Relief from the muggy conditions...that was our weather headline this week. It is only 18 degrees outside compared to earlier in the week when it felt like 40 degrees. The greenhouse temperature was the same as outside yesterday.
I notice that we have a 'love it' and 'hate it' relationship with summer heat. People either love it or hate it. It is my sense that we don't have this contrast with winter. My theory for winter is that there is a graduated scale of 'hate it'.
August itself is not hated, though. The 2005 Gallop poll and a current ranking site identify October as the favourite month, with December the second most popular. June is third.
Where is August? It is eighth and ahead of March, April, January and February. I did find two August jokes:
Knock, knock?… Who is there?… August… August Who?… A gust of wind over 74 MPH could be the start of a hurricane!
Knock, knock?… Who is there?… August… August Who?… A gust of wind knocked me over!
Oh well, they were pretty meagre jokes. However, we are heading into some favourite months and weather, so I expect better jokes ahead.
Remember our boat from yesterday? I found a more complicated boat-themed tree house in Toronto - the article is HERE. It has a price tag of $30,000. I don't think Grimsby's has a price tag like that. It likely isn't in violation of any building and zoning bylaws either.
We're off to the Narrow Gauge Convention next week. It is in Minneapolis - the home of Mall of America. Here are a few pictures from last year at the same time.
How far can the human eye see? I looked across the lake yesterday and saw sky rather than Toronto. Is the following true?
"The Earth's surface curves out of sight at a distance of 3.1 miles, or 5 kilometers. But our visual acuity extends far beyond the horizon. If Earth were flat, or if you were standing atop a mountain surveying a larger-than-usual patch of the planet, you could perceive bright lights hundreds of miles distant. On a dark night, you could even see a candle flame flickering up to 30 mi. (48 km) away".
CLEVELAND – Scientists say it's a mirage, but others swear that when the weather is right, Clevelanders can see across Lake Erie and spot Canadian trees and buildings 50 miles away. Eyewitness accounts have long been part of the city's history. Jul 31, 2006. This article is HERE.
I find out that you can seethe Toronto Skyline from the Lake Ontario Shoreline in New York. I found a YouTube video of the Toronto skyline from New York State - it was great as the lake waves were large and turbulent, so it looked like Toronto was sinking below the furious waves. The distance is 30 miles.
The distance from Niagara-on-the-Lake is 32 miles or 51 kilometres, so Toronto is often visible. And it is just a little farther to Grimsby at 55 kilometres or 34 miles.
Can we see Buffalo from Toronto? I read that the answer is no - seems to me that is quite the distance. Buffalo is 95 kilometres - 59 miles, so is much farther. Niagara Falls is visible from the CN Tower at 68 kilometres. Of course, we've got the advantage of the height.
Here's a post that shows Toronto from various locations across the lake.
My view across the lake yesterday at Flat Rock Cellars showed nothing at all - if one is looking for Toronto. It shows the wonderful vineyards and the rusty shed down below. So I've included a wonderful scene from the Watering Can in Vineland.
