Weather

A cloud-filled sky and steady rain greeted us this morning. It reminded Jack of Scottish weather, damp and foggy. A chilly wind had some of the students wearing puffy vests and knit hats. It must be fall.

The weather forced a change in plans. Jack and Binbin were going to hike into Dead Horse Meadow for camping and bouldering, but the rains probably raised the water level enough to make driving the Subaru up the canyon just a little too much. Plus, who wants to camping in the rain...with a potential for more thunderstorms tonight?

So, we spent our day playing various games and mostly indoors. Mid-afternoon, we walked to the lookout point near the Upper Reservoir to take in the low-hanging clouds against the White Mountains. The desert plants are amazingly quick to respond to rain. They are already two or three shades brighter than they last appeared.

The rain also gave me a chance to bake some bread. The process seemed to go smoothly and satisfyingly until the actual baking. Our oven isn't working, so I used one of the ovens in the main kitchen. Well, I picked the wrong oven. One of the students helpfully took the loaves out when he smelled something burning. Although I set that oven for 350 degrees, it registered 600 (is that really possible??) when the blackened bread came out. Alas, the middles were still doughy, and nothing was salvageable. Lesson learned.

Fortunately, the food here is fantastic! (Have I mentioned that before?)