August 16, 2017

Good Afternoon,
     Last night and this morning have been some of the prettiest and undaunting skies we've seen in a while.  It's refreshing for the mind, body, and spirit to be able to soak up some unobstructed sun.  There were some showers we witnessed earlier in the day on Tuesday that only amounted to 0.15" of rainfall.  Yesterday's high temperature came in at 64 degrees with a low of 51.  We're around 60 at the moment as clouds threatening to sock us in again.  There is a small chance of storms this afternoon.
     The latest on our Solar Eclipse forecast...
     Monday has done a flip, as they're now calling for partly cloudy skies in the morning with a 50% possibility of thunderstorms in the afternoon.  Par for the course in terms of summer weather on the mountain.  Plenty of time between now and then for that prediction to change.

     It's been too long since we showcased one of our prized packers, so here we go.  Say hello to none other than....FLASH!  This guy is one of the oldest still in rotation, and has been a lodge employee for many years now.  His trademark is the white streak that runs across the front of his face, along with his large, salt and pepper wool coat.  He is also one of our alphas on the farm, though more passive than some of the others, say like Denny.  When it comes to being on the clock, Flash has always been very reliable.  One of the most common questions visitors to the mountain ask when they see the llamas, is whether or not llamas spit at people.  They are known to do so towards one another, but for one to feel the need to let the green stuff fly in the direction of a person would take a great deal of antagonizing.  Flash is the exception to the rule.  He's put me in the cross-hairs a number of times, unprovoked, and that's happened to several of us who have spent extensive time with this particular llama.  Flash and I agree to disagree, but for the most part, we respect one another's space.  We all appreciate his service through the years, as this season will be his last packing for our company.  He's earned a long and happy retirement.  Be sure and give Flash a salute and a thank you if you catch him on the trail!
​     Have a great rest of the day.