Don’t let that crisp blue sky and beautiful spring forest fool you.

It was hailing just the other day, and it was freezing outside.

It has been cold in my forest these days.

Really cold.

 

The other day we were trying to show my Dad around, and went to one of our favorite beaches here on the island. It was a little overcast, and a little chilly at first, but nothing serious.  Maybe mid-50s with a little breeze.  We tiptoed across tidepool stones, trying not to step in the anemones nor in the puddles, looking for crabs and starfish when suddenly the temperature plummeted.  The wind picked up and found its way through the necklines of our jackets.  We were trying to play it off, not wanting to be the party-pooper who suggests we go back to our very warm car, but none of us were playing the part very well.  Our arms were huddled   The storm clouds crept into our view, and we suddenly knew:

We gotta get out of there.

We high-tailed it off the beach as quickly as we could, without squishing the anemones or tripping onto barnacle-clad rocks (that hurts. so much.  Would not do again.) And as soon as we got into the car, it started hailing and kept hailing for a good long time.

Still, as soon as it was finished the sky cleared and it was back to cold and sunny.

Ahh, “weather.”  We had a little bit of weather in CA, but nothing this dynamic.  Sometimes it would rain in CA, but it was a conversational rain.

 

weather: “I do believe I am getting the itch to rain.”

us: “That sounds great! So, when do you think you might begin raining?”

weather: “Hmmm.  I just don’t know.  Maybe today.  Maybe this week.”

us: “So, should we mow our lawns now, or do you think we could wait a while before the rain starts?”

weather: “…I don’t know.  I just feel the itch to rain; I don’t know when I am going to rain.  I just kinda feel like it.”

us: “Okay. So, maybe we will wait until after it rains to wash our cars then?”

weather: “Why you gotta be all up on me like this? I just feel like it! I can’t commit to rain, I just feel like rain!  Man, you got me so flustered, I am going to be windy for a week and then not rain at all.  How about that?”

 

That is California weather.

 

 

This is how well we have assimilated to WA weather:

 

It is 55F outside, and the kids just came back inside after playing in the backyard in barefeet, which is our natural form, and are now doing their History with the doors open because “it is such a beautiful day.”

55F in California is just short of a blizzard.  People bring their potted plants inside, and make sure their dogs are sitting inside, warmly next to the heater vent with them.  This is a new season for us, indeed.