Monarch Butterflies!

Horseweed. Horseweed, and the monarch butterfly. My wife once read a book called Bicycling with butterflies. The about reads as follows "A few years ago, outdoor educator and field researcher Sara Dykman decided to do something no one has ever done before—pedal along with monarch butterflies over the entire length of their 10,201-mile migratory journey. She did it alone, on a hand-built bicycle, through three countries."

My wife ended up learning a lot about the elusive butterflies and how they are endangered. They're endangered due to landscape-scale threats, pesticides and climate change. But there are some things we can do to help. Two simple things are to not use pesticides on your lawn and to let things grow! Things like horseweed and milkweed.

My wife and I are not the type to use any kind of yard treatment for weed or anything of that nature. Grow don't mow is our motto. And because of that, we found that we have horseweed that grows in our yard.

The monarch butterfly loves horseweed. We have seen them every year in our yard since we have let this stuff grow. Finally last week I was lucky enough to capture a picture. I couldn't believe it! Take a look.

This is the best picture I think I've ever taken of any butterfly. To see a monarch butterfly today is really rare and I could not be happier to have had the opportunity to see one this close!

My wife and I try to keep a friendly yard to the wildlife in our area. From birds to squirrels, to butterflies and deer. We enjoy having them all.

You can see our window bird feeder which has brought so many different types of birds. Birds I never knew we had in our area. The squirrels also love the black oil sunflower seeds as you can see. So, I did end up getting them their own feeder. 

They have yet to notice their new food joint, but hopefully soon I will have pictures to share!

That's a look ay my window this weeks. I'll be back soon with more!

Take care.

Amazing!

Hidden Valley Animal Adventure is what you're seeing out my window today.

CLICK HERE FOR THE WEBSITE

My wife found this amazing little day trip. Hidden valley animal adventure located in Varysburh, NY. We packed up and headed out for another amazing experience.

This place is a petting zoo and also an animal adventure where you can drive through the "wilds" and gte up close and personal with all the different animals you normally wouldn't. You can purchase feed buckets and give them some snacks along the way.

There were many different animals along the drive. On their site they say that they have over 350 animals and 35 different species. So, clearly there are too many for me to list. So instead, here are a few pictures.

There is just something amazing about being this close to animals this size! I never would have thought I would be going along and suddenly a Bison head is in my truck lol.

This Elk was truly amazing as well. So big and so beautiful. I could not believe the antlers on this guy. Pictures and words cannot do these creatures justice.

Then of course, we had to finish off the day with some of the cute little animals at the petting zoo. Little ponies, goats, lamas, and donkeys. 

We were given little cups of carrots to pass around. The little goats were like puppies lol. That's really the only way I know to describe them. They were like little dogs enjoying the people and the snacks. I always feel bad for the animals that are a little bigger and forgotten about by all the kids there. Speaking of the donkeys in particular. So I made sure to give them some extra pats and carrots.

All in all, it was a wonderful experience and I'm so thankful and grateful to my wife for always being the one to find cool adventures like this for our family. I would highly recommend!

Until the next peak out J's window. Stay well and stay healthy!

Lammas Or Lughnasadh The Pagan Holiday Celebrating The First Harvest!

What a great weekend my family had. The August heat was with us, the blue skies, the calm breeze. It was amazing! We got to celebrate one of the pagan holidays. A little late mind you, but we did get to celebrate. When you are working full time and new parents, you have to do what you can, when you can.

The holiday was Lughnasadh. Lughnasadh, is one of eight pagan holidays, along with the fall equinox, Samhain, Yule, Imbolc, the spring equinox, Beltane, and Litha. Lughnasadh, also called Lammas, falls on August 1, roughly halfway between the summer solstice and autumn equinox. Lughnasadh, is the pagan holiday celebrating the first harvest. At this time of the year the garden is ripe and ready for the harvest to begin.

Modern pagans celebrate Lughnasadh as a harvest festival, when the first crops of the year would traditionally have been reaped. Lughnasadh’s alternate name, Lammas, derives from the Old English term for “loaf mass.” It originated from early English celebrations of harvest time, during which loaves of bread were consecrated.

My wife and I don't have a very big garden. However, we make do with what we have. One of the things we have that were ripe for the picking were cucumbers. So, what better day to harvest them than Lammas!

We only had 5 ready to harvest. Which I think is pretty good considering we only have 2 plants lol. I sliced them up, made a nice brine, and canned 4 jars for pickles. Canning is one of the new skills I developed two years ago when the world was in a shutdown during Covid-19. I don't can foods often, however it is a nice skill to have. I really felt like I should come out of lock down having learned at least one new skill lol.

We also made it to the beach as it was very hot! Head index was pushing 98 degrees. That cool water was amazing. Getting out in nature is always a must for my family. Especially so on a holiday.

Living in the modern world. My wife and I try to celebrate these holidays in a modern way. With trying to hold on to some old traditions. We grilled up some sweet corn, made mashed potatoes from scratch. (The only way to do it in my book). And, grilled up some chicken with fresh rosemary from our garden as well.

In holding true to tradition. Bread is a big part of this holiday. So, my wife baked up some homemade banana bread. It. Was. A-mazing!! I may be the "Cook" of the family, but she truly is the number 1 baker!

A day outside in the heat. The beach, the kiddie pool. We got out in the garden and was able to harvest some herbs and cucumbers. Had a delicious meal. It was a perfect day!

I hope that anyone who is reading this random blog is having a nice summer. Thank you for stopping by my little window in the world.

Take care.

 

Lightning

 Lightning has always been something that's scared me. Its unpredictable, its deadly, and it can hit you even when it's not raining.

I saw a video on the weather channel that I had to share. Lightning striking near the white house. 

4 people were hurt by this lightning strike. 2 have since died and 2 are in critical condition in the hospital. Lightning is dangerous! I've been caught more times than I can count while out on a run in a thunderstorm. One time was just last week. A pop up storm out of nowhere. I picked up my pace a bit and started looking for shelter. Of all places I wound up in a graveyard where they had a mausoleum type thing you could go inside. So, that is where I rode out the storm for the next half hour.

Lightning is truly terrifying. My heart goes out to those 4 people. I want everyone to be as safe as possible when it comes to storms. So, I think now is a good time to share some lightning safety reminders.

Lightning: What You Need to Know

NO PLACE outside is safe when thunderstorms are in the area!!

If you hear thunder, lightning is close enough to strike you.

When you hear thunder, immediately move to safe shelter: a substantial building with electricity or plumbing or an enclosed, metal-topped vehicle with windows up.

Stay in safe shelter at least 30 minutes after you hear the last sound of thunder.

Indoor Lightning Safety

Stay off corded phones, computers and other electrical equipment that put you in direct contact with electricity.

Avoid plumbing, including sinks, baths and faucets.

Stay away from windows and doors, and stay off porches.

Do not lie on concrete floors, and do not lean against concrete walls.

Last Resort Outdoor Risk Reduction Tips

If you are caught outside with no safe shelter anywhere nearby the following actions may reduce your risk:

Immediately get off elevated areas such as hills, mountain ridges or peaks

Never lie flat on the ground

Never shelter under an isolated tree

Never use a cliff or rocky overhang for shelter

Immediately get out and away from ponds, lakes and other bodies of water

Stay away from objects that conduct electricity (barbed wire fences, power lines, windmills, etc.)

I don't know, this post is about something!? lol

 I haven't posted here in a long time. Things kind of got away from me. (I also know that basically no one reads this blog lol) Really no one reads blogs at all anymore. But that's okay. That isn't what this is about. I don't write on here really for other people. If someone reads and enjoys it than great. If not, no big deal.

I was thinking this morning as I got up and started scrolling through Redditt, seeing all the hateful comments and rude people, how hard it is to truly keep a good headspace and peaceful mindset in the age of technology and the internet. Where everyone has a keyboard and therefor a "Voice". It's hard! There seems to be a lot of negativity out there. Or at least I should say that that is my current impression. I was thinking about where I could go online and not have rude negative people blasting the comments. Tearing others down and just being plain mean!. And I couldn't think of a place. Then I remembered my blog. I thought to myself (maybe you can't think of a safe place online, but you can make one). And that's what has prompt me to post here again. I call this blog "Breathe Good News" for a reason. No it isn't always news. And no it isn't always good! But it's not mean. It's just what I'm doing or thinking about at the time. And I want to try and get back to it. So here I go!

I made a digital drawing for the first time ever the other day. (It's nothing special or well done by any means lol) I just wanted to make something to try and capture faking it when you live with anxiety. Which I'm sure a lot of us are in the age of Covid-19.

Work is hard right now. People are angry and touchy it seems probably due to Covid-19 still going on since 2020. I find myself taking a lot more deep breaths now. Listening to a lot more chill music like Jazz. Watching light hearted things like the Olympics. All just to escape the high intensity stress and anger that seems to be surrounding me projected from other people in the average day to day. It kind of makes you want to hibernate in your home and pretend that your personal home bubble with your family is all that exists lol. So maybe that's what you do? Maybe that's the solution for not letting everyone else's negative energy get to you. Let things roll off your back! 

How are you dealing with things right now? Are you overwhelmed with work, are you noticing people  projecting stress and rudeness? What is your method for relaxing and not letting it get to you? Please share in the comments.

I've been trying to find joy in the little things. I love my family! They are a BIG help. I try to do things that I enjoy as often as I can. Sometimes it is hard to make time, but making time is something we have try to do. Reading has been great for me. When I don't feel I have time to read I will usually do an audio book. Exercise obviously is a must for me. This winter has been good also as there have been a lot of snowstorms to track. Weather watching has always been a hobby of mine as I'm sure you can tell from older posts in this blog lol. We have to do the things we like to keep us grounded and chill. Life can be only about work. Our jobs are not our life. Well, my job is not my life at least. I can't live that way lol.

So here's to getting through another day by letting all the negative things roll right off your back!

Stay well, stay happy, stay nice! 

Christmas Lights In The Snow!

 Good morning everyone! The winter weather is here.

I woke up this morning to a world of snow. A winter wonderland if you will. I know we had some snow in the forecast before I went to bed however I was still surprised and pleased when I first looked out my window.

There is nothing like Christmas lights glowing under a fresh blanket of snow. It just puts a smile on your face. Well, it does mine at least lol.

We didn't end up with a whole lot. I recorded right about 2.1 inches in my own backyard. I'm still waiting on more snowfall amounts to come in. I will try to post a map once I have those numbers. But from what I can tell at this time it seems most areas picked up between 1" and 3" with higher amounts out around Buffalo where they had some lake effect snow.

Today we can expect highs in the middle 30s around 37 degrees. However it won't feel like 37*. I'm also seeing winds today between 15 and 20 mph with gusts around 30 or 35 mph possible. Which would make it feel in the low 20s for much of the day! So bundle up if you're going to be out.

Our next chance at any snowfall won't be until closer to the weekend. Friday / Saturday is how it looks at this time. Not seeing anything major right now.

Stay safe if heading out. Wear your mask and allow extra time to get where you're going as this is the first accumulating snow of the season and roads will be slick.

La-Nina Winter And What It Means For Us. 2020 - 2021

Okay. So I have been pressured into getting this 2020 - 2021 winter forecast out! lol My Aunt is very adamant about having this done. So here it is. Keep in mind however that these long range forecast have not always been my strong suit. So take this with a grain or two of salt.

With that said. Lets dive in. I will try to keep this short and sweet.

The first thing to notice with this long range forecast is something called "La-Nina". La Nina is a weather pattern that occurs in the Pacific Ocean. In this pattern, strong winds blow warm water at the ocean’s surface from South America to Indonesia. As the warm water moves west, cold water from the deep rises to the surface near the coast of South America. This has a great effect on what kind of winter season we will have here in the states.

Looking at this chart above you will see that the CPC is forecasting a weak to moderate La-Nina going through to March of 2021.

This chart below is showing the percentage of the La-Nina during each month.

Please feel free to click on these images to enlarge them.

So what does a La-Nina weather pattern typically look like here in the states? Well, take a look at this map below and it will give you a rough idea. Again this map shows a typical La-Nina. Nothing here is set in stone.

A La-Nina weather pattern typically means warmer and drier weather in the southern parts of the country with usually cooler temperatures and more weather systems in the northern half of the country. Now depending where you live in the northern half of the country will decide what you actually experience this winter. Areas near Min, and IL, as well as parts of IN, could see above average snowfall. As you get closer to the east coast things get a little more tricky. Areas around the great lakes as in Buffalo, and Rochester, NY could also see slightly above average snowfall. But as you go more east say near Albany, NY you see more wet rainy / icy weather and less snowfall. 

Looking at this map above I do believe that areas in that "Wetter" section could see at least one or two bigger snow events. Not major snow dumps exactly. But slightly above average. I'm thinking it'll be a bit of an up and down winter. Some mild days and some big drops in temperatures. But overall temps near average for the most part.

Here is a bit of a break down month to month on temperatures and snowfall looking ahead.

The chart above is showing you a month to month break down of what people can expect in central Indiana (Lafayette) moving forward. Take some time to look at the projected snowfall compared to average as well as the difference in temperatures.

Below is a chart showing month to month for the city of Rochester, NY looking ahead as well.

If that isn't enough I have put together a very simple map showing the grand total average annual snowfall for both Lafayette, Indiana and Rochester, New York along with what my projections are for the entire winter 2020 - 2021 season. Take a look.

So that's the 2020 - 2021 winter breakdown as it stands currently. I hope this helps give you all an idea as to what we can expect. 

Please continue to stay healthy. Wear a mask and be smart!

Have a great weekend.