Just Like That -- Another Month Rolls Away

Again, One Day at a Time turned into several quick groups. This is actually the fastest changing time of the year, anyway, it always seems that way to me. I think of the days from the end of October until right after New Year's Day as being the Holiday Season. And, normally, this time-frame zips through in a quick-step fashion. Enjoy each day, since they go by so quickly!

11/30/2008 - An early morning cloud bank provided a reflective layer for the sun this morning. The low clouds hung around the mountains to the east for much of the morning but allowed for mostly sunny conditions around the area. Thickening clouds moved in later in the afternoon but not before the sun warmed us with a high of 50 degrees today. Not a record, but very pleasant conditions which allowed a trail ride on the horses.

Cloud Bank at Sunrise


11/29/2008 - More clouds than sun today. No precipitation though, so the latest streak of dry days is continuing. The total for the month is close to the historical average now after being ahead for the first part of the month. Even with the dry days, the creek continues to flow but not at a very full level.

Mostly Cloudy over the Hills Today


11/28/2008 - A mellow day after Thanksgiving day at the ranch. No Black Friday shopping, just taking care of the animals and watching the clouds drift through.

The Three Trees in Early Morning Light


11/27/2008 - A bright sunny Thanksgiving Day at the ranch. The frozen pond reflected the morning sun.

Morning Sunlight Over the Frozen Pond


Thanksgiving at the Ranch


11/26/2008 - A passing band of clouds moved through the ranch area just before sunrise. The low angle of the sun gave colorful highlights to the morning. Just a light covering of snow pellets covered the ground this morning. After the passing clouds, full sunshine again is present to brighten up the day.

Highlighted Clouds Just before Sunrise


Afternoon Clear Sky to the East


11/25/2008 - Clear sky again today around the area. Since each day is a little shorter, the sun now is lower in the sky as it makes the move above the hills from the southeast to the southwest. Full shadow covers the pastures already by a little after 3 PM. The temperatures continue to slip down into the middle teens overnight under the clear sky conditions.

Sun Low in the Mid Morning Sky


11/24/2008 - Continuing clear days also mean frosty days. Today, was clear with just some high clouds streaming through the sky. At the morning animal check, the horses all had frosty whiskers from the cold and moisture.

Winnie with Frosty Whiskers


11/23/2008 - It was a bright sunny start today. The morning had a bit of frost on the ground and in the air, but it faded as the sun continued through the day. The clear conditions should mean another cool low overnight tonight.

Sunny Morning along the Fence Line


11/22/2008 - Mostly cloudy this morning. There was just a trace of snowfall that stayed for just a short time on the coldest spots on the ground and on the pond ice. The temperature just pushed out of the 30's today. The cloudiness continued for most of the day with little or no additional precipitation falling.

Light Snow on the Pond


11/21/2008 - The days continue with a lack of seasonable temperatures (it's warmer .. that's okay) and no snow cover (that's okay, too, it'll be here soon enough). This morning the horses grazed in the upper pasture again during the morning walk with the dogs. Later in the day, some sunlight made the afternoon warmer for one more day.

Horses in Upper Pasture


11/20/2008 - Variable cloud conditions overnight again kept temperatures from plunging into the depths. Just a little ice on the unheated tanks, but that went again with another day showing a mix of clouds and sun. The maximum was a little cooler with the temperature just edging into the 40's. But heck, no snow, and good conditions for any kind of (non-snow and winter) outdoor activity!

Stopping at the Bench during Morning Dog Walk


11/19/2008 - Well, the grim forecast for a big change in conditions did not take place. There were some streaks of clouds that went through during the middle of the day, but except for a bit more of a breeze, nothing much else happened. Still a continuing mix of sun and clouds and temperatures above the averages for the day.

Tree Silhouettes and Horse Shapes


Horses Graze in the Winter Paddock


11/18/2008 - This is expected to be one of the last in the sequence of mild weather days. The forecast is calling for more seasonable conditions in a day or so. Today was mostly sunny with the high clouds of the last couple of days passing through again. The maximum temperature set a record today.

Sunrise Over the Pasture


Sunrise and the Old Barn


11/17/2008 - High overcast conditions allowing a filtered sunlight for most of the day. The overnight low was moderated by the mixed cloud cover.

Morning Horse Talk


Sun and Shadows Across the Pastures


11/16/2008 - More periods of sunshine today than there were clouds. The increased sunshine allowed temperatures to rise into the mid fifty range that is quite mild for this time of the year.

Morning Sun Over the East Hills


Sunset on the Swan Range


Sadly, tonight at the last animal check, one of the young cats, Marco, was found to have passed away.

Marco : (09/2006 - 11/16/2008)


11/15/2008 - Not so cold overnight due to an increased mix of clouds. The day continued that mix and temperatures made it into the middle 40's.

The Horses Grazing the Day Away


11/14/2008 - Mostly clear conditions overnight resulted in a frosty morning. It was a day with moon set at sunrise. The sun cloud mix allowed daytime temperatures to rebound for a pleasant day.

Moon in the Morning, Going Down Soon


The Three Trees, Just Before Sunrise


Sunrise Through the Trees




11/13/2008 - There were some breaks in the clouds throughout the morning. The full moon was seen just before it disappeared to the west. During the morning walk with the dogs, the sun made several attempts at appearing between the clouds to the east. Breezy winds kept a mixture of clouds, rain, and sun going across the sky as the day continued.

Clouds, Sun, Mix in the Sky Today


11/12/2008 - The morning started with clouds and rain. The dog walk was rather wet but pleasant temperature-wise. Continuing clouds with light rain is the plan for today.

Horses in the Morning Rain


Rain and Fog in the Valley to the East


Froggy Conditions Continued through the Day


11/11/2008 - After just a short peek at the sun this morning, the ranch weather continues to be cloudy with periods of light rain. The creek now is flowing through the entire ranch. Although mild temperatures are around again today, the forecast is calling for heavier rain over the next couple of days and some snow is expected in higher elevations.

Short Sun Period for Today


Veteran's Day, 2008 -- Together, We Served



To all who have served and to all who are now serving in military service to our nation: Thank you for your service to the United States of America.


During an unpopular time, two of my brothers, and I, all served in the military service for the United States of America. It was a time of unrest in the country. There was an ongoing, unpopular war. There was no Pearl Harbor and there was no 9-11, to stir the nation patriotically and make the option of military service one of desire and honor. In spite of that, three of us from one family found ourselves in military service. Lee, the youngest, volunteered, and signed up into the United States Air Force in January of 1968. Robert (Bob) received a draft notice in 1968 while working for Sperry Rand in Phoenix, Arizona. I received a draft notice as my first piece of mail after returning from my honeymoon. My service in the United States Army began on September 28, 1970.





Robert (Bob's) Service Summary:

o United States Army : December 1968 - December 1971
o Fort Campbell, Kentucky : Basic Training
o Fort Gordon, Georgia : Advanced Individual Training (AIT) 35n20(auto Stab) and 102f5 CH-54 Flying crane
o Fort Gordon Instructor 06/1969-03/1970 Flying Crane
o Phu Loi RVN 04/1970-04/1971 Cobra flight line tech then shop NCOIC 334AWC
o Stuttgart Germany 05/1971-12/1971 flight line tech then line chief 129th Trans Co.
o Final rank Specialist 5 (E-5)



Daniel's Service Summary:

o United States Army : September 1970 - March 1972
o Fort Knox, Kentucky : Basic Training
o Fort Bliss, Texas : Advanced Individual Training (AIT) Nike Hercules Guided Missile Crewmember
o 03/1971 - 03/1972
o Vicenza, Italy transferred from Guided Missile Unit to Military Pay Specialist
o Tirrenia, Italy Military Pay Specialist
o Final rank Specialist 5 (E-5)



Lee's Service Summary:

o United States Air Force : January 1968 - October 1975
o Lowry Air Force Base, Denver CO
o Overseas service with two tours of duty in Thailand


11/10/2008 - There was a bit of clearing overnight and the stars showed through for a short time. For the most part, the day continued a string of days with clouds, some light rain, and mild temperatures for this time of the year.

Time for a Little More Rain


Clouds and Light Rain to the East



The Kittens, Aggie and Torrie, Continue to Grow


11/09/2008 - Clouds and fog returned for another day. The creek has continued filling the reservoir and now has moved through the culvert to fill the pond that was full of fallen leaves.

Pond and Fallen Leaves


11/08/2008 - More clouds around today combined with a fairly thick fog. Light rain fell this morning. Both the morning and the evening had thicker fog. For the day, the temperature was fairly constant with only a seven degree range during the entire day.

Horses and the Morning Fog



11/07/2008 - Mostly cloudy today combined with a sprinkle or two of rain and even some light snow. There was little temperature variation staying in the 30's throughout the day.

Cloudy Light Rain and Traces of Snow


11/06/2008 - Sunny and as a result, a bit cold start to the day today (upper teens). During the walk around the ranch this morning, the dogs enjoyed sniffing around in the fallen pine needles and the horses grazed high on the hill in the sunshine. After the walk, Ginger warmed up in front of the fireplace. Later still, the new kittens enjoyed a little horse back sitting. Then, as the day ended, high overcast morphed into total clouds.

Taffy and Cinnamon Sniffing Tamarack Needles


Shadows and Horses on the Hill in the Sun


Ginger, Warming near the Fire


Kittens, Aggie and Torrie, on Winnie's Back


11/05/2008 - Mostly cloudy day again today. Little precipitation (none actually, during the day). The cool temperatures of the day are giving a hint of the winter to come. With the bit of rainfall during the last couple of days, and since less moisture is being used by plants, trees, and grasses, the creek has begun to refill the reservoir. It is seasonal in nature, and tends to quit about the beginning of July and return now, or a little earlier in years with more Fall rain.

All the Leaves are Brown


Reflection of me on the Filling Reservoir


11/04/2008 - Since it was election day today, I elected to mostly stay inside and keep warm and dry. (I already voted, though). The dogs enjoyed the same election day decision. It was a good thing, too, since during my short trips outdoors there was a combination of rain and snow (not much snow though, just enough to coat the cold spots in the morning, but it soon dissolved from sight).

Morning View with Light Rain and Snow


Animals Hibernate as I Did Today


11/03/2008 - The sun returned early this morning to give a golden glow across the pastures. It is expected to stay clear for most of the day. So, back I go to complete the tasks left behind when the rain came yesterday.

Golden Grasses in Morning Sun


11/02/2008 - Mostly cloudy conditions have been around all day today. There was a brief attempt made by the sun for its appearance, but the clouds overcame the effort. Just after finishing the chores this afternoon, thicker clouds rolled in and dropped rainfall for an hour or so. With the earlier end of light for today anyway, I decided to leave any remaining outdoor events to be done on another day.

Sun and the Three Trees


Approaching Clouds, with Rain Falling Five Minutes Later


11/01/2008 - The day, and the month, started clear and sunny. There was a little ground fog visible in the valley. Once the sun rose higher, the trees were again glowing with the Fall colors. The sky turned increasingly cloudy during the mid-day and it was totally cloudy by the evening.

Morning Sky Shortly before Sunrise


Still Fall Colors and Sunny Conditions this Morning


Sun Rays in Light Morning Fog