Snow’s Deceit

Every time I see snow start to fall it’s like the beginning of a horror movie. In the beginning things seem pleasant enough as the snow falls softly from the sky, leaving a beautiful blanket of snow on the ground. Everything looks pristine and fresh and there’s a quietness that seems to wrap the world. And in such a picturesque place, what could possibly go wrong?

And then things get bad. [Cue ominous music.] The snow just won’t go away. It mounts. And suddenly, it’s not so pretty any more but has a dangerous undertone. It creates havoc. Disrupting work. Creating treacherous driving conditions. Trapping you indoors. Daring you to brave its cold and icy conditions. It’s no fun at all.

So I’m always happy to see snow go. I was irritated when snow started falling last Thursday (and stayed for long tortuous days), but I revel in the rain that has washed all that troublesome snow away. [Pause.] I have never loved rain more.

I’m Not a Polar Bear

Usually our winters in the Pacific Northwest are fairly mild…it gets cold but not this cold. Lately we’ve been having very cold weather (although we’re not alone in these Arctic-like conditions that have been happening across the U.S.). I don’t enjoy these frigid days where the high temperature may reach a balmy 32 degrees. The weather does not create much motivation for me to step outside; I just want to stay indoors and stay warm and hibernate.

But I keep telling myself that it’s fine. It’s fine if it’s cold as long as it’s not snowy and icy out—that’s my only wish because snow and ice just makes everything so difficult. Last Friday it snowed a bit and suddenly it was like I was in the middle of some disaster movie. Driving to work was like being in the middle of the grand exodus out of the city where the highways are like unending parking lots…it was torturous.

All it takes is just a smattering of snow to create havoc. So all I want is no snow so there’s no havoc. Or if it does snow, could it possibly happen on the weekend so I don’t have to commute in it? So I don’t have to crawl in traffic at a snail’s speed and I don’t have the anxiety of driving in snow. [Pause.] That would be great.

Goodbye Sun. Hello Rain.

Summer’s just about done for those of us in the Pacific Northwest. We had a warm and sunny summer that’s now giving way to the fall, and while it’s inevitable, it’s somehow still a shock. It’s as though Mother Nature turned on the Autumn Switch because last week temperatures were in the eighties with blue skies, and this week temperatures have dropped into the sixties with clouds and rain.

It’s a harsh adjustment to make. The long summer days are a luxury that’s hard to give up because you know what’s in store for you in the coming months: drizzle, mist, sprinkles, downpours—and any other synonym for rain. And of course, let’s not forget overcast skies and cold temperatures and darkness. Sure there’s a rare day of sunshine and blue skies in the colder months, but it’s sandwiched between a lot of cloudy and rainy days.

I complain, but really, I do like having seasons that are overtly noticeable because changing seasons breaks up the year and gives me a sense of time. Also I really like being able to change my clothes with the seasons; I may not be particularly excited about the impending cold and rain, but I am looking forward to wearing autumn clothing. I really like wearing layers and wearing warm and cozy items, and I love boots and coats and scarves. [Pause.] So I guess every cloud really does have a silver lining (albeit that cloud is bound to rain on me soon enough).

It’s Just a Little Bit of Rain

While some parts of the world have rainy seasons where the rain comes down hard and heavy and gets most of the annual rainfall done in a couple months, Oregon does the opposite; about two-thirds of the year is rainy (or at least overcast with the threat of rain). The rain could come down hard, but often times it’s fairly light. It drizzles. It sprinkles. It showers. [Pause.] It’s just there…constantly.

So you really have no choice but get used to the rain. Barring the summer, it probably rained yesterday and it will probably rain tomorrow. So you accept it and just shrug it off. Sure, you can always use an umbrella to shield yourself from the rain, but I admit that more often than not I don’t really even bother using one; it just seems like such a hassle to use and once you’re indoors (assuming you’re not at a location you’re spending the day at, like work), what do you do with your wet umbrella? Carry it around with you? Place it on the ground and inevitably forget it? It’s just annoying. [Sigh.] I will use my umbrella if it’s raining really hard or if I have to walk a long distance, but other than that I tend to just walk in the rain.

When I see someone using an umbrella when it’s drizzling and walking a short distance (e.g. from the parking lot to a department store) I usually think that they’re not from around here—they must be from a particularly sunny place and they haven’t built up their rain immunity yet to bear getting wet. Because walking a couple of minutes in the rain isn’t that far (and besides you’ll dry off soon enough)…it’s just a little rain.

So You Think it’s Spring

One day after months of dreary winter weather, you suddenly notice long-awaited signs of spring. You see trees with blooming pops of color and daffodils springing from the ground and it makes you smile because it’s the promise of oncoming spring. And you’re ready for it. You’re sick of the grayness and gloom that winter brings. And while spring in Oregon still means clouds and rain, it also means longer days, warmer weather and perhaps even some sunny days.

A couple of weeks ago I had this moment when I looked up and saw a lovely cloud of pink cherry blossoms, and I thought “Yes, spring is on the way.” My assumption was further confirmed when soon after we had sunny and warm weather for a whole two days. But little did I know that Mother Nature was playing a nasty trick on us Oregonians—teasing us with the illusion of spring only to snatch it from our hopeful hands.

Tuesday was officially the first day of spring, and yet it hasn’t been very spring-like here. It’s been cold and wet and rainy (which I tend to expect), but it’s been colder than I would like, cold enough that there’s been snow. Yes, the dreaded snow. [Sigh.] I don’t know what happened. I was all ready for spring, and then unwelcome snow assaulted me on the way home yesterday and I woke today to find snow covering the ground. I really hope that this is the last cold snap of the season because I’m ready to move on from winter—and I hope Mother Nature is ready as well (for real this time).

I Hope for Rain

As a child snow was an exciting novelty. It was a welcome surprise that generally meant school was canceled. It meant playing outside and perhaps an attempt at making an anemic snowman. It meant wrapping my hands around a mug of hot chocolate to help warm myself up after a cold winter’s day. Snow was almost magical in its quiet beauty that easily brought a smile to my face.

Yet as an adult the novelty is gone. I like snow…unless I have to deal with it. It hardly snows in the Portland-Metro area; we get a few flurries here and there that may or may not stick, but whenever it does snow, chaos ensues. It barely takes an inch before the news has its “Storm Watch” stories, schools are canceled and car accidents accumulate. Every year this happens because we’re just not equipped to handle any amount of snow.

Earlier this week came our first snow of the season, and as a beautiful blanket of snow covered the rooftops, dread filled me. Snow brings inconvenience, whether it’s the stress of driving in slippery conditions or avoiding it altogether and remaining housebound, it just throws everything out of whack. A couple of nights ago snow was falling silently down, but then in the midst of sleeping that night I heard the pattering of rain on the roof and relief filled me. Rain was washing away the snow.

So when winter comes and temperatures drop, I hope for rain. Yes, I know I may complain about the rain and often wish for sun, but I’ll take rain over snow any day of the week.

So Sick of Summer

A couple of months ago I semi-complained about the lackluster summer we’d been having in Oregon with the seemingly never-ending cloudy and cool days. This past week made me regret those words as temperatures were consistently in the mid-nineties and I was absolutely miserable. People who say they love hot weather are people with air-conditioning—and I’m not one of them.

It was a difficult week because of the heat, and it forced me to become both extra busy and extra lazy. The mornings and early afternoons were bearable enough, so I fell into a rhythm of trying to get everything done by 3pm (which wasn’t always possible, but I tried). The evenings were very unpleasant as the heat accumulated indoors leaving me feeling hot and tired and irritable.

Thus evenings became chunks of unproductive time. I lost all motivation to do anything; it was just too much effort to think, let alone move. All I wanted to do was stretch out like a cat in front of the television and eat ice cream (which I did, but it hardly helped me feel much better). I pretty much came to the conclusion that I was sick of summer. I was tired of having a bowl of cereal for dinner because it was too hot to cook. And I was tired of the heat disturbing my sleep. And most of all I was tired of hours being wasted because I was too hot to do anything.

So I’m hoping that the height of summer has finally passed. Yesterday the temperature finally went down a good ten degrees and I look forward to a much cooler week. With more temperate weather brings a more temperate (and more motivated) me, and I’m hoping that I can finally get stuff done. So bring on the clouds…I’ve missed you.

The Summer that Wouldn’t Come

A week ago summer officially began, but it certainly doesn’t feel that way to me. I know that when many people think about Oregon, they think rain. And I’m not going to lie—it rains quite a bit here, a steady stream of drizzles, sprinkles, showers, downpours and mists that comes down on a regular basis throughout the year. Yet summer is a different story. Generally when summer hits, it’s sunny, dry and warm. [Pause.] However that hasn’t really been the case so far this “summer”.

Last night I could hear rain falling on the roof and this morning it’s gray and cool; the high today is suppose to be 72 degrees (which I guess is fairly average for us), but it won’t feel like summer with an overcast sky. Apparently I’ll have to wait until July for the weather to get better. It will be nice to finally have consistently blue skies and to feel the warmth of the sun beaming down on me.

[Pause.] While I have complained about the drab summer, a part of me is secretly glad for the cloudy skies because I feel more productive when the weather is poor. When it’s sunny and beautiful outside, then I have more of that “I’m a kid trapped in school” mentality (when the teacher is talking and I only half listen because I’m staring out the window). Good weather is distracting.

And hot weather is miserable. Usually the weather is consistently warm in the summer, verging on hot. But there are always a few days when we hit near or past 100 degrees—and that’s when I lose all motivation to do anything; all I can do is sprawl out on the couch and watch TV with a fan blowing on me full blast (as I am someone without air conditioning). So while I’m looking forward to some sunny weather, a part of me is dreading when summer kicks into high gear and I’m dying from the heat (although that feels pretty far away right now…).