Afternoon Storm

  For the past eight days it's been hot and dry. We had some rain on 08/27 but other than that, we've had a stretch of 15 days without rain. That's odd, especially with August recording over 13" of rain. It simply tuned off.

 Yesterday was the hottest day of all  (a 95° high) and also the hottest of the season. I recorded no temperatures that high last year, either.

 While I was watching radar yesterday mid-afternoon, storms started forming to our NW. I walked into the back yard as they neared and listened to the approaching thunder.

 At 3 pm the storm arrived.

 We received a notification to take shelter. Certainly the winds approached 60 mph as some local law enforcement reported. The Tempest recorded 7370 lightning strikes within about 25 miles of here.

 Here's what radar looked like:

4:12 pm - 09/04 - Credit: Southwest Ohio Weather Freak

 We have lots of smallish limbs down. I cleaned the largest up this morning but it's going to take some time to get the small stuff. I may just mow it.

 Most notable was the instant drop of the temperature. It fell from the 95° high to about 70° in what seemed like minutes. It was actually chilly.

 Sadly we received only 0.15" in the rain gauge and that's not enough to even water the lawn.

 I awoke to thunder during the night. And radar is still showing thunderstorms upstream of here. But it looks like they'll miss us to the NE. So that may be the end of it.

Later: I was taking a short nap when Tom went out and began burning limbs ... and collecting more. It's now hours later (and 87° and humid) and he's shirtless and still at it. What a job!

Autumn Crocus

  Many people don't know about the Autumn Crocus and I didn't know we had any until a couple of years ago. I obviously planted them and forgot. They're in the nature reserve and about two years ago I mowed a path through there that happened upon the spot where these are growing. I was actually startled by the lavender on the ground.

 I do remember seeing the lily-like leaves in the spring and never knew what they were. But once I had identified them during their blooming cycle, I watch for them every fall.

First seen on 09-01-26

09-03-26 (all the rest of the photos)

 They're planted behind (west) where I have naturalized the daffodils.

 Oddly, the bulbs are not bothered by squirrels. They also disregard the  daffodils but I cannot have any other spring bulbs (tulips, hyacinths, etc.). This year I also noticed that all the Surprise Lilies ("Naked Ladies") are gone.

 As pretty as they are,  the plants are toxic so it's good thy are not in the yard where Parker might get to them.

Having a Drink

  With all the rain we've had in August (almost 14") we've had only  half an inch in the last ten days. It's actually getting quite dry out. Thus the probable explanation for what we're witnessing at our hummingbird feeder. Or rather the "ant moat" above it.

 I keep the moat filled with water. It's certainly a small source ... but it is fresh water.

 Enter this squirrel ...

 I was doing lunch dishes today when I realized I was being watched. I called Tom to come and take a look.

 This is the set-up: a maple conveniently located  by the kitchen window where we can watch hummingbirds at the feeder. Or birds using our assortment of birdhouses. Or woodpeckers and other birds at our two suet feeders.

 And squirrels.

 It's a stretch but the squirrel can hang by her toenails (I think it is female) and manage to sip water from the ant moat. I found it draining too quickly a month ago and I happened to see the squirrel then also.

 She'll drink a bit - upside down yet - and then stand atop the branch and lip her lips.  I'm sure, as small as the source is, that it's still a great refreshment and handy. She has found the perfect source to satisfy her thirst in this tree.

07-30-26

 I first saw her do this trick a month ago today.

Partial Lunar Eclipse

 11:10 pm - 08-27-26

 Last evening we were treated to a partial eclipse of the moon through it came very close to being total at 96.2% coverage. I began watching the Earth's shadow cover the moon at about 10 pm. The shadow slid up from the lower left and had already taken a big bite out of the moon.

Here's another full-frame shot taken within minutes of the first one.

 I found using my cell phone quite difficult (the pictures above were taken with a Canon SX20 IS on a tripod). By using Expert Raw on my phone I got this:

11:17 pm - 08-27-26

• The timing for the eclipse was this:

• Penumbral phase begins: 9:23 pm ET
• Partial eclipse begins: 10:33 pm ET
• Maximum/Peak phase: 12:12 am ET
• Partial eclipse ends: 1:51 am ET
• Penumbral phase ends: 3:01 am ET

 By 11:30 pm there were enough clouds that the eclipse was obscured. I took my tripod and camera down and closed up shop. But I looked out my bedroom window at about midnight and there was just a small spot at the top of the moon which was still lit. I felt lucky that a hole in the clouds allowed me to see this.

I went to bed and awoke hours later and the moon had moved well to the west and was again bright and full.

The next penumbral lunar eclipse visible from here is on February 20, 2027.

The next total lunar eclipse for Dayton isn't until June 26, 2029.

Will it Ever Stop?

  August is the traditional month where we see brown, parched lawn and cracked, barren soil. Not so this month.

 I just read 3.35" in the rain gauge at 7 am. I've been keeping daily readings for 52 years and I don't ever remember a reading like that. Not even in the heavy rains of spring.

 What's more, the month is now over a foot! I'm at 13.19" and the month is only two-thirds complete.

 I went to bed at my usual 10:30 pm and I briefly heard a storm approaching. I might have heard it raining but I don't remember much more. The Tempest shows all hell breaking loose:

 These extreme rainfall rates went on for hours. This morning the sump is working overtime and on my walk back the neighbor's lane I saw the result of the overnight flooding.

 Here's a wider view of the rainfall:

 And the lightning:

 There were 230 strikes recorded by the Tempest: 90 on 08/19 and 140 on 08/20.

 Notice the weeds and grasses laid down by the water. This is a seldom-used swale, trying to transport the excess water away from the con field.

 Looking the other direction (NE) there is plenty of water still waiting to make an exit to Little Twin Creek.

 Water is standing everywhere, else audibly running where hidden by the stand of corn.

Our annual rainfall is at 42.96" through this morning. Our normal annual rainfall is about 40.50". And we've got over four months to go.

When Tom got up I told him how much rain we had and asked me if I heard an "explosion" at midnight? He figured it was thunder so I watched the video from my outdoor security camera starting at midnight. The lightning flash is at 00:21 (see top left of the frame).

 By the way, the forecast "flooding risk" was pretty much spot on.

Credit: BAM Weather - Indianapolis

 And here's what actually happened:

Credit: WHIO-Dayton Nick Dunn

 I am in that pink area just to the SW of Dayton. There apparently were two areas of training thunderstorms and I was "lucky" enough to be under the southern one.

Credit: CoCoRaHS

You Stink!

  You know how you can be looking right at something and not see it? I think the same goes for smell. For the past several days when I've been walking back the neighbor's lane I caught the scent of something memorable, if not pleasant. And yet I never stopped to identify the smell.

 Today I was walking Parker back the lane and the scent wafted across me again. That's when it hit me what I was smelling was stinkhorn.

 But could I find the source of the odor? I walked slowly, scanning the edge of the muddy field. And there it was - actually there they were - two stinkhorns. They had come up through the mud and stood at the edge of the corn.

Stinkhorn #1 - 8:17 am - 8-17-26

Stinkhorn #2 - 8:17 am - 8-17-26

 How many times in my nearly forty years at Pinehaven have I seen stinkhorns? I could only remember one. But Tom said we found one in the nature reserve in recent memory. Yes, I find I blogged about it on November 13, 2021.

 The first  time was in a flower bed in our front yard. A tree had been cut there and I think the rotten stump gave rise to this fungus. It was a remarkable stinkhorn, huge and brilliantly red. It was not to be missed.

 Read more about the stinkhorn here. And they're common in corn and soybean fields.

08-18-26: I kept an eye (and nose) out as I  walked this morning and found another stinkhorn about a third of a mile back the lane. This one looked quite fresh in the early morning light. I didn't have my phone with  me then but when I took the dog for a walk I was prepared. Here it is:

Stinkhorn #3 - 9:29 am - 8-18-26

Later (08-20-26): Last night's heavy rain has brought up a new crop ...

 

Derecho?

  They're rare but the NWS is now calling what I thought we had a derecho.

Credit: WHIO-Dayton Nick Dunn

 But the official word is that the derecho did not make it to Ohio. I find that hard to believe.

  Here's how it began:

08-11-26 - 9:11 am - Farmersville

Tuesday, 08-11-26: We traveled to Mason and I watched radar while we were there. There was no doubt something major was already in the Dayton area and moving south towards us. Later the radar app I use in my car was showing this:

08-11-26 2:52 pm

 And here's what the view out the windshield looked like:

08-11-26 2:42 pm

08-11-26 2:42 pm

 This looks like a shelf cloud to me and it's the leading edge of the cluster of storms which is mowing SE.

 The rain gauge read 1.52" at 7 am (08-12-26). That brings the month up to 6.71". Normal for August is 3.08".

 Posted on Facebook early this afternoon:

Credit: WHIO-Dayton Nick Dunn

 And here's a look out my back door ...

Still later, the NWS has conformed the derecho for Ohio, too.

Credit: WHIO-Dayton Nick Dunn

Wednesday, 08-12-26:

Looking south out of my bedroom window.  There's just nowhere for all the water to go.

Thursday, 08-13-26:

 7 am reading: 1.89". Storm total: 3.41". August total: 8.60"

 More rain on tap for tonight. This graphic shows the risk ... though the NWS is placing the area of highest rain west and south of here. We have a break today but by tonight the rains will return.

Credit: BAM Weather (Indianapolis, IN)

Friday, 08-14-26:

 Last night was not even remotely as predicted. We had 0.55" bringing the storm total to 3.96" and August to 9.15". I've reviewed other stations and this is correct. In fact my station was higher than most other local stations.

Credit: CoCoRaHS

 That said, we had one hell of storm between 2:30 am and 4 am. I don't think I've ever seen more constant lightning in such a short period of time. The Tempest recorded 3976 strikes between midnight and 8:30 am.

 Parker snuggled against me but wasn't bothered by the storm. I had a hard time sleeping, particularly for that hour, because I was worried about the power going out and the one sump left helpless (I have a second that is battery backed-up). I could  just imagine water rising in the basement.

 Today it looks like more rain, though nothing heavy or severe. We're coming out of the other side of this series of storms. 

WLW Tower

  Every time we're in Mason, Ohio, I marvel at the stately WLW tower. It's a commanding presence in the neighborhood which once must have been lonely farmland off Tylersville Road.

 A few facts: it's about 750' in height. Originally it was 834' when it was built in 1934 but later reduced. And it weighs 200 tons (they say it places "approx. 450 tons of total downward weight/pressure resting on its single base insulator". And that weird shape with the widest part in the middle? It's called a "Blaw-Knox diamond-shaped cantilevered vertical radiator".

My question, of course, is why this shape? A friend who is ham says the shape concentrates "more electrical current near the middle height of the tower which pushes the signal outward along the ground rather than letting is escape straight up into space".

 That signal is WLW-AM at 700 kWz, a 500,000 watt "Class A clear-channel station" powerhouse.

 My ham friend said it was hated by Hitler because it could be heard in Germany. Hitler called them "the liars of Cincinnati".

 A great virtual tour of the station can be found here.

 Here's the location:

Credit: Google Maps

NBC Blooms Anew

  Some time ago Tom took a start off of mom's Night Blooming Cereus. The "mother" plant last bloomed almost a year ago (click here) but this one has never bloomed. It tried once while it was on the back porch but the bud fell off. Tom suggested we bring the plant back indoors so it has been on the enclosed porch for some months.

 I noticed three buds about a week ago when I made the rounds watering the house plants.

Buds early yesterday (08-05-26) ...

 Last evening about 10 pm all three buds began to unfurl.

 For such an ugly plant, the flowers are equisite, almost otherworldly.

 This third bud had barely begun to open when I went to bed.

 I remember the flowers having a sweet scent on occasion but again this time there was none.

Next day: Tom said when he went to bed he could smell the flowers. And when he woke during the night the scent was still present in the house. I went out and checked them at about 2 pm and they look like deflated balloons. But they do still have a sweet scent!