Wait a minute … it’s Monday?!
Oh, I get it … “THANK GOODNESS IT’S FALL!!!!”
Well that has me smiling bigtime!
And, Fall could not come soon enough as this Summer’s erratic weather has left me totally undone.
Many of my blogging pals and followers in North America and beyond have been sizzling like steaks or burgers on the grill and Southeast Michigan has had its share of wonky weather too. After a three-week drought in June, Mother Nature turned on the showers, with more rain than usual, giving us one of the wettest Summers in recent history and resulting in lush lawns, the likes of what you’d see in the Springtime. The Robins were happy for that rain which brought lots of worms and everywhere birds splashed happily in shallow makeshift birdbaths the result of potholes and uneven roadways.
Here in Michigan we similarly sweltered with humidity and heat spikes that brought erratic weather as Mother Nature continued on her mission to wreak havoc with multiple types of weather misery here, there and everywhere. The topics of hurricanes, tornadoes, torrential rain, earthquakes and wildfires have filled our respective news feeds for months in what climatologists tell us was the hottest Summer recorded in the Northern Hemisphere, maybe even on Earth – yikes!
And, as we processed that info, there was the usual round of jokes about the endless hot weather, with suggestions on how to bake cookies on your vehicle’s dashboard, or cook lasagna in your metal mailbox. Fellow blogger Shelley reported their driveway was 128F/53C and a snake never finished slithering across that concrete, as it cooked itself first – ugh!
The temperatures were red-hot for the 4th of July and Labor Day weekends.
Then, on those occasions when the hot weather cooled down radically for one day, we laughed at memes like “the temperature went from 90 to 70 like it saw a state trooper” (even though you don’t need me to tell you that a weather switcheroo like that really isn’t all that funny at all).
Southeast Michigan was impacted by seven tornadoes in the month of August. We had torrential rain and severe flooding on August 23rd racking up a month’s worth of rain (3.5 inches/8.9 centimeters) in six hours. The following day, the humidity and dew point levels were equal and extraordinarily high helping to fuel six tornadoes on the evening of August 24th. Those tornadoes touched down and did damage, all within 15-40 miles from my home. I won’t lie to you about how scared I was that night as I anxiously watched while severe weather approached. I did some virtual hand-holding with a friend, prayers were said more than once, then, at 10:40 p.m., with my emergency radio in hand, I donned a bicycle helmet and headed to the basement to await the all-clear that the closest tornado had passed by.
While thankfully that particular tornado never reached my City that night, just 15 miles away, an EF-1 tornado raced through Lake Erie Metropark’s golf course and its 105 mph wind and 5.4-mile (8.6 kilometer) rampage ended at the Detroit River. Other tornado damage in the nearby Gibralter area was still visible nine days later as I drove down West Jefferson Avenue to Lake Erie Metropark on September 2nd. Even though the bulk of the damage had been cleared from the main road, the sight of a huge fir tree snapped in half like a toothpick, massive tree branches littering front yards everywhere and even Phragmites reeds bent over sideways from the fierce 90 mph wind reported that night in Gibralter were worrisome.
Multiple high wind events this Summer worried me …
… as I imagined the same dead tree that dropped branches and caused a downed power line and fire in my backyard on December 2nd might have another episode. A few nights I stayed up to the wee hours of the morning, ready to head out the door if another downed wire/fire occurred.
We did have some wildfire smoke to contend with this year, but I really didn’t grumble as that weather woe seemed mild compared to how the rest of the world was suffering with each catastrophic weather event.
So I embrace the arrival of Fall … glorious Fall, even though the long-term weather prognosticators tell us this strong El Niño will bring a warmer-than-average Fall. I am still going to pack away the shorts and tee-shirts and don flannel shirts and jeans for those nippy mornings.
On a positive note, we are slated for a mild Winter – woo hoo, now that is something to crow about!
What does my little furry friend say about the Winter of 2023-24?
No, not Parker, or any of my other furry friends at the Park, where their peanut-stashing ratio in late Summer has been “eat one, bury one” but, as the chillier air settles in, often more peanuts go into the ground than the mouth. Begging increases, running over to sit on haunches and look extra cute as each walker passes on the perimeter path, even those that have never tossed them a peanut. (“Oops, so sorry to have bothered you, you don’t feed me, but you have a friendly face.”) So, I compensate and help them out even more in the Fall and Winter months as you know if you’ve been following this blog for a while.
I was actually mentioning my little friend below, a Woolly Bear Caterpillar, that I saw at Council Point Park a few weeks ago. The Woolly Bear Caterpillar is specially adapted to survive in freezing temperatures and will spend its Winter hunkered down somewhere and cocooning, much like some of us will do. That caterpillar will emerge as an Isabella Tiger Moth next Spring. If folklore is to be believed, the legend of the Woolly Bear Caterpillar is that the upcoming Winter can be predicted by the size of the segments in its brown and black “bands” i.e. the wider the rust-colored bands are on the back of the Woolly Bear Caterpillar, the more severe the Winter weather will be; narrower rust bands means a good and mild Winter. Hmm.
So let’s apply that reasoning to my furry friend below:
These scarecrow and harvest pics were taken on a recent stroll around the ‘hood. I honed in on the houses that always decorate, often with the same décor from year to year. I enjoy seeing scarecrows and the jeweled colors that signify Autumn’s arrival.
Forget those lazy, hazy, crazy days of Summer – my favorite season of all has arrived.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Ah yes, perhaps it’s time to visit the nursery and get some mums for our porch! (Thanks for the reminder with your pictures. 🙂 ) All those colorful, cheerful pictures brightened my day. Wondering if they have wooly bears down here. I do hope all that frightening weather is well behind you and becomes a distant memory soon. Best wishes for a fantastic fall and the mildest of winters, my friend.
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I do love the harvest decor Barbara and the mums especially. My favorite harvest-decorated house was not displaying their wagon filled with mums yet. They are just gorgeous. Glad to brighten your day with these photos. I’ve actually seen several of these caterpillars this year, all with the same “band” configuration. Thanks for the well wishes for our upcoming weather – I am sure I aged a few years with this erratic weather!
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Linda – you’ve survived one of the craziest weather summers ever. Kudos to you that you’ve been unscathed, unroasted like my snake, and you’re still as clever as ever with this colorful post about the arrival of Fall! I’m keeping my fingers crossed that your mild winter predictions come true.
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Yes, I am grateful for surviving all the erratic weather Mother Nature gave us this Summer Shelley. It has not been fun in the least. I had to mention “your” snake as I was amazed to hear that it was roasted crossing the driveway. I heard another weather prediction for a mild Winter today … fingers crossed this happens!
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And, you’re still getting erratic storms this week. We’re getting some of the rain you’ve had (finally) but it’s kind of a downer since the last week of summer is too wet to enjoy.
I’ll keep my fingers crossed for the mild winter!!!
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I’ve heard several long-range weather reports since the first day of Fall – ALL say a mld Winter and it may be that way for you as well – finger crossed.
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I’m going to add this prediction to the post-it note I wrote about us complaining about the weather back in March 2023! 😉😊
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Yes, see if they are right … maybe those flamingos that stopped in your state knew something we humans don’t know!
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Maybe…now the geese have returned to compete with the turkeys. It’s going to be an interesting winter!
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Yes, it will … I’ve seen lots of geese in V-formation lately. Don’t know if they are migrating or just pulling into a rest stop for a bite to eat. 🙂
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I’m embarrassed to report I hadn’t heard about the flamingos until you said something! That was an unusual sight to see in WI!
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Glad to share that with you Shelley and you thought only the Lions were visiting Wisconsin. 🙂 I had heard about one sighting, then Diane, a fellow blogger, mentioned the flamingos in Wisconsin. They’ll freeze their pink tushes off if they stay there much longer!
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Thank you! Yes, they’ll be mighty shocked at the temps there this coming week. Hopefully they’ve headed south by now!
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I’m rejoicing with you that your recent weather is behind you.
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Thank you Anne – it was rough, especially the night of the tornadoes. I’m sure I agd a few years that night!
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Your situation was frightening.
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Let’s hope that winter doesn’t bring crazy weather of it’s own!
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I know – they keep saying we’ll have this warm Fall and very mild Winter. I’m all for that but yes, Mother Nature might have a few tricks up her sleeve. The fear of the unknown. 🙂
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The almanac (and who really believes that?) says we will have a snowy winter. Not a fan of too much snow.
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I agree about the almanac, although every year the rep from there is on my all-news radio station giving their long-range prediction and claiming such-and-such a percent accuracy. Hope they are wrong for as that messes up our respective walking regimens!
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As the locals tell us, we survived a test of sorts by making it through our first summer here in the South. The heat/humidity rose precisely on July 1st and backed down precisely on September 15th. I’d say we’re here to stay. Easy to say it wasn’t a rough 2.5 months when looking in the rear-view mirror, but you certainly learn the ways to deal with it. Get the active stuff done in the morning. Learn to ignore the sweat. Pound the water. Travel to cooler climes. But yes, fall is most welcome, even if the threat of hurricanes on the coast continues for another couple of months. Recent mornings have been cool (if not crisp) and before we know it jeans and jackets will be standard attire for many months.
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I have a friend who grew up in South Carolina and she said that in the Summertime it was horribly hot and humid and despite dressing in light and airy clothing, you still were feeling wilted as soon as you stepped out the door. I imagine the biggest change for you and your wife, besides enduring the heat and humidity, was lack of snow having lived in Colorado. What a drastic change. Have you developed a Southern drawl yet Dave? When I worked at the diner, there were only two of us that weren’t from the Deep South. I loved the idioms, the friendliness, the genuineness of people I worked with and our customers, most who also were from South. I am glad you are settled in and there to stay and live far enough from the coast to be unaffected by the hurricanes. I welcome crisp mornings!
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Fall is also my favorite season. It’s when we finally see the signs that a miserable Southern summer will actually come to an end. Oddly enough, while other areas of the country were having hotter than normal summers, ours was actually milder than normal. We didn’t have temps in the 90s until July, which is almost unheard of, and we never had multiple days in the 100s. It was wonderful but we all kept waiting for the other weather shoe to drop.
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Linda, it’s always been my favorite season, since I was young. I’m no fan of the heat and humidity and Summer only redeems itself with me in that there is no snow and ice to be concerned with. The older I get, the less inclined I am to be walking on snow and ice. It sounds like you lucked out … hopefully your Fall will not make up for Summer heat-wise.
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Your summer was nutty but you came through. I love fall, too. And I admire people who can create pretty fall scenes with stuff and pumpkins, making their houses look charming. Me? Cannot do that.
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Ally, I cringed every time the weather forecast was for high heat and humidity as I knew we’d have a humdinger storm to break those temps. I was keeping a list – way too many severe weather warnings. Not fun worrying all the time and Summer just didn’t feel very fun to me this year. For Fall I hope Mother Nature redeems herself. There is another house I often take photos of, but they had not put out their wooden wagon filled with mums yet. They must have 15 mums, all different colors, plus a huge scarecrow on a wooden form. Always festive. Every year I say I’ll make a small harvest display, but don’t.
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I love that bird with the hat on the swing, Linda! That’s my kind of Fall. My mystery tiny bird is still visiting our oak trees and the acorns are being to grow remaining on the trees.
I’m sitting outside on the backyard patio. It is perfect temperature right now. Hard to believe that the high yesterday was 102. The morning lows are 75.🍂
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Glad you liked it TD – a cute crow swinging caught my eye on my walk around the ‘hood. I hope you can get a close-up of the mystery bird some day and do a Google Image search and find what it is.
Oh, that seems so dreadfully hot and uncomfortable but is your humidity high at the same time?
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Yes the humidity was heavy yesterday. But today a cold front came in with the dew point at 75 which makes for a dry air day. Lovely this evening.
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Low humidity is great – we had low humidity here all weekend (for a change).
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Yes yesterday the humidity was heavy. A cold front came in today and put the dew point at 75 which makes the air dry. Lovely.
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I love fall, too. And I admire people who can create pretty fall scenes with stuf. That you’ve been unscathed, unroasted like my snake, and you’re still as clever as ever with this colorful post about the arrival of Fall! M
Beautiful photos.
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Glad you liked the photos Raj.
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Thanks, Linda 💗
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I love the scarecrows, very sweet! The tornados sounded terrifying, hope the weather becomes and stays calmer.
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Clare, I always take a trip around the neighborhood to look at the harvest decor, especially the scarecrows – they are all so sweet, so I always make sure I have the camera. Decorating for harvest, then especially Halloween, is really big over here in the States, second just to Christmas. The severe weather we’ve had all Summer has been very scary and that night with all the tornadoes was terrifying to me and I hope we have a calmer Fall and Winter.
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Your favorite season has arrived!! I love your posts with the cute scarecrows…they have such a variety of expressions. Every fall I think about getting some, but then I wonder where I’d stash them the rest of the year?!
You’re right…we were “sizzling like steaks” this past summer. In the west, the El Nino is supposed to bring lots of rain, maybe like last year. It was wild how much rain we got and it was refreshing after the years of drought we had.
Happy fall, Linda!!
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Yes, my favorite season Esther … even if it means it leads up to Winter – sigh. I hope you don’t get the rain like last year which kept you indoors a lot of time, caused Chris’ accident and you all getting Covid You had horrible heat – ours was bad, but not day in and day out like California and Texas. I always know what streets to go to find scarecrow pics as those same homeowners either buy them new every year, but the same type of scarecrows for their decor, or the existing ones stay in good condition. I always go out early in harvest season before the rain drenches them. I like the short scarecrow people with feet … I once bought a scarecrow girl to match the house. Very cute and she was on a stick and it wobbled and when I took a hammer to pound it into the ground better, the stick split in half and the scarecrow fell apart.
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Well that definitely wraps up what summer was like Linda. You found so many cute Halloween decorations. Did you see where Pink Flamingos were in Wisconsin? They think the hurricane pushed them this way, I think global warming!
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Yes Diane – you’ve got it … the Summer that many people would like to forget. Right now it is cold and drizzly, but they say it will be hot and sunny from Friday on, even close to 90 a few days. So the gears in my brain are already turning – more volatile weather? It’s almost October! I really love the harvest decor – I don’t decorate, but love to see everyone else’s porches or front gardens, especially if it’s scarecrows. I did hear about the Pink Flamingos in Wisconsin … of all places to go where it will soon be so cold and snowy and where a fellow Wisconsin blogger posts pics of deep snow in their backyard – snow from October til almost May. Poor Flamingos … hope they turn around and go back to Florida! Global warming sounds like the reason to me too.
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Linda, I really enjoyed all your wonderful fall photos! Our days are finally mostly pleasant again after such a hot summer, but the mosquitoes are most bothersome. I’m looking forward to the day I can be outside without mosquitoes doing sneak attacks. I’m glad that you were spared the August tornado. Sounds like a very scary night.
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Thanks Rebecca. I really like the harvest decor in the neighborhood … it’s so festive. We are having a cool spell the last week, below-average temps, but starting Friday we will have temps in the 80s, close to 90 so I’m already fretting about volatile weather, so I hope that doesn’t happen. It was very scary that night … I went downstairs, not knowing what to expect after an anxious night monitoring each of the tornadoes as they approached, but I was so relieved to be spared. I fear this stormy weather will be the norm every Summer now with global warming. We have had two cases of West Nile virus from mosquito bites in the last few weeks and doctors advised to go out in long-sleeves and long pants. I had a mosquito bite on the elbow – I didn’t feel the mosquito and couldn’t believe the size of the bite!
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I have started wearing long sleeves when I take the dogs out. Unfortunately, they swarm around the dogs and try to come with them. I really hate it when we get a mosquito in the house.
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I forgot about your dogs – oh that is difficult to keep from having the mosquitoes come in on their fur. Those mosquitos are hard to catch in the house too. When you want them to land on you in the house to swat them, they don’t land on you, just buzz around. I had a wasp come in on my hair or clothes last year – it was buzzing around the kitchen light fixture. It had to be on me as I would have seen it come through the door.
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Oh, that’s awful. I’d rather have a mosquito than a wasp in the house. I’ve always hated wasp.
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Yes and I’ve found that wasps are silent; you’d think you would hear them buzzing but I never do.
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It is funny, because while there is not all that much geography between us, we in central Indiana had a summer that was cooler and drier than average, and with no really significant storms. I was pretty happy with the result, although Fall is definitely an upgrade in my book.
I had trouble making out your wooly worm picture – was that a really wide band of brown? If so, I hope you keep those caterpillars up there. 🙂
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I like your Summer better than our Summer JP … I could hardly wait for Fall and now, as I left the house this morning, bundled up with hat and gloves at 41 degrees, I was not so sure. We are 40 degrees colder than last Sunday. Sigh. Unfortunately it was not my best shot of our caterpillar friend but his rust bands are a wee bit narrower than the dark bands, so a milder Winter. The meteorologists also say El Nino will bring a mild Winter – I am happy they agree with the wooly worm as I’m no fan of ice and snow.
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