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The rainy season returns

An hour or two from now, the skies are scheduled to open. They’ve been closed by clouds the last two days, and when they open this time it won’t be to reveal summer blue.

We’re looking at a week of rain. Not Harvey rain, not Irma rain, but typical of this part of the world; once the faucet’s on, it doesn’t care to stop.

I am SO not ready for this.

I’ve been dashing-dashing-dashing to get the place ready for the wet. For a while I was roaring with energy. But my oomph ran out before the projects and cleanup did. Yesterday, when the weather turned and low pressure descended, I was absolutely flattened. (Why is it that low pressure feels so crushing and high pressure so light?)

Barely got out of bed. Took Ava for a good long walk, then crawled back in and slept several hours, which didn’t help at all. Leaden skies made the world feel cold. I turned on the heat — something I usually try not to do until late October. I wrapped up in a sweater. I played freecell. Just in case my chills were the start of something, I guzzled vitamin C, elderberry extract, and a few zinc lozenges.

After having felt gloriously warm all summer, I thought Oh man, how am I going to stand nine months of cold, soggy gloom? I hope for the return of summer. I hope for a dry, crisp October. I fear the weather gods are saying, “Three months of NICE was enough!”

In the p.m. I dragged myself out for another good dog walk. Thank heaven for Ava. Walking to town with her revived me and after that I got a few things done and felt a lot better. But oh, I am SOOOOOOOOO not ready for the rains to come again.

At least the house is solid and safe. The sticky clay parts of the soil are finally covered with landscape cloth and rock. So that’s to the good. I’ll be interesting to see how much water gets into the screen porch this fall and winter, and if it’s too much I have plastic sheeting to cover the screens. The plastic sheeting is ready. Me, not so much.

7 Comments

  1. DistOne
    DistOne September 17, 2017 4:00 pm

    I hope this does mean the end of fire season in Oregon. Our family has 30 acres of timber about 5 miles from one fire line and my brother lives near several fires on the eastern side of the state, The rain for us will bring a big sigh of relief.

  2. Claire
    Claire September 17, 2017 5:07 pm

    I wasn’t thinking about that, DistOne, though I should have been. I hope this round of rain is widespread enough and wet enough to wipe out the fires. The rain will certainly clear the air.

  3. John
    John September 17, 2017 10:30 pm

    “I’ll be interesting to see how much water gets into the screen porch…”

    But then, I’m thinking you will always be interesting…

    Now if some wetness would go farther east from you, Montana should say thank you.

    This forest fire shot I captured is from early August near Missoula Mt. The helo pilot is some crazy 30-40 something I’m thinking. Water is heavy, and this anchor pendulum he is carrying from river to fire is evidence that some pilots are borderline, not sane.

    Oh, no pic.
    Sorry, not got down how to post that, but vision it…

  4. rochester_veteran
    rochester_veteran September 18, 2017 2:33 am

    After a spring and summer where it rained nearly every day in Western NY, we’re experiencing a warm and dry spell with temperatures in the 70s and low 80s for the past week and into this coming week. It’s doing wonders for my peppers and they’re coming in in droves!

  5. R. L. Wurdack
    R. L. Wurdack September 18, 2017 1:43 pm

    When the rain came through South Central WA last night it was glorious. It did, however, push a dense cloud of OR smoke in front of it. I saw this as good because, in my experience, when fires are being put out they smoke a lot. Hope the rain helped a bunch.

    You can read all about the 86 year old widow who cuts splits and stacks her own firewood in Firefox 3, but in the real world I belivery the prudent person plans all woodcutting prior to age 75. After 75 should be left to reading, meditation, good tea, and naps.

  6. Pat
    Pat September 18, 2017 1:58 pm

    “After 75 should be left to reading, meditation, good tea, and naps.”

    Not yet, sir. 🙂

  7. Claire
    Claire September 18, 2017 5:40 pm

    “When the rain came through South Central WA last night it was glorious.”

    I’ll bet it was. And I’ll bet firefighters, homeowners, and people with lung problems were rejoicing all over the west.

    I feel rather silly and selfish for having whined about the rain. Saturday’s change of weather laid me low (while not actually raining a drop). But once the rain came on and cleared the air I found myself relieved about it. And certainly we needed it.

    As to those 86-year-old wood-chopping women, I plan to go on admiring them. From a safe distance. When I hit 75 I don’t plan on chopping wood. (I didn’t do it at 40 so why start then?) But I’m with Pat; meditation and tea are fine things, but I don’t plan to stop there. Maybe a second career. Definitely some vigorous walks in the hills.

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