Varying layers of clouds streak across the sky this morning, obscuring the distant horizon but far enough removed from the mountain base to offer glimpses into Sevier County. What few colors made themselves known at sunrise were mostly muted, leaving the deep blues and greens of the landscape to fend for themselves against the somber grays of the sky. Thankfully with all this dreary weather of late, the coneflower continue to flourish providing lodge residents with at least something bright and cheerful visually. Of course, anytime a crew member decides to sport a tie-dye shirt on the job that tends to spice up anyone’s day.
The summit is expected to see intermittent and light rain showers throughout the day. No deluges but present enough to keep surfaces damp and warrant keeping that poncho or umbrella close by. Temps will maintain their stay between mid 50s and lower 60s. At this rate, the rest of July is going to bring more of the same. A out the only thing that might seem different will be the gradual reduction of daylight hours. Now that we’re more than a month past the summer solstice, the later sunrises and earlier sunsets have a knack for sneaking up on folks.
Speaking of sneaking, a rather large bear was spotted near the lodge vicinity last night. No suspicious or malicious activity was reported, nor has this particular near been tagged by NPS Wildlife Management before. So hopefully this newly visiting fur-ball was simply passing through the area and is on its way to forage for berries and nuts. This moment is as good as any to remind folks not to feed wildlife, to not leave personal belongings unattended, or for lodge guests to be away from their cabin with doors and windows left wide open. Animals up here can be crafty, zipping in and out just when you aren’t looking and committing acts of thievery or vandalism. That goes double for squirrels!
Have a great day.
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