Microclimates

I like to look at temperatures and weather conditions where I live, play, and visit and I appreciate all the people and organizations who maintain weather stations around the world. It's interesting to see how places just a few miles apart can vary in weather data because of their particular location. That is really apparent whenever Santa Ana or Sundowner winds are in the picture. I noticed this yesterday when it was a very mild 69 degrees at work in South Oxnard and the weather.com magnet told me it was 78 degrees in Ventura. This morning at 6:10, the Weather Underground station in the Ventura Keys shows a temperature of 45.9 degrees with 66% humidity and no breeze, while the station just east of our house between the 101 and the 126 shows 57.3 degrees with 40% humidity and a north-northeast wind that just increased from one to two miles per hour as the sun will be rising soon.

See You Next Time

Alan is flying home tonight and I almost feel like we had a little vacation ourselves! It's been nice to spend time with our old friend and to look at where we live through a visitor's eye. (Never mind all the cold rain - the snow that still hasn't melted is fantastic!)We had a nice dinner at Cholada with Mitch and Julie last night and Alan and I walked around Bubbling Springs Park and Hueneme Beach on my lunch hour. I'm so glad he finally got some sunny days at the end of his vacation!

Super Tuesday - New Snow on the Mountains!

Okay, I'm sure most people are no longer interested, but I'm still amazed by all the snow - new snow - that appeared after this latest storm blew through!I went to the Channel Islands Harbor to take some pictures at lunch and was pleasantly surprised to see this Great Blue heron along with the beautiful snow panoramas! I uploaded them into a small format, but click on each photo to get a better look.


Alan came back in time to watch the election results but he also got a big monitor to make looking at the photos stored on his laptop more entertaining.

A Rainy, Blustery, and Mellow Super Bowl Sunday

The latest storm arrived from the north around 3 this morning and dropped .6 inch rain before blowing out this afternoon. Dick arrived at noon and it was nice spending the day catching up, sharing photos, and making music together. Mark and Kathy dropped by during the game and added more music, (delicious cookies!), and mellowness to the blustery afternoon. The posting title will link you to some pictures.

The Snow is Still on Our Mountains

Rain, warm rain, is predicted for tonight and tomorrow so this may be the last time we'll get to see all this snow as we travel around the county. It was cool but sunny again today - a really beautiful winter day! (And a beautiful "pink moment" as the sun was setting!)

Addendum: I just realized today's significance (besides it being Jane's birthday!) and end with this quote my friend, Judy V, emailed me:

This year Groundhog Day and the State of the Union Address fell on the same day.

It's an ironic juxtaposition: one involves a meaningless ritual in which we look to a creature of limited intelligence for meaningless prognostication on subjects he doesn't understand.
The other involved a groundhog.
(Click on the photo of Punxsutawney Phil to read about this year's prognostication.)