Although the beauty of raindrops on these big leaves caught my eye this morning, I'm sorry to say that I'm really tired of all this rain. When I wrote
this post last month, I thought the weather would soon begin to be more springlike. Actually, more summery was what I was looking for, and that just simply hasn't happened. I saw yesterday that SeaTac (the Seattle-Tacoma Airport) had a record amount of rain for the date, and it doesn't show any signs of getting better.
I just checked the Climate Prediction Center's outlook for the next month, and I found this depressing scenario:
What it shows for the Pacific Northwest is more of the same. We have already had more rain in mid-May than we usually get for the entire month. It wouldn't be so bad if we could have more than one day of sunshine between storm fronts, but that's all we have been getting. Smart Guy and I were all ready to go skydiving on Saturday when the beautiful blue skies of Friday disappeared. And then all day Sunday it rained. The Climate Prediction Center has even more good news:
Not only will it be wet, but it is predicted to be cooler than normal. My sister Norma Jean down there in Florida will be warmer than normal, but since she is close enough to the Gulf to get sea breezes, it doesn't even get nearly as hot as I've experienced in an Illinois summer. Some of my blogging friends have already seen temperatures in the 90s, but we still are waiting to see 70 degrees F (21 C). A few days when the sun was out we reached temperatures in the sixties, but only a few.
It's funny to think that I'm complaining (again) about the weather, because this is the one reason people couldn't understand why we decided to move to the Pacific Northwest, notoriously wet and gloomy, from Colorado. But if I had it to do all over again, I'd still move here. Even diehard Washingtonians are complaining these days, so I'm in really good company. The upside of the weather here is that in the summertime it rarely gets hot, and the temperatures in the winter are mild in comparison to what we experienced most of the winter in Boulder.
I will be writing about our mild temperatures in the summer while the rest of you will be sweltering; I'm giving you fair warning. We still plant our flowers and get outdoors. Our neighbors in the apartment complex have flowers beginning to sprout and bloom, and I get to see a beautiful view as I walk up the steps.
:-)
I like rainy days, less pressure to be perky ;)
ReplyDeleteit's going to rain here all week
I love your photo
I don't mind a week of rain when a week of sunshine follows it. We have been having that type of weather in Hawaii lately. Got to save quite a bit of money by turning off the lawn sprinklers.
ReplyDeleteCheer up. Sooner or later, summer will be upon you.
LOL...I liked Dianne's comment, "less pressure to be perky". I love the rain...but wonder if I would still pass the passion test if I lived in 24/7 for months at a time... Here in NV, we hardly ever have rain. Certainly nothing like what I had in CALI. Living in the desert does take some gettng used to...
ReplyDeletesmiles. i will wait and envy you on those sweltering days...raining here today too...and until thursday...
ReplyDeleteand here where I am in England, we have a drought! Can you believe it? We had no rain in April and so far May has also been very very dry. I have to water my plants ever day and it takes me ages. The good news is that the reservoirs are full so we won't have a hosepipe ban yet! Even so, it is very unusual. Where have the April showers gone? I'm sorry you are having so much rain. It does get dreary eventually. However, you can cheer yourself up by the sight of the raindrops on those beautiful Alchemilla Mollis plants you showed us.
ReplyDeleteIt's been rainy here for the last week. I've decided that there's always a silver lining, though. In this case, my house appears cleaner. When the sun's out it shines into my LR until mid afternoon, highlighting all the dust/dog hair/crumbs/juice spills there are on my floors. With all this gloom I can pretend that I don't need to clean my floors more than once a day.
ReplyDeleteI really hope you get a couple of sunny days soon. It's gotta get depressing after awhile.
Hmmm. I see from those maps that Minnesota has the same long-range weather outlook as the Pacific Northwest. I'm tired of it, too. But we are having sun for five consecutive days--the first time since last October!
ReplyDeleteNorth Dakota is the same. So wet that the farmers are behind in planting. I like it a bit cooler, so I'm not complaining about that. We're supposed to have a few days of sun that will hopefully dry it out a little around here. There is strange weather all over, it seems. I'm listening to the Canadian geese pass overheard and I think they have been enjoyng the wet weather. :)
ReplyDeleteOh, we've got about the same here. The rain and the gloom can get to you, especially after a long winter. I'm definitely ready for some warm and sun! It's supposed to rain here all week. The good news - and you have to hunt for it - everything is turning very green!
ReplyDeleteAnd here it Oz I would be very, very happy to see the rain. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteLovely photos. Thanks.
I am with you! I am so tired of the rainy weather we have been having. I hear rumors that we might be getting some sunny days this week though. Figures, they're predicting rain for the weekend when I'm not working. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteAfter a few days in the 80s last week, it's back to rain and the low 60s for a few days, but th flowers are blooming!
ReplyDeleteIt's been raining here all weekend too.. and it's supposed to continue all week. I can't say I mind TOO much. I've always loved rainy days.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm tired of our wind . We have had high winds for six days. We've usually had gusts to 70kmph and some times up to 100kmph.( know this one in Mph 62.5)
ReplyDeleteWe've had a disaster here were a forest fire blew up and about 1/3 of a 7000 person town was destroyed. You've probably seen this on the news. The town is Slave Lake.
Hi DJ, good morning, good evening or whatever time of the day you have there. I just dont know if it's good for cos of the rains. It should be the start of the wet season here in the Philippines but it's still dry, the weather is so humid and I don't feel well sometimes, it gives me a real headache, but we're still enjoying summer. Come rainy season, all of us are getting paranoid with the flooding, when hard rain comes all of us are all looking at the water level, hope you don't get flooded. Take care my friend.
ReplyDeleteI'm beginning to think the saying should be April showers bring May thunderstorms. At least we are getting some sun breaks between the pouring rain showers. On Saturday it hit 80 but we had a big thunderstorm later in the evening. Our Balloon Stampede Night Glow got rained out.
ReplyDeleteI hope the forcast for a cooler summer goes for this side of the Cascades too, I really don't like the triple digits.
We had great hope for a mild evening on Saturday when we drove up from Oregon ad saw temps at about 70 in Olympia and Tacoma. But by 7:00 the rain started and kept comong and coming! Ugh!
ReplyDeleteWe finally got outside this afternoon to plant more of our flowers. I'm afraid they're shivvering though.
But how beautifully green everything is!
It seems you have sure had more than your share of rain. We are DRY here in Southern Colorado. Today and all weekend it has been quite cool. Finally this late afternoon, it warmed up enough for me to go get some yard work done. I am very behind on everything.
ReplyDeleteWe are supposed to have sunshine for four days straight..and temps in the high 60's. The old timers say it will be a cold and wet summer for us..we will see..your maps seem to support that theory. You are very green there! :)
ReplyDeleteYou're singing my song. We have rain due for the next week and we are starting to mildew. It limits my activities 'tho I shouldn't let it. Maybe it will prevent droughts in the summer.
ReplyDeleteYou're getting tons of rain and Florida is in a drought.Nature's imbalances. The lushness and greenery in your photos are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteGlobal Warming is messing with our weather too. Cold and raining. I expect snow before May is over.
ReplyDeleteDismal
Hi DJan,
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain! Here, just over the border in Surrey BC, we are in the same climate zone as you are. I was born in the lower mainland and have lived here most of my life. generally I love the rain, and our jewel-green surroundings, but this year it's getting to me, too. I guess we'll just have to appreciate our summer more, when it finally gets here. Cheers!
Kathryn : )
Well here in Toronto as of today there are still trees without leaves and the sun won't be back till Saturday for a day only! For us it's the first long weekend of the summer season and usually people star camping but I bet this year they'll opt to wait a bit longer.
ReplyDeleteI 'spect it's in my DNA because I love rainy days :)
ReplyDeleteNo pressure to be rendezvousing just nesting.
Looks like you still have a lot of rain in your forecast, we've had it for four days now, and much cooler than normal temps.
Next we'll be moaning it's too hot ...lol
~Jo
I'm just a little farther North form you (in BC) and we have the same weather up here - just terrible, isn't it??? My poor garden is so wet all the time and some of my plants are suffering! Looks ok for the weekend though!!!
ReplyDeleteWe're beginning to have some nice days, and believe me, I'm thankful for every one of them.
ReplyDeleteI don't do well in constant gloom. I like the rain, just not every day and not all those steel gray skies. We're in the middle of a row of sunny ones, but that's going to change again soon. I hope the sun you saw recently hung around for a while.
ReplyDeleteIt's suppose to be in the 90's tomorrow and for the next several days. I want more spring.
ReplyDeleteI'm just hoping the weather warms up and dries up in the Yellowstone area for our trip in a bit. Sheesh!
ReplyDelete