Last third

Monday's eclipse arrived, coincidentally, with the beginning of the last month of calendar summer. Here at 5,000 feet in the Nebraska Panhandle a slight change in weather arrived as well. As the southwest monsoon eased a pressure ridge formed overhead, diverting moisture-laden air around us while allowing warm and dry air to flow. Air temperatures climbed and sunshine hammered down. Plants transpired and water vapor flowed into the sky one molecule at a time. In the afternoons and evenings water vapor condensed out and cloud cover held the heat of the day close for the first five or six post-sunset hours of the night. Around midnight or so the insulating cloud cover generally moved on east, allowing for late-summer nighttime cooling. It's a little known fact, but forecasters don't cause the weather. In another shocker, neither does social media control the weather.

It's been superb working weather. The cross-fencing project is proceeding apace and that's a good thing. I've been bothered by some stomach upset the last few days, which is less than ideal, but so what? Life is better when there's a bit of suck it up and drive on involved.

The other day Juvat posted up an Air Force F-4 training video over at the Chant. There was discussion, as always, about some of the differences between Navy and Air Force operation of the beast.

For another interesting take on the subject, here are a couple of takes on some of the differences of operating the Phantom in British naval and land-based regimes.