I blinked, and winter arrived.
The past month, the rain has been falling, reminding us here in the Pacific Northwest that we won't see the sun god until next July. Our warm, sweet, fall morphed into a squishy soggy damp, that makes the Pacific Northwest famous. Storms on the Pineapple Express rolled in; my basement has flooded and we scrambled to fix leaking gutters and draw the pooling rainwater away from the house.
The trees were dropping a never ending supply of leaves creating mushy sidewalks and slick roadways. The ground went from damp to flooded as rainstorms rolled on day after day.
And yet today, I stopped in my tracks this morning. There was a chill in the air that had not been present before. It's been many years since I have lived in the Willamette Valley and I'd nearly forgotten what the infamous East Wind felt like. I was reminded today.
That frigid breeze can turn a 45 degree, mild feeling day, into one where ice boogers form in your nose. Upon further inspection, the tree branches were barren, leaving old witches limbs lofting in the wind. The sky gray and deary, threatening rainfall.
But, the bliss in this weather change is the permission to slow down, huddle up and keep dry. Winter is here. The gardening catalogs will begin rolling in and dreams of sugar snap peas will form in my head. Time for indoor activities and catching up with old garden blogging friends.
I blinked and winter arrived. I'm grateful for change of pace.
Cheers, Jenni
The trees were dropping a never ending supply of leaves creating mushy sidewalks and slick roadways. The ground went from damp to flooded as rainstorms rolled on day after day.
And yet today, I stopped in my tracks this morning. There was a chill in the air that had not been present before. It's been many years since I have lived in the Willamette Valley and I'd nearly forgotten what the infamous East Wind felt like. I was reminded today.
That frigid breeze can turn a 45 degree, mild feeling day, into one where ice boogers form in your nose. Upon further inspection, the tree branches were barren, leaving old witches limbs lofting in the wind. The sky gray and deary, threatening rainfall.
But, the bliss in this weather change is the permission to slow down, huddle up and keep dry. Winter is here. The gardening catalogs will begin rolling in and dreams of sugar snap peas will form in my head. Time for indoor activities and catching up with old garden blogging friends.
I blinked and winter arrived. I'm grateful for change of pace.
Cheers, Jenni
Had to chuckle at ice boogers. I haven't had that remarkable experience since I left frozen New England.
ReplyDeleteWhile we don't get as nasty of an east wind as say, Troutdale or East Portland, it comes funneling down the Willamette River and Brrrr! It's cold!
DeleteIt definitely feels like winter has arrived here too. Now my kids start asking if snow is in the forecast, but looks like more of the same rain.
ReplyDeleteYah, rain here too. But the mountains look full of the white stuff! :)
DeleteI love the descriptions. We haven't had rain since August. It just went straight to snow. That sucks about your basement. Our cabin basement leaked when we first moved in. I had to do some serious trenching. Sorry about the cold winds. It is a good excuse to snuggle in.
ReplyDeleteBonnie, it *is* a good excuse to snuggle in! I miss our fireplace. New house doesn't have one. I really, really miss a fireplace.
DeleteNo sun 'til July?
ReplyDeleteThat's the old joke around here Sue. We have 3 months of sunshine, starting in July and then, it's 9 months of rain. Some years it really does come close to that!
DeleteJenni, that is a nice piece of writing! Very atmospheric. I'm not doing much gardening myself at present, because of the weather - though I certainly hope to see the sun before next July!
ReplyDeleteIt's a little cold here to be doing any gardening...only about -8 C at night but still everything is frozen.
ReplyDeleteYou've made quite the move, what a difference you have already made to the front yard....it's so much work isn't it?
Lovely to see you again.
Jen
Beautifully written, Jennifer.
ReplyDeleteAh, yes. The dreaded east wind. When it blows down in West Linn, you know it's set on HIGH. I used to live in Troutdale where ice boogers were the norm. I loathed it. Now that I'm in Albany/Corvallis I'm far enough south to escape its icy tentacles.
Take care and stay warm!
We've had a really cold week in Northern Ireland with hard frost. This time of year is a a bit of a resting stage as I don't get outside very much. Better to enjoy the warmth of the indoors and the holiday spirit! All the best, Kelli,
ReplyDeleteThe cold here in New York brings extremely sharp winds, they feel like little cuts on your face when walking through it. Its even worse if theres actually snow, but thats pretty rare now.
ReplyDelete-Keystone Contracting Corp.
New York City Roofing