Spring Thaw

Posted under Writing

When I moved to the Northwest, it was late spring. I had heard all about how it rains here so much that the people are permanently depressed. My first six months here put that rumor to rest.

Bright blue skies, long days of sunshine with clear air. It made my eyes, used to the hazy atmosphere of the industrialized east coast, hurt. But I quickly adjusted to the wonder of seeing the colors in their full hues.

And then came fall, and the rains began. Slowly at first, then the sun was gone from view and the land was plunged into the mushy moist grayness of my first northwest winter.

We had a few snows, much more in the high mountains of course, and some icy days. But mostly rain in all it’s forms. And cold. The wetness of the air makes the cold all the more penetrating, and the fireplace all the more appreciated.

But yesterday, the sun emerged from it’s long vacation, heating the ground and skin. I spent a few hours working on the motorcycle, changing the oil and getting her ready for another year of riding. The accident last year put a huge damper on my riding. It was another form of winter, taking me longer to heal mentally than physically. I’ll be updating my motorcycle blog again with nice rides and pictures, I hope.

So now my dormant muscles have that pleasant ache that comes from working outside, washing cars, cleaning up the gopher mounds, and a myriad of other things done while the sun warmed the land.

So, no it doesn’t rain ALL the time here in the northwest, but the winters rains and snows make for a much appreciated, and anticipated, spring thaw.