It has been so windy here on Cape Cod that I thought it would be interesting to write a blog about the Beaufort Wind Scale. “The Beaufort Scale is a scale for measuring wind speeds. It is based on observation rather than accurate measurement. It is the most widely used system to measure wind speed today. The scale was developed in 1805 by Francis Beaufort, an officer of the Royal Navy and first officially used by HMS Beagle.” (There are additional photos at the end of the blog.)
We always look at the wind conditions before we launch our kayaks or go out on the water. You don’t want to be surprised by increasing winds and higher waves where you may have a hard time getting back in. It is also relevant in case of storms or if you live in the woods as we do and there might be the possibility of trees being knocked down.
You can see by this photograph of the flag waving in the wind that the wind is about 20-24 mph. Seeing the flag frayed a bit means that the winds were probably closer to 39-46 mph, which is what we’ve had in the past few days.
I thought this next chart said it all in pictures.
Very informative, don’t you think? Have you ever used the Beaufort Scale?
Every morning about 7:30 I look out at the bird house outside of our bedroom window and see if my little friend, Downy, is awake yet. Sometimes I can see a little movement inside… he must be straightening up. 🙂 Usually within minutes, he sticks his little head out and looks around for a while. He is so cute! (I posted a blog about him in October when he first moved in and he is still living here. How cool is that!)
It is such a treat to have this little guy greet me each day. He stays for a bit and looks around and then heads to the suet. Not a bad life… free room and board and free baths and water. Maybe he’ll stay a while longer. Sure hope so!
You can see the water coming in pretty fast on the Nauset Marsh Trail by the Salt Pond in Eastham and there was still almost an hour until high tide. Thank goodness there is a trail up a hill that circumvents the rising water or you would be wading pretty deep.
Make sure you always check the tides if you are hiking or walking near the ocean or the marsh. You never know just how high that water will come and you don’t want to be stuck on the wrong side!
We were taking a walk out on the flats at Rock Harbor at dusk the other day, waiting for the sun to set but there were a lot of clouds in the sky. The flats were so pretty with their little tidal pools.
And then the sky opened up for just a few seconds and I clicked away. This is what I got. The pastel colors were so pretty. What do you think?
Cape Cod daily articles on the wonderful Cape Cod places to hike, experience and photograph. A Cape Cod Outdoor Adventure Series.
