Getting Used To The Rain

My wife and I met and married in California over 40 years ago. Other than a 17-year stint in the Portland, Oregon area, a year or two in Spokane, Washington, plus the last 19 months here, the balance of the time was spent in the primarily sunny and warm parts of the San Francisco Bay Area.

For many of those California years, we could go from April through October without measurable rain. You might get a stray drop or two during the summer when a confused tropical storm might swing close by, but that was it.

In California you can actually enjoy your Christmas gifts on Christmas Day. I can remember playing catch with my sons using their spanking new baseball gloves on that day. Or testing the limits of a brand new bike right after the ribbon came off.

Not so here in Washington. Today, for instance, is the 25th straight day in which we’ve had the proverbial “measurable precipitation” (photo above is what it looks like today from our front deck).

However, it probably looks and sounds a lot worse than it really is. Yesterday, for instance, it drizzled a bit in the early morning, but the rest of the day was quite beautiful with just a few clouds here and there.

For a person like me who is prone to S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) a stretch of rainy days like this can be a drag. I’m really thankful for the sun breaks like yesterday. I even take a Vitamin D supplement each day which is supposed to help combat the disorder.

But, surprisingly, my severely arthritic knees have not been nearly as bad as I would have expected in northwest winter weather. There’s always a bright side to things, isn’t there? (Pun intended)

Of course the myriad of outdoor recreational opportunities remains accessible despite the rain (see my January 3 post) and sometimes is even enhanced by the rain – as in more snow at ski elevations. I’m getting more and more accustomed to just carrying on whether or not it’s gray or moist outside.

Whatever I’m doing must be working. Kay Lynne and I reminded each other yesterday while out shopping in the sun, that it sure is great to be living here. I hope I remember that when I have to go to the store later today.