Tag Archives: Ice

Daily Catskills: 03/27/15

32F at 9am, a light icy rain and the remnants of last night’s fog lazing over the mountains. The snow banks have dissipated and a grungy landscape is emerging. 36F at 1.30pm and no rain.

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© J.N. Urbanski 12.30pm There’s a swimming hole in there if you look hard enough

Daily Catskills: 03/20/15 Spring Equinox

© J.N. Urbanski Sprouting seedlings planted on 15th March

© J.N. Urbanski Sprouting seedlings planted on 15th March

It feels like spring has been put on ice, but don’t put the cork back in the champagne yet. Today, March 20th is the vernal equinox, with two additional bonus features of a solar eclipse and a perigee moon, in which the sun looks about 15% bigger than it usually does: dubbed a “Supermoon”.

For the 24 hours of the equinox, the durations of the day and night are equal because the sun shines directly at the equator. The suns rays are perpendicular to the earth. When you live in the mountains, you notice the position of the sun more keenly and during winter months it rises and sets much lower than its summer east/west positions. Days will now start to get longer until the longest day of the year, which will be the June Solstice.

So the days may be long, but nothing has sprung except the indoor seedlings planted last Sunday 15th March and sprouting in the spare bedroom. If you don’t have a heated greenhouse outside, you can “start” your seeds inside, but don’t use potting soil: use peat. These cauliflowers are five days old.

Daily Catskills: 12/31/14

Officially in the teens, the temperature this morning was 17F, with a 4 degree rise to 21F by lunchtime.  Fast flowing water is no match for the chill, and the ice is framing even the sides of even the bigger falls.

© MGP&D  Seventh and Final Day of the 7 days of waterfalls: Stratton Falls

© MGP&D – Day 7 and Final Day of The Seven Days of Waterfalls: Stratton Falls