2023 Estelline Trip

[JEBar]

60 when we got up this morning with the forecast calling for 90 later today with some strongly worded alerts of potential heavy thunderstorms moving through tomorrow afternoon and evening .... with our kids and grandkids being here during the first couple of weeks and a steady flow of Maureen's relatives since our kids returned home, today is our first where we have normal, relaxed conditions .... over the last few days we've taken care of several small things that simply needed to be handled .... examples: giving our Ninja WoodFire Grill pellet smoking area a thorough cleaning --- replacing some burned out bulbs --- rotating water softeners --- Maureen is testing her new Braun MultiQuick Hand Stainless Steel Stick Blender >>>https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B085G ... UTF8&psc=1<<< that I bought last November and gave her for Christmas (so far, so good) --- my Garmin GPS has been returned for them to repair or replace .... the last of the cooking utensils I want for use with our outdoor equipment have been ordered --- cleaned both of the campers AC filters

[JEBar]

56 when we got up this morning, 64 as this is being typed, on its way to 73 later today .... solid band of rain moving across the state from west to east .... looking at it on radar, if it holds together, it should get pretty stormy around here during the mid to late afternoon and over night .... biggest decision that needs to be made today is --- what to fix for dinner .. .. I do enjoy days like this ..

[daytime dave]

Hope you stay dry Jim!

[JEBar]

that is our hope as well .. .. just checked the radar .... the front is still to far west to be seen but its most certainly on its way ....

[JEBar]

the forecast for an overnight thunderstorm finally proved correct and one rolled through around 3AM .... not much in the way of lightening and only a single clap of thunder .... rain was a different matter .... according to the rain gauge on our site we got 1.1" .... there is no doubt that rain was most beneficial to the local crops .... 57 when we awoke, a predicted high later today of 77 .... no more rain mentioned in the local forecast for the next 2 weeks .... nothing much on the agenda for today .... I hope to finish treating both sides of a new, large bamboo cutting board with food grade mineral oil .... if all goes well, I hope to be able to take care of doing the same thing to 3 smaller ones tomorrow ..... in response to an often asked question, no I don't like using synthetic cutting boards .... while they do have some advantages, I began using good wooden ones well over 50 years ago and I have no desire to change

[JEBar]

we awoke to another cool but beautiful morning in east central South Dakota .... yesterday no mention of rain today .... this morning the forecast is calling for just over 50% chance of thunderstorms this afternoon .... the last coat of mineral oil has been applied to our new cutting boards .... when they dry later this afternoon they will be ready for use .... I've ordered a series of cookbooks that are specifically designed for our Ninja WoodFire Grill .... they are supposed to be here later today and I'm really looking forward to seeing what they have to offer

[JEBar]

yesterday's 50% chance of precipitation resulted in .1" of rain in our site's gauge .... today they say we have a 45% chance of getting up to .11" more .... I never cease to be fascinated at such precision forecast .... I'll be home alone for most of the day .... Maureen will be going to Sioux Falls (70 some miles) with some other family members to watch one of her nieces play in a fast pitch softball tournament .... I hate to not go along but it falls to me to stay here with the pup .... 66 degrees when we awoke, they are calling for a high of 83 .... considering the baking temps just south of here, our weather has been outstanding

[Shakey Jake]

I'd settle for 83° afternoon temps for sure. I just checked the temperature here in Sugar Land (taken at the SL Airport) and they're reporting 100°.
Jake

[JEBar]

temps like that are a major motivator in our desire to spend our summers in eastern South Dakota ..

[JEBar]

today is a smoky one, rated as Unhealthy, with an AQI (Air Quality Index) of 174 .... per the release : "Health effects can be immediately felt by sensitive groups. Healthy individuals may experience difficulty breathing and throat irritation with prolonged exposure. Limit outdoor activity." ..... happily, I don't recall seeing many days like this over the years that we have spent the summer's out here .... its currently 71 degrees going to a high today of 77 .... currently an 8 mph wind, gusting to 15, out of the WNW .... no rain in the forecast

[Shakey Jake]

It's 103°right now mid-afternoon here. No rain all week and flora and fauna are looking like they need a drink.
Jake

[JEBar]

that's plenty hot for us .... sure glad temps in that range aren't spreading this far north


today's AQI of 149 is 25 points lower than yesterday, it still carries an "Unhealthy" warning which states "Health effects can be immediately felt by sensitive groups. Healthy individuals may experience difficulty breathing and throat irritation with prolonged exposure. Limit outdoor activity." .... looks like a good thing we have another day with less than nothing planned ..!!.. the seasons have ended for all of the family's kids who play on various baseball and softball teams .... with the air pollution, that's a good thing .... 72 right now with a steady 11 mph wind out of the west and 17 mph gust .... it is supposed to get up to 78 later today before dropping back to 49 tonight .... very happy to get notice that a replacement for our faulty GPS should arrive from Garmin tomorrow .... hopefully, it will prove to be a good one

[JEBar]

happily, the haze is gone and the AQI (Air Quality Index) is 14 which is Excellent, relate that to the post above .... over the years this is what we have come to expect .... 50 when we awoke this morning, already up to 62, projected high of 75 .... strong thunderstorm warning for just before midnight .... for the last few days we haven't spent much time sitting outside .... hopefully we will be able to do so today ....

[JEBar]

another good but busy day is about n the books .... thunderstorms all around but none dumped on us ....a bit over $200 grocery run puts us in pretty good shape for a short while .... turned over 192,000 miles on our truck during today's drive ... so far as I know, she's ready for our return trip next month .... have been tightening up some nuts and bolts getting the camper ready to roll .... we have about a month left and (thankfully) nothing of a major has surfaced ....next good chance for rain in the long range forecast doesn't show up until Saturday ....

[JEBar]

74 very comfortable degrees with a steady 10 mph wind .... most of today has been spent sitting by our outside cooking area watching a pot boil .... in the pot were some fresh collard greens boiling in RO water, seasoned by a smoked ham hock .... we have enough to eat tonight and to freeze for 3 more meals .... next mention of rain predicts we will have storms on Saturday

[JEBar]

another beautiful 78 degree day in east central South Dakota is rapidly coming to a close .... a brief light shower just forced us to come inside .... giving Maureen's pup a hair cut was the task of today .... the area around our campsite's picnic table looks like hawk had grabbed a rabbit .... other than regular camp chores, nothing much on tap for the weekend

[Shakey Jake]

I need you to come cook for me! Your meals look fantastic!
Jake

[JEBar]

kind words appreciated .... I'm really enjoying using our Ninja Woodfire grill .... its the best I've found for our use while traveling .... in addition, I have no doubt we will use it back home as well

[JEBar]

our string of wonderful weather days continues .... projected high 86, low tonight 56 with no chance for rain .... steady 7 MPH wind out of the WSW, gusting to 12 MPH .... camper related task of the day >>> figure out how to get rid of a clog somewhere in the camper's central vacuum .... complicating things is the fact that the lines are run through areas you can't get to without removing many items that weren't designed to get to and remove easily .... no clue where in the pipes the clog is located but have tested enough to know the vac itself is fine .... ended up borrowing a powerful shop vac to move the clog .... it took a bit of patience but has apparently worked .... only real concern is, no clog material found .... its either been moved or torn apart .... time will tell ...

[JEBar]

sounding like a broken record but delighted to have another beautiful day in east central South Dakota .... 77 as this is being typed on its way to 88 later today with little chance of rain .... a hot spell with temps in the 90's due to move in on Tuesday with the warning >>> "More clouds than sun with a heavy thunderstorm in the afternoon; thunderstorms can bring hail and damaging winds" .... the hot spell should linger through most of this week .... if it evolves as predicted, that will be a significant change to what as been a string of really nice weather .... nothing on tap for today that will require cranking our truck .... looking forward to testing another new recipe for supper