Heavy rain all morning and cold, rising to a high of only 46F, low of 41F. Mist in the valleys mid-afternoon. Intermittent rain in the afternoon. Chilly.
Monthly Archives: May 2021
Daily Catskills: 05/28/21
Getting chillier: dull and overcast for most of the day with a grubby, matte blanket of cloud. A high of 54F and afternoon rain continuing into the evening. Overnight low of 41F.
Daily Catskills: 05/27/21
Getting cooler: a high of 70F with mixed sun and clouds. Canada mayflowers join the forest crew of spring ephemerals.
Daily Catskills: 05/26/21
A hot start to the day, 73F by 9.30am, rising to a high of 86F: the afternoon sky looking like it was stolen from a film set. Much-needed rain begins at 5pm and continues intermittently until just after sunset.
Lilac Lemonade
There are all manner of syrups and mixers that you can make with spring blooms: but one plant we haven’t covered here is lilac because it has such a short window of blossoming. It has reached its prime in the last week here in the Catskills. Lilac has such a distinctive, unique flavor and pairs well with any citrus, but tastes better in lemonade. To add a little body, add some thyme to the mix to make this a mixer that works better with gin.
For A Lilac Lemonade (with or without thyme)
Pick a ziplock bag of blooms for every mason jar. Cut them off the stalks. Stuff only half of them in the mason jar if you’re adding thyme. Add a quarter cup of freshly picked thyme, then add the other half of the bag of blooms. Steep in the fridge overnight and strain in the morning. It will go bright pink.
Daily Catskills: 05/25/21
A warm sunny morning, rising to a high of 77F. Blazing sun despite some cloud cover.
Daily Catskills: 05/24/21
Sunny and bright despite the clouds that become ominous early evening. Breezy and warm with a high of 68F.
Daily Catskills: 05/23/21
More gorgeousness. A high of 81F with a mix of sun and clouds, early evening rain and fog on the peaks. A sultry day. Grasses are high and filled with ticks. Hay season on the horizon.
Daily Catskills: 05/22/21
Sunny despite the milky blue cloud cover. Humid with a high of 82F. Balmy. Planting of seedlings continues.
Daily Catskills: 05/21/21
A bright morning warming up to a sweltering high of 87F, well, sweltering for this time of year. Bees doing their first swarm of the season (the dark mass at top right).
Daily Catskills: 05/20/21
A day of mixed cloud, but still hot in the sun, with a high of 83F. Another scorcher. Lilac blooms.
Daily Catskills: 05/19/21
A high of 83F, humid and hot. Cool in the creeks.
Daily Catskills: 05/18/21
A spring scorcher: a high of 76F and mostly sunny.
Daily Catskills: 05/17/21
A warm morning, mostly sunny and a high of 73F. Brief mid-afternoon rain with the cloud cover breaking up into jigsaw puzzle pieces at sunset.
Daily Catskills: 05/16/21
Warm and humid with milky blue clouds. A high of 71F.
Daily Catskills: 05/15/21
A warm and sunny Saturday. Rolling clouds with grey undertones and a high of 71F.
Daily Catskills: 05/14/21
Clear skies all morning with the odd faraway cloud and a hazy horizon, with clouds moving in mid-afternoon. Warm and humid with a high of 69F. Fields full of new white wild flowers to take over from the dandelions. Lilac budding. Brief early evening rain produces a double rainbow.
Daily Catskills: 05/13/21
Balmy, with huge clouds looking like an armada of space ships and a high of 64F. Rivers still running high and spruce tips busting out.
Daily Catskills: 05/12/21
Rolling clouds, a high of 61F with the landscape of greens becoming greener by the hour in the warm sunshine.
Daily Catskills: 05/11/21
Periods of sunshine with billowing cloud and a high of 55F.
Daily Catskills: 05/10/21
Gloomy and overcast. A high of 52F. Threatening rain all day and finally delivering at before sunset.
Daily Catskills: 05/09/21
A sunny morning leading to afternoon rain. Overcast and raining for most of the afternoon and a high of 47F.
Daily Catskills: 05/08/21
Humid and overcast with rain for most of the day, ending just before dusk. A high of 48F. Fields of dandelions closed for the day.
Daily Catskills: 05/07/21
Another gorgeous day: a beautiful morning with a cloudless sky, rising to 58F. Cool in the sap bush.
Daily Catskills: 05/06/21
Finally, the sun comes out. A high of 58F and a hazy sky. Ramping continues.
Daily Catskills: 05/05/21
Overcast and misty with fog hugging the mountains and a high of 58F. Rain for most of the day ending at dusk.
Daily Catskills: 05/04/21
Humid and overcast with fog curled snugly over the peaks. Some rain and a high of 71F. All colors of green budding in the lush forest. Gorgeous.
Daily Catskills: 05/03/21
Overcast and humid, rising to 61F by mid-afternoon with a light breeze. Sprinkles of warm rain at noon turn heavier by mid-afternoon. Heavy rain and fog for the rest of the day.
Daily Catskills: 05/02/21
A cold start to the day rising to 73F by noon with blazing sunshine and billowing clouds. Trees budding. Tractors out. A great day for planting.
Daily Catskills: 05/01/21
Spring in the Catskills: “frostbite in the morning, sunburn in the afternoon”. Overnight snow on the peaks and overcast with a bitter wind, rising to 60F and sunny by mid-afternoon with fat cotton wool clouds.