew point. Then water vapor condenses into liquid water. The droplets in fog are tiny but there are enough of them to dramatically reduce visibility. It's like a stratus cloud at ground level.

     Yesterday was warm, calm and damp. Last night a super-moon peeped thru clouds that gradually dissipated. Perfect conditions for the cooling that produces fog. With the temperature right around freezing this morning, the moisture also gilded leaves and branches with frost. A vivid demonstration of water in three physical states - solid, liquid and gas.

     I love to wander Washington County taking in what makes it special - geology and landforms, plants and animals, architecture and all that people have created. But I also like to eat and have a roof over my head. Seems like providing those basic necessities takes ever more time and labor. The result is long stretches with little opportunity for the exploration I so enjoy.
     But even when work-shackled, you can still enjoy the sky show. Late fall, with its shifting weather, colorful sunsets and early evening stargazing is a gift. We're so lucky to have the circle of seasons and the variety they offer. Pity the poor folks in Hawaii with their monotonously perfect weather patterns. If anyone would like to contribute to my airfare, I'll volunteer to go there and offer our condolences...