The current weather map indicates fair and mild weather for our local area through Monday. The chance of rain showers mentioned here earlier for Friday has evaporated and we are looking at a great weekend.
The weekend is an ideal time to get outdoor chores accomplished and of course be sure and make the trip to the pumpkin patch, as I cannot guarantee the following weekend will be dry and warm. Extended forecast models hint of some rain later next week and our chances of dry weekends will dwindle quickly as we enter the last half of October.
Highs today through Sunday should be in the 70- to 75-degree range if we get enough sunshine, as there most likely be some clouds filtering across our skies at times. Another trough of low pressure slides down off our coast and spins across Northern California and Southern Oregon this weekend, but any rain showers remain far to the south.
The Oregon Chapter of the American Meteorological Society will host a free seminar at 10 a.m. Oct. 19 at OMSI on what our winter weather will be like.
If you look carefully and close enough at the outdoor surroundings one can notice nature quickly preparing for the winter weather soon heading our way. I have a squirrel running to and fro along the fence in my backyard carrying foodstuffs in his mouth as he acrobats between the narrow fence line and adjacent small trees.
Carefully studying the ground, I noticed a narrow highway of ants traveling in both directions carrying what they could. They would stumble and drop their heavy load, and another would pick it up and move quickly along. It was one for all and all for one. It reminded me of rush hour along local freeways.
All kinds of bees were lazily working the remaining blossoms in preparation of snuggling down huddled in the hive for the winter. And what can I say about the playful grasshopper that suns itself in the weakening sunshine playing its fiddle? That is one insect in nature that does not prepare for winter weather.
What are you doing to prepare for our winter weather? I’d rather be like the grasshopper, but I know from my decades of living to be diligent like many within the realm of nature.
