Head in the Clouds Amherst: November 2016

Sunday, November 27, 2016

Day's End in November

Day's end in November - Mt. Pollux, Amherst MA
Photo by S. Vardatira, 11/27/2016

“It is also November. The noons are more laconic and the sunsets sterner, and Gibraltar lights make the village foreign. November always seemed to me the Norway of the year.”

Emily Dickinson, Letters, 1845-1886

Nightfall from Mt. Pollux tonight was more eventful than anticipated, as the clouds closed in with the darkness, eventually giving up their moisture in the form of rain at first, then sleet and a brief interval of hail. A chilly, biting, true November evening in Amherst.

Thursday, November 10, 2016

Simple Gifts

Sunset tonight over Simple Gifts Farm, North Amherst.

Photo by Sharon Vardatira, 11/10/2016

Saturday, November 5, 2016

Daylight Saving Time Ends Tonight (and why it's not about the farmers)

Sun in Winter, Photo by S. Vardatira

Ben Franklin did not invent it, nor does it have anything to do with helping farmers - just a few things you may have wrong about Daylight Saving (not Savings) Time. And while we're on the topic, it ends tonight, so set your clocks back one hour. And enjoy today's last sunlit late afternoon until next spring.

Click here to learn eight things you probably don't know about Daylight Saving Time

On Puffer's Pond

Saturday, February 4, 2023, 3:35 pm: The past two days have seen record-breaking cold in the area, with the temperature dipping to -14F overnight, Friday into Saturday. To make matters worse, the wind was unyielding, whipping through the trees and driving wind chill readings down to -40F. In a season that had been unusually mild up until that point, it was something of a shock. Local residents were suddenly forced to think about warming up their cars, preventing pipes from freezing, and dressing in multiple layers to walk their dogs. By Saturday, while many were happy to hunker down and wait for temperatures to stop breaking low records, this was the moment that ice fishers and skaters had been waiting for all winter. With temps hovering around 12F (albeit above zero) by Saturday afternoon, Puffer's Pond was the place to be for about 30 people, many of whom were spread out over the ice, either ice fishing or playing hockey. While this is a fairly typical sight at Puffer's in the coldest winter months, our current lack of snow made it unique. No one had to contend with snowpack - the skaters didn't even have to clear a "field" for their game. And with all the hiking paths snow and ice-free, photographers had no trouble capturing water flowing through, under, and around layers of ice on the water. And, still, at 12F, without hand and foot warmers, I did not linger long. The temps will be rising quickly in the coming week, climbing well above freezing, even to 50F in the days to come. So, I'm guessing the skaters and ice fishers also won't be here much longer.

(Read past entries here.)

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