Saturday, July 9, 2011 Lethbridge

6:30 am

The temperature is +13 C, with a high predicted of +23 C.

From the Environment Canada website: Today Sunny. Wind west 40 km/h gusting to 60 diminishing to 20 gusting to 40 this afternoon. High 23. UV index 7 or high. Tonight Clear. Wind west 20 km/h gusting to 40 becoming light this evening. Low 9. Normals Max: 25°C Min: 10°C.

11:30 am Birding

While taking my regular coulee walk I happened to flush 2 Gray Partridges. This is the first time I have seen them in Lethbridge, and only the second time period. The first time was in 2007 in southern-eastern Alberta. I was not expecting to see any birds this morning as the wind was still up and most birds are taking shelter. I have also seen a couple of Bohemian Waxwings on a number of my coulee walks during the last week. Clearly the spring migration is over, but I should try to get out and see if I can spot a few shorebirds along the many water ponds that have formed as a result of the heavy rains we have had this spring.

9:00 PM Literature

I am continuing to read "Sanctuary Line" in the evening. The story is beautifully written. As I turn the pages it is very much like the often quoted metaphor of peeling an onion - each layer contributing to a fuller understanding of the whole.