July 1, 2011

Mother Nature and the PNW

PNW = Pacific Northwest.

I live in Western Washington state. Yes, where Seattle is. And yes, it does rain a lot.


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It’s not RAINING raining all the time. Not like full-on, actually need an umbrella or maybe to just stay home, kind of rain. No, it mostly just drizzles…spits…sprinkles. Sometimes we get a downpour or maybe even a cool electrical storm. Sometimes.



The weather here behaves this way pretty much 10 months of the year. I kid you not. It seems to KNOW when the first day back to school is for the kids. We can have a really nice Labor Day Monday, but then the next morning when the kids get up to go to school, it’ll be about 10 degrees cooler and probably wet.

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Don’t you ever get Indian Summer? Perhaps a Fall heat wave or two, you ask? Umm, maybe....no, not really. No.

I’m not saying it goes from Summer to Winter overnight. We do have 4 distinct seasons. And actually, I kind of love that. But we really do only have 2 almost totally dry months each year.

Ah, July and August! Oh but wait, it’s not that cut and dry. Haha, cut and DRY…get it?

Anyway….

I know what you’re thinking. Today is July 1st, Jennifer, surely this means the sun is shining and all is right with the world. Yes?

Not necessarily. The weather doesn’t typically improve around these parts until July 5th. It’s rare to experience a sunny Independence Day.

Washington state is a beautiful place. Truly it is. A great place to raise a family. There’s Puget Sound, TWO mountain ranges, lakes, rivers, ocean….green, clean and fresh. Seattle is the “Emerald City”, for crying out loud! We have both an urban and rural feel, depending on which direction you head out your front door. This is a special place.

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But everything has a price. I mean, there is actually a RAIN FOREST on the Washington peninsula!

And don’t even get me started on Daylight Savings Time! Seriously, why does Washington need to even remotely participate in this outdated practice? We are far enough north that when we “spring forward” an hour, a hint of daylight remains in the sky until nearly 10:00 PM. This means parents have to explain to their kids every night at bedtime that yes dear, it really is nighttime. On the flip side, when we “fall back” an hour, it gets dark at 4:00 PM. I don’t like extremes.

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I don’t complain like this all year long, I promise. But I think everyone who lives here complains at THIS time of the year because we are just SO DONE. We are now at the point where we NEED some sunshine or we’re all gonna lose it.

What do you hate about the weather where you live?

4 comments:

  1. Of course you know what I say about my weather in Lake Tahoe, California: Either SUN or get off the pot!

    We do get more sunshine than most places; but being in the Sierra Nevada Mountain range, we also get a lot of snow. Snow was fun and great when I skied all winter. After two knee surgeries... snow be damned! LOL!!

    Can't beat summer in Tahoe!! I was out riding my horse today in 78 degrees with not a cloud in the sky. Fresh wildflowers blooming all around.... HEAVEN!!

    But, we also have to cherish our sunny days. This winter didn't stop until June 6 ~ which happens to be my birthday! Then it was sunshine all the way....until June 29th, that is...when it snowed AGAIN!

    NUFF SAID...

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  2. that picture of the lightening is gorgeous!

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  3. You know I love Tahoe in the summer, Mom!

    I heart lightening pictures.

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  4. Now that summer has passed this kind of makes me laugh because I am pretty sure our nicest day WAS July 4th and then we got crap. Was definitely not the best summer we could have had around here and it makes the coming months harder since we didn't have the greatest summer. Here is hoping next summer is better!

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