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| SC does have nice winter weather |
This is the part of the year when my father likes to compare notes on the weather in Charleston and Portland. He does not let a Facebook comment or phone call to go by without smugly interjecting, "It's 70 degrees here!" or "I'm wearing shorts!" He's not so smug when it's 100% humidity and 98 degrees, swatting mosquitoes and squashing ginormous flying palmetto bugs when we're enjoying dry, delightful 77 here in Portland.
I can't really complain about the weather, since I elected to live here, partially based on the climate. Living in Chicago, Minnesota or New England would never have been an option for me. I always want to embrace the joy of a SNOW DAY! Where it's a gift to be played in, an unexpected holiday.
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| Just an hour away! |
This year has really been lovely, and I'm not at all fussed by my father's commentary. From an INdian summer to a chilly, but relatively sunny winter (so far, knock on wood). On Friday, I drove an hour away to meet a friend in Welches and go cross country skiing on Mt. Hood. Thirty-six degrees and sunny in Portland changed to 31 and snowy as I was passing through Sandy. The roads were a bit too treacherous to make it all the way to the Thriftway, and I ended up pulling over into a closed down gas station. There I left the Beetle Bug and climbed into a Jeep Cherokee—and the very capable driving hands of a girl born and raised on Mt. Hood's slopes.
Before we knew it, we were gliding through a winter wonderland. We picked up a puppy, Elsa, and rescued her from a day in the kennel for a day of romping in the snow. Can't do that in Charleston! But like all good places, dogs make it more fun.
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| A winter wonderland |
I still have Georgia Bones in me, and I don't really do the downhill skiing or snowboarding, but that doesn't mean I can't learn the culture of snow and mountains. Ah, chasing freshies. Yes, it had snowed the previous evening and morning, and a few clouds continued to shroud the mountain. We had lots of sunshine and some bluebird views. The conditions were perfect for our trail and the best I've ever experienced—crisp, fluffy snow. Now I understand what all the fuss is about when people talk about conditions. It really makes a difference, even for the less adrenaline fueled sport of cross country. I'm officially not a gaper, and while rarely seen on an XC trail, we did see a few Woah-bro's in town. Thanks for teaching me the lingo, Shelby!
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| Snow shimmering in a bluebird sky |
I have discovered that Portland has a large contingency of people who just like to complain about the weather. Yes, we do get dreary stretches in the winter, and I'm OK with that. It's acceptable to let out a little whine about 24 days of straight overcast, drizzle clouds. But this year, no longer working in a window-less building, I've really been able to experience the outdoors on a daily basis. About a week ago, we had a beautiful, blue-sky day. I remarked to the check out lady at the grocery store about the beautiful day, and she looked at me in surprise, and said, "It's just so windy." The same day someone said, "But it's so cold." In the summer people complain about how hot it is or how dry or how humid. I'm keenly interested to know if these weather complainers are native Portlanders or not. I may do a scientific survey to find out.
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| Can't complain about this! |
While it's not exactly a resolution, I intend to be more aware of my weather commentary. I will earnestly try to not complain about the weather. I shall endeavor to see the positives about even the very worst of days. One of my favorite parts of PNW climate compared to the south is the variety and range of my clothing options. Layers make dressing fun! Do you have any suggestions for counteracting the weather nags?
