Cirrus Clouds and Upcoming Rain

Cirrus clouds are those wispy clouds in the sky.  I always heard that their presence predicted that rain was incoming.  This is mostly true.  They form above rainclouds that are lower in the atmosphere and are a signifier of a weather change.  

Measuring Time Before Sunset

I You can estimate the amount of time before dusk by placing your hand out in front of you, arm's length, and counting the number of fingers between the horizon and the bottom of the sun.  Each finger represents 15 minutes.  So, if you have four fingers between the horizon and the sun, you have about 1 hour before the sun sets.

Grass Consumption in Dogs

The fibrous nature of brome grass makes it difficult for mammals to digest.  Cellulose, the basis of cell walls in plants, chain together to form tough fibers needed for the plant’s structural integrity.  Inherently, such complex fibers cannot be digested by mammals.  Humans benefit from cellulose consumption as the non-digested plant mass provides bulk to our stool and improved intestinal travel. Cows famously have 4 stomachs (or more accurately, 1 stomach with 4 compartments) to achieve the digestion pattern required to adequately break down and pull energy from cellulose. Dogs seem to have an evolutionary awareness of the implications of cellulose consumption.  When dogs eat grass, the most typical outcome is dry heaving and the release of bile ridden with said grass.  This is not a trained behavior, but engrained in the nature of the animal.  Prior to domestication, this grass consumption and subsequent vomiting was likely a preservation tactic.