The desert in the Northwest
Friends, what comes to mind when you think of Seattle? Sure there's the grunge rock scene, the Space Needle, a highly caffeinated group of people, our inablility to cross against a "Don't Walk" sign, or perhaps the beautiful scenery. I think for most folks they associate Seattle with rain. However you would be wrong to assume that this year. It has been unseasonably dry. Our ski resorts are barely open due to the low amounts of snow in the mountains. Typically this time of year our ski areas have 100 plus inches of snow at the base. This year they are lucky to have 30 inches and even more fortunate to be operating at all.
How much longer is it until we see camels in Seattle? Stranger things have happened... at one point in time the Sahara Desert was a forest. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the sunny days we have been blessed with recently, however I do understand the consequences of these dry winter days. Summer's inevitable water shortages will lead to rationing which will in turn most likely result in increased water rates.
Being a Seattle native you can understand why I love the rain. My mom told me as a kid the difference between the three of us born in Seattle and my siblings born in California was our inability to recognize rainfall. We were out playing in the rain no matter what, while our other siblings would stay inside the house like wimps. One of my fondest memories is running through puddles in nothing but shorts and a t-shirt during a heavy, yet rare, Seattle downpour. And that was only 8 years ago. I guess I sort of miss the precipitation I have grown so accustomed to in The Emerald City, but I am confident it will return one of these days. Maybe it will rain in March. (crossing fingers rocking out to Nirvana, sipping my Tazo Chai tea latte, glancing at a pic of Mount Rainier, and contemplating my passive aggressive NW lifestyle.)
How much longer is it until we see camels in Seattle? Stranger things have happened... at one point in time the Sahara Desert was a forest. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the sunny days we have been blessed with recently, however I do understand the consequences of these dry winter days. Summer's inevitable water shortages will lead to rationing which will in turn most likely result in increased water rates.
Being a Seattle native you can understand why I love the rain. My mom told me as a kid the difference between the three of us born in Seattle and my siblings born in California was our inability to recognize rainfall. We were out playing in the rain no matter what, while our other siblings would stay inside the house like wimps. One of my fondest memories is running through puddles in nothing but shorts and a t-shirt during a heavy, yet rare, Seattle downpour. And that was only 8 years ago. I guess I sort of miss the precipitation I have grown so accustomed to in The Emerald City, but I am confident it will return one of these days. Maybe it will rain in March. (crossing fingers rocking out to Nirvana, sipping my Tazo Chai tea latte, glancing at a pic of Mount Rainier, and contemplating my passive aggressive NW lifestyle.)
posted by egan at
12:30 AM
