Before The Storm

Another storm headed this way and is forecast to hit tomorrow. Supposed to be a very wet and warm storm so no chance of snow -- unlike yesterday's storm.

Another do nothing day. Actually that is not an accurate description -- I've done some putzing around the house, spend an hour on the phone catching up with a fellow blogger, and have kept the wood stove burning. More like a low energy day. The thermometer says it is 41 outside but there is a chill to the air that says it is colder than that.

Weather Service has issued a Special Weather Statement for the possibility of coastal flooding and high surf conditions due to the mix of high astronomical tides and winds from the storm.

Tonight's sunset -- love the way the sun is hiden behind the clouds and the sun's rays angle up between the layers of clouds.

Glad I'm Here Today

A wee bit of sun in between rain bands this afternoon. Did not know if I had gotten the eagles flying in this picture until I downloaded it -- they are easier to see if ya click on the picture. The big guys hung around the cove today. Tis nice to have the eagles back now the tourists have gone away.

Snowing in Portland this afternoon. By the time of the evening commute there was estimates of 3 to 5 inches of snow at various locations throughout the Portland Metro area. The local tv stations were making me glad I was watching rain at the coast. Traffic was ugly with a capitol ugh.

A day to enjoy inside with a blazing fire chasing the damp chill away. Has been 37 since sunset so it looks like it is not going to cool off a lot this evening. Another storm is headed this way -- a wetter and warmer storm -- expected to arrive New Years Eve and make for a soggy holiday.

Am glad that I'll be spending the holiday at home -- tis my favorite holiday pastime. Jen (the hired muscle) and Gary (the woodguy) stopped by yesterday afternoon and brought up and stacked up enough wood next to the stove to keep me warm for the rest of the week. Gary will be out later this week to deliver more.

Saw Dr A yesterday for upper plate tweaking -- he is pleased with my progress, made the adjustments I expected in the areas I expected and said I don't have to return for two weeks -- adding his usual please call if there are any problems in the meantime caveat.

Picked up a total of 0.28 inches so far. Annual rainfal total is 24.26 inches since October 1st.

Here Comes The Gray

To be truthful, it has been pretty gray here all day. Weather dood says it will be raining off and on most of this week and is forecasting a soggy New Years Eve and Day. This gray sunset is about the best I figure I'll get for a while. So far no rain -- just clouds but that will change.

Nothing really new -- a day spent kicking back enjoying the clouds coming up from the southwest and putzing around the flat. Have a pot of ham and beans that has been simmering all afternoon -- gonna be tasty over rice. Tis a mix of pintos and red beans and has ham from my Christmas spiral ham. Tomorrow the de-boned ham slices remaining go into the freezer for future meals. I picked up some yukon gold potatoes at the store earlier this week which will also go great with the beans at a later date.

Am looking forward to being able to eat regular food soon -- not that there is anything wrong with soft but I am getting tired of it. Will be a good thing to be able to eat without having to worry about a tooth breaking or how gum-able it is.

Have finally gotten over most of the gags with the upper plate. Am able to wear them longer -- long enough to get some sore spots. Have an appt tomorrow with Dr. A for tweaking. The good news is that it will be tweaking for fit and not gagging.

*Big Smile*

The hired girls didn't come by yesterday -- they let me know ahead of time that they would be spending the day celebrating with their grandma and was told to call when I was needed them to stop by to bring up wood. I've lugged up a couple loads of wood both yesterday and today and left them a message today. I figure they will stop by tomorrow after my tweak and stock me up with enough wood to last through the week.

Goggie Kwismus

see more dog and puppy pictures

hotDOGS roasting on an Open fire ~ lickING musturd offs yer noze…
cats outSIDE wit ther eyes all aGLOW ~GOGGIE Kwismus to yooooooo!!!

O Holy Night

Celtic Woman, featuring Chloe Agnew, performs O Holy Night from the Celtic Woman concert at Slane Castle, in Ireland.

A Christmas Prayer

Stephanie sent me this and said it was ok for me to post here:

Let me share a prayer that’s on my heart today.

Lord,

Help us to see you clearly in the midst of the flurry of activity associated with the remembrance of your son’s birth. Help us to make you seen in all we do and say during this season.

Use us–this Christmas–as instruments of love, joy, and peace.

Speaking of peace….Lord, please protect the men and women who are putting themselves in harm’s way to provide peace all around the world. May they know–this Christmas–that they are loved, valued, supported, appreciated, and remembered. May their families at home be blessed with fond memories of years gone by and dreams of blessed years to come once their loved ones return home.

And speaking of home…Lord, please bless our homes this Christmas season with countless joys, peaceful rest, and love upon love.

We thank you for our families. Our kids, our spouses, our parents, our grand parents, our aunts, our uncles, our nieces and nephews and the opportunity we have during this time invest in each other. May we not take a single moment for granted. May each moment with our loved ones be but an earlier Heaven.

Thank you for the gift of great friends. Doing life with people of like minds, hearts, and souls is a blessing beyond words.

Lord, this Christmas, may we be grateful for each gift received and always remember that every gift pales in comparison to the gift of eternal life found only in Christ our Lord.

Thank you for the wonderful food we will enjoy over the next week. Thanks also for giving us taste buds so we can enjoy eating even more!

Humbly we ask you to use us to deliver the following gifts this season:

Heal the hurting.

Befriend the lonely.

Mend the broken.

Comfort the grieving.

Feed the hungry.

Clothe the naked.

Good news to the poor.

Release the captive.

Sight for the blind

Proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

Lord, we pray for peace on earth and good will between all humans. We pray for your will to be done in our lives, in our homes, in our government, and in this world. Lord, we pray that you will go before us into the next year and that we will not fall too far behind you or take off too far beyond your will.

Lord, thank you for coming to this world and for providing a way for us to go with you to that land where there will be no more tears, divorce, cancer, taxes, AIDS, single moms, ulcers, debt, bankruptcy, foreclosures, heart-attacks, IRS, arthritis, lies, abuse, cats, tele-marketing, email spam, canned spam, migraines, flat tires, bald spots, sin, unsweet tea, MS, home-owners’ associations, anger, Snuggie commercials, stimulus packages, illness, calories, cholesterol, government bureaucracies, security systems, red lights, fear, rape, hopelessness, Alzheimer’s, night, death, and faith.

Yes Lord, we thank you for coming the first time and we long for you to come again.


In Jesus’ name,

Amen, Amen, and Amen.

Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.

All Alone On Christmas

Darlene Love with The E Street Band and the Miami Horns - All Alone On Christmas

Token, Bailey Cat and I will be hanging out here for Christmas. Jen will be in CA and Stephanie is in KS. Home Alone is not necessarily a bad thing -- I can eat breakfast for dinner and put my feet up on the furniture and let the dishes sit in the sink overnight. Sounds like a dayam fine Christmas to me.

Hoping you and yours have the merriest of the merries.

Neon Sunset

Gorgeous sunset tonight. Picked up 0.18 inches of rain in showers since I last posted for a total rainfall of 23.98 inches since October 1st.

21

Twenty one years ago today, my youngest was born. She has grown into a woman that I am very proud of.

Happy birthday stepharoni pizza cheese and sauce.

Have Yourself...

Diana Krall -- Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.

Picked up 1.54 inches of rain since I last updated. Total rainfall since October 1st is 23.80 inches.

Saw the dentist again today for another fit tweak. I think we have (hopefully) resolved the majority of the gagging problems I have been having with the new upper plate. Turns out I need to use that fixodent glue stuff at certain spots around the plate (and avoiding other spots) to hold it completely up against my palate. The slightest movement of the plate against the palate and I start gagging.

Wore the plate from the dds office to the Safeway across town where I shopped with teeth. I even had to talk to the cashier while wearing the teeth. Oh my, do I ever need to work on enunciation.

I just gotta figure out what it is that I do that causes me to start gagging as soon as my tushkie hits the seat in my car. It happened when I got in the car in the dds' parking lot -- had to do a lot of breathing and gagging spit into my hand full of Kleenex but I was able to work through it. Then it happened again as I got in the car in the grocery store parking lot. Sigh. I had no more Kleenex and the urge to get them out was incredibly strong. I removed them and drove home. Put away the groceries and have been trying to build up my tolerance wearing the plate tonight.

There is a huge improvement in my tolerance with the glue stuff holding them firmly in place. I've gotten some great tips from a buddy who recently went through this and will start trying to improve my speech by singing songs on the radio, reading emails out loud, etc.

Baby steps but still making progress. Tonight, I was singing along with Diana -- no where near being in tune, probably in the wrong forking key, and I bet no one could understand a word I was singing but... it didn't feel like I was working towards something. It was just fun.

Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.

I Burnt My Keys In The Wood Stove

Yup, its been that kinda day today. Had my list of things to do and get in town written out ahead of time so I would be back before I started my shift at FireDogLake at 4pm. Got up sorta early (noonish) so I was well caffinated by 1pm when I grabbed the list and my purse. Reached in to grab my car keys. No keys.

Emptied out the purse. Checked the car, inside, outside and under, but no keys. Looked in the kitchen, the deck, the stairs between the car and the deck. No keys. Cleaned the kitchen -- no keys. Told people I had lost the keys (usually a sure fire way to find something I've lost). Still missing. Not downstairs where the spare wood is. Not in the bathroom. Not in the pockets of the clothes I wore Wednesday nor in the hamper.

Kept going back and forth over what I did Wed and the only conclusion I could reach was the keys were in the wood stove.

The wood stove that was lit and heating my flat.

I last drove the car Wednesday. Had my dentist appointment, stopped at the feed store and got cat food, milk and eggs (fresh from the local co-op) and drove home. Had two bags on the front seat and a large bag of cat food in the trunk when I pulled in. I remember putting the smaller of the two into the bigger bag while in the car, grabbing it and my coffee cup, the cat food bag, and my purse and headed upstairs. Went directly to the kitchen and put away the stuff. Wadded up and tossed the bags in the to burn box for starter for the wood stove.

Hindsight now reveals that is where things went wrong. Somehow, instead of putting my keys in my purse, they were in the bag. I did not realize they were in there when I grabbed the wadded up bags and used it to start the fire.

Grabbed the poker and started looking in the fire. Nothing.

Let the fire die down a little bit more and after saying several St. Anthony prayers, dug in again. This was shortly after 10 pm after triple checking every other place they could possibly be -- including the freezer and fridge.

There they were, buried in the ashes in the front of the stove. All i could see in the ashes was the metal ring - I snagged that with the tip of the poker and took them to the kitchen where they gently air cooled hanging over the sink.

The two padlock keys to the pod look to be ok. The little teddy bear is history. Both car keys are sorta bent -- one more than the other. I think tomorrow I'll go down and see if either one of them work. If not, I'll have to get a locksmith to make a new set.

I think I am the only person I know who has accidently burned their keys in a wood stove or fireplace.

Tweak #2

Saw Dr A again this afternoon. My owie is healing nicely (yay) and I have a new sore spot (laughing). The new one is up in the back along the gum line at the site of one of Friday's extractions. Tis a sharp edge on my gum that is common afterwards. I have had others like it after previous extractions and it usually goes away after a few days.

Dr. A adjusted the fit and I return for more tweaks Monday. I am hopeful that the rest of the swelling is gone by then and that I continue to heal at a good clip. Last night I was able to eat a slice of pie while wearing the teeth but today has not been a good day -- I've not been able to tolerate wearing them for longer than a few minutes. *Sigh*

Picked up 3.86 inches of rain since Monday (including that half inch I told ya about earlier), bringing the year to date rainfall total to 22.26 inches since October 1st. Picked up 3.52 inches of pretty steady rain between Monday and Tuesday afternoon with the rest falling as drizzle and/or showers last night and this morning. Got fairly breezy last night with gusts reported of 50 mph at Cape Meares, which is just north of the bay. Token continues to bark at the wind -- He. Does. Not. Like.

Today was overcast and windy but the heavy clouds thinned along the western horizon late this afternoon -- long enough for me to take this picture before the clouds closed in again. I love how this photo shows the layers upon layers upon layers of clouds. Click the photo to see it larger. The usual placid bay was gunmetal gray and choppy. Tonight the winds have died down -- for the time being. Another storm coming in tomorrow and the weather dood forecasts yet another arriving Sunday.

Tweak One

Saw Dr. A this afternoon for tweaking of the teeth. He removed the excess length in the back that was causing my gag reflex to trip and tweaked a few spots.

I have a sore spot behind where my front teeth used to be that he checked out -- it is definitely raw and irritated and is probably from the injections Friday. No wonder my mouth has been so stingy. It is on the curve behind the front teeth that goes up to the roof of the mouth. It hurts to put the teeth in but once they are seated, the plate does not irritate it.

He told me it will heal best without the plate in and that I had been doing all the right things to take care of it (whew). I figured he was going to be disappointed because I was walking in carrying the teeth instead of wearing them but he said to leave them out as much as possible while it heals. Said healing was more important at this stage than building tolerance -- which is going to take a while since I am a newbie to dentures.

I go back for more tweaking Wednesday afternoon. He really is a perfectionist about fit -- a very good thing.

The swelling is receding and the soreness is down to tolerable levels. Dr A said that the plate may even feel loose as my mouth returns to normal and showed me where (and where not) to use that glue stuff (if needed). I don't think I will need to use it -- the plate really fits the roof of my mouth well and creates a good suction.

Had some drizzle start last night that continued today. Changed to rain while I was at the dentist -- not a heavy downpour but a steady gentle rain. Picked up almost half an inch so far. Weather dood's forecast is for rain for most of the week but that it should taper off by the weekend. Am under another High Wind Warning which means I'll have to bring in the bird feeder (once the birds quit feeding for the afternoon). The winds haven't kicked up -- yet.

Teeth

Proof -- yes those are mine. They are now back in the container (with water). My mouth is still swollen and oozing from the five extractions today. I go back Monday afternoon to have the fit tweaked -- thinning above the front teeth so my upper lip doesn't look (and feel) 'fat' -- the left side is a little long and needs to be reduced in back so it doesn't trip my gag reflex. Going to take some time to get used to them.

All in all, I'm doing ok. Taking it easy and taking my pain pills.

Am all set to hunker down for the freezing rain expected to hit tonight. Portland and the entire Willamette Valley is going to get hammered worse than I will. Tis warmer than it has been. Got up to 44 today and it is only 30 outside at the moment. This was tonight's sunset.

Those clouds coming up from the south (the left side of the picture) are the leading edge of that warm moist air coming up from California.

T Minus One

T minus one -- this time tomorrow my butt will be planted in a dental chair -- the 5 remaining upper teeth will be pulled by Dr T and Dr A will fit the upper plate.

I will walk out with more teeth than I walked in with.

Thank goodness all that cold has distracted me from my usual pre-dental worrying. Finally up to 40 today -- ice is starting to crack on the creek bank and around the bay edges. Only two layers today -- but still have a cap on and a really bad case of hat hair.

13.3

That was the low last night. Brrrr doesn't even begin to cover it. Has warmed up to 37.4 but there is still ice on the banks of the bay and creek.

Woke up at 10am and have been watching the live coverage of the memorial service for the 4 fallen Lakewood Police Department officers. The procession started from McCord Air Force Base at 10am and vehicles are still leaving the base headed to the Tacoma Dome. Over 2,000 emergency vehicles in the procession with their emergency lights silently flashing.

The memorial service has been delayed from a 1pm start to 1:45 so the estimated 20,000 officers who have traveled from all across the land can get to the Tacoma Dome. Tis a 10 mile drive and the streets are lined with people standing silently watching, saluting, hand over heart, showing their support for them.

A very very sad day.

The cold seems fitting for such a somber day. Brings back memories of driving in sad silent processions for other fallen officers. Memories of tears shed as the bagpipe plays Amazing Grace.

18.9

It is currently 18.9 degrees outside. Last night, the low was 20.8. The weather dood said tonight will be the coldest night so far in 2009. The high today was 37. Brrr. The Weather Service has issued a Special Weather Statement which includes:

Coastal areas will also be very cold tonight with low temperatures in the upper teens to lower 20s... and low to mid 20s Tuesday night. A slow warming is expected beginning Wednesday. Daytime high temperatures should climb above freezing Wednesday but will remain colder than normal through Friday.

Dood, it is already in the upper teens and it is only 9pm. Brrr. I'm thinking tonight is going to be a 4 layer night.

Had a bunch of birds trying to stay warm in the cove today. Here is a closeup of some of them:

It was 34 degrees outside when I took these.

Blergh

It is cold. 1pm and it is 41 degrees outside. Tis a cold that goes right to my bones and takes a long soak in a hot bath before I feel warm again. Got down to 28 last nite and tonight promises to be even colder.

The Arctic Express is blowing (brrrr). The sunshine outside is just an illusion -- there is no warmth in its rays. Token was fooled -- he went outside to lay in the sun on the deck as he likes to do after waking up -- and he quickly came back inside to curl up in the fuzzy blanket on the sofa.

I've got no energy. My get up and go got up and went.

Oh great -- now it is 40 degrees. 1:30 in the afternoon and the temperature is already falling. Got down to 28 last night -- I fear tonight will be even colder.

Blergh.

Smokey Sunset

Tuesday's sunset was particularly colorful -- due to particulates in the air. Debris piles were being burnt all over and with no wind, the smoke driftes and hang around. Tis quite common this time of year to burn. We've had 18.40 inches of rain since October 1st so fire dangers are very low and we've had no wind to worry about whipping up embers. That, however, is about to change. Winds are starting to come east down the Columbia Gorge along with even colder air visiting from Canada.

Been cold. Got down to 31 last night and it is already 33 outside (and it is only 9pm). Brrr. Weather dood said the really cold air isn't gonna get here until the wind blows it in starting tomorrow. Tis projected to get really cold this weekend with high's only in the 30's. Brrr. Glad I picked up a new thermal and some warm socks earlier this week. I'm gonna be bundled up in more layers than Randy, Ralphie's younger brother in A Christmas Story.

Saturday Sunset

This was Saturday's sunset.

Thanksgiving Day I had a horrible headache by the time I arrived at Jen and Mike's. It was great seeing them and her brother-in-law and his wife and their teens again. It reminded me that I had spent last Thanksgiving with all of them at the time share up in Seaside and what fun that day was.

The food was cooking and smelled wonderful. The more wonderful it smelled the queasier I got. When I ended up visiting the porcelain goddess, I knew that I was going to have to leave.

Before dinner.

The first Thanksgiving Dinner that Jen had prepared.

Big sigh.

Jen was so understanding but I still felt like the Worst. Mom. Ever. I promised her I would come back Sunday and we would celebrate with leftovers.

I stopped ralphing about 30 minutes before I got home. Didn't feel like eating anything the rest of the night. Friday felt better -- headache still there but not any where near as bad and by Saturday it was just a slight twinge over my left eye.

Sunday I was supposed to meet up with my boss, the Really Big Guy, as he vacations a wee bit south of me every Thanksgiving week. He and his wife were my very first visitors after I moved into this place last year. We were planning on a same time next year visit but I called and left a voice mail explaining that I was going to have to cancel our visit.

Sunday I drove to Mike and Jen's and had a great time. We looked at kitchens in a magazine and ate and talked about the type of house they want to buy and what areas. She sent me home with a buttload of leftovers, including the bird carcass and reassurances that I was not the Worst. Mom. Ever.

I'm gonna make turkey rice soup -- a post-Thanksgiving tradition. Think thanksgiving dinner in a soup. Yummy yummy -- and with all that fantabulous herb under the skin turkey, and the yukon gold smashed potatoes with cream cheese and sour cream mashed into them, and the green been casserole (with added roasted garlic), and all the other mah-vah-lous things that Jen fixed in the soup -- this year's turkey rice soup is bound to be a winner.

Sun, Monday and tonight's sunsets were not. They were gray and cloud filled. Fingers and toes crossed for color to go with the clear (and very cold) weather ahead. Gotta bunch of firewood stacked up next to the stove and am wearing layers. Ran into town today and picked up a new coffee maker (mine died) and warm socks. A cold dry air mass is headed this way -- weather dood says no chance of snow since it is dry air but it is gonna be cold enough to snow if that air wasn't dry. Same type of arctic air that brought us snow last December. All the cold and none of the eye candy. Brrr.

You Can Get Anything You Want

You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant*.

I'm headed to Jen's for Thanksgiving but that won't prevent me from enjoying one of my favorite turkey day traditions:



Arlo Guthrie -- Alice's Restaurant.

*waiting for it to come around on the gui-tar again

Hoping you and yours have a great Thanksgiving.

Good Day Sunshine

Woke up to sunshine today! Here is the day in pictures:







Twas a good day with sunshine.


The Beatles -- Good Day Sunshine.

Odds and Ends

Another gray day at the peaceful retreat on the bay. But -- there was no wind blowing and we warmed up into the 50's today. Insert mental image of me doing a modified version of the Snoopy Happy Dance here.

Drove into town and ran errands. All the color has been stripped off the trees by last week's winds and I can see snow on the highest mountain tops. I drove over the Coast Range yesterday and noticed snow at the summit (1500 feet) but the roads were clear. It wasn't a lot of snow but... tis the time of year when weather and road conditions have to be checked before heading out.

Weather dood says the snow levels should stay above the 1500 foot level this week -- a good thing since I have to go over the range to get to Jen's on Thanksgiving. A total role reversal for us this year -- Jen is cooking Thanksgiving Dinner (her first year doing so) and her brother and sister in law and their teens will also be there. Jen promised to send me home with lotsa leftovers.

I love the day after Thanksgiving dive into leftovers. Turkey rice soup (turkey, stuffing, veggies, gravy, yams - basically most of the Thanksgiving leftovers and then add some rice). Open faced turkey sandwiches with gravy and cranberries. Not even going to get started on the desserts (laughing). I've always loved cooking Thanksgiving dinner knowing I will have all those leftovers to play with.

One of my landlord's cats has taken to hanging out on the deck railing near the rose that tries to eat the stairs. She is gorgeous and appears to be in a turf war with Bailey cat. Bailey tries to avoid I-you-me (unsure of spelling) after their cat fight on the deck last week.

Bailey used my taking this photo as her opportunity to streak past us and run inside the open front door (laughing). I'm sure they will eventually work out a resolution.

Patience Rewarded

It has been gray all week. I know there is a blue sky up above the gray blanket covering the bay -- just haven't seen it in in a while.

Current rainfall total since October 1st is 16.16 inches. A wet November, which is fine by me. Around 4pm tonight, I noticed a wee bit of color along the spit:


Wasn't a lot but it was enough to give me hope for something nice to share with my readers. Sunset today was at 4:40 pm -- a wee bit before sunset my patience was rewarded with this:


Within two minutes of taking this picture, the clouds returned for the evening. Another storm forecast to hit tomorrow and we are under another high wind watch starting tomorrow afternoon -- anticipated gusts of 60 mph.

Token, Bailey Cat, and I are inside with the fire blazing -- tis 41 outside and the breeze has a bitter bite to it. Tis a damp cold that goes right to the bone. I'm off to a hot bath to warm up the inner me.

More Storms And A Bird

Another storm is headed this way -- but the weather dood says it won't be as bad as Monday's storm. The winds are only predicted to get up to 70 mph (as opposed to the 98 mph gust down in Newport Monday night).

Yesterday, in the calm between storms, I spotted this guy out on the marsh below the roses. This is the area that floods when we get really high tides and ya can see it's relationship to the bay better in the below picture. Tis the foreground and the fingers of the largest stand of water in the lower right is where the little guy was hanging out.


Total rainfall to date is 14.48 inches. Weather dood said we could get up to 3 inches between now and Friday.

Saw my dentist today. Dr. A did the final tweak on the palate fit for the new upper plate and selected the tooth color. My next appointment is 12/11 -- Dr. T (the traveling dentist) will be there to remove the 5 remaining upper teeth and Dr. A will then fit the upper plate. I will walk out of the office with more teeth than I walked in with.

A very good thing.

Grey Sunsets

Grey sunsets are on the menu this week with a series of storms forecast. Currently we have a good sized storm developing off the coast and the winds have started to blow. We are under a high wind warning through Tuesday -- Monday night is going to be the worst of it according to the weather dood. We could have sustained winds of 30-50 and gusts up to 90, depending on which weather dood ya watch on tv and how the storm comes in. All agree it is gonna be a wild ride on the coast.

Am all set up for hunkering down other than some groceries I have to pick up tomorrow. Gary the wood guy should be bringing more wood tomorrow afternoon. The winds are predicted to be at their worst tomorrow night around 10pm or so and it looks like I'll be able to run into Tillamook to pick up supplies before it gets gnarly outside.

Total rainfall since October 1st is 12.28 inches.

Thursday Skies

The clouds lifted a wee bit before sunset.

They played chase along the horizon.


And returned after sunset.

Total rainfall since October 1st is 11.94 inches. Got up to a whooping 44 today (brrr) and snow is supposed to fall at the 1,500 ft elevation tonight. Brrr cold!

Mercedes

Was tripping down memory lane on Facebook with my best friend forever from high school, Ami. Of course our trip wasn't complete until we started reminiscing about driving around Pleasant Hill in either her metallic pink caddy coupe de ville (with fins) or the black caddy hearse.

Janis -- Mercedes Benz

Eaten By Clouds

Tonight's sunset was eaten by clouds coming up from the south.

Had one flash of lightning and had to pay attention to hear the slight rumble from it. Pretty boring weather day. The rainfall total to date is 9.44 inches -- the forecast is for bands of showers throughout the rest of the week.

High Tide and Sunset

Had some high tides the past couple of days. Coupled with the high surf warning (with waves of 25 feet or more crashing onto the shore), I'm glad I'm on the bay instead of ocean front.


This is Wednesday afternoon's high tide. As you can see, the tree on the bank separating the creek from the little marshy flat that sits below the roses was surrounded. That marshy area is usually dry in my pictures but the occasional very high tide envelopes it. The creek is on the other side of the tree.


This was right before sunset Wednesday. Love the way the sun's rays are highlighted by the clouds.


And this was Thursday's sunset. Was overcast all day today but the sun made a brief appearance just before sunset. As soon as the sun did set, the lightning and thunder fired up. Had a couple heavy hail bands pass through along with some thunder that made the house shake. Makes 3 nights in a row we've had thunder and lightning.

Token and Bailey no longer panic from thunder and lightning. Bailey doesn't hide under the bed but she is very very alert with her ears perked up and forward. After the huge make the house shake thunder, she turned her back to the storm and faced the sofa back.

Token isn't barking at the wind but he sure did whimper at the hail. That loud thunderboomer made him leap off the sofa and demand some lap time.

Total rainfall to date is 8.82 inches. An inch since yesterday and almost two inches since this series of storms started to move through. Snow falling in the Cascades -- the ski season has begun for those that do that sorta thing.

The eagles are back. Saw one flying on what we call Pelican Point. It is the point with the tilted tree that the brown pelicans love to hang out at. I look forward to spending the non-tourist season at the peaceful retreat on the bay with them.

Chicken And Gravy

John Lee Hooker performing Chicken And Gravy at the Montreal Jazz Festival, 1980. Look who's backing him up :)

Been stormy and I've been enjoying it. Tillamook Head (about an hour north of me just south of Seaside) had gusts of 80 mph (as did Lincoln City which is about an hour south of me) but I only got up to an occasional gust of 58 or so. Not as much rain as I thought -- total rainfall to date is 7.58 inches -- was at 7 inches exactly before this series of storms started to move through. Spectacular lightning shows the past couple of nights. I do enjoy living here.

Weather dood is predicting between 20 and 30 inches of snow up on Mt Hood this weekend -- already received 14" up there today. I hear the ski slopes open tomorrow -- not that I ski -- just additional confirmation that I won't be headed up there until spring.

Coming Ashore

Didn't get as cold as predicted last night -- only 46 instead of the 37 of the night before. Today was sunny but it was a filtered sunshine instead of the bright sunshine of yesterday. No wind at all as I took this first picture about 20 minutes before sunset. Notice the mirror like bay waters reflecting the sun.

The the winds started to blow and the scene was instantly changed.


Within five minutes the sun was completely hidden by clouds. The storm's leading clouds rode the wind in and raced across the sky.


Weather dood said there is rain forecast every day for the next 7 days. Ah, November has finally arrived in the Pacific Northwest. I love standing out on the deck -- the wind whipping my hair and clothes. I feel so alive standing out in the elements -- arms outstretched and welcoming. Makes me think of the women of yesteryear, with long hair and long skirts standing on this deck watching similar storms come in.

Cold Sunset

Got up to 63 today but temps started to drop towards sunset. Tis currently 52 outside -- sunset was about 15 minutes ago. I took this photo about 10 minutes before sunset.

Got down to 37 last night and is supposed to get a few degrees cooler than that tonight. Lots of sunshine expected tomorrow before the Thursday storm. That one is predicted to be a wet one. Thursday's storm already has a Severe Weather Alert:

..STRONG COLD FRONT TO IMPACT REGION WITH RAIN...WIND...AND HEAVY SWELLS ALONG THE BEACHES LATE THIS WEEK...

A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS BEGINNING TO GET ORGANIZED IN THE GULF OF ALASKA TODAY...AND WILL RAPIDLY STRENGTHEN INTO A POWERFUL STORM TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. WHILE THE CENTER OF THIS LOW PRESSURE
SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN THE GULF OF ALASKA...IT WILL PUSH A STRONG COLD FRONT ONSHORE INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST THURSDAY.

WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT MAY GUST AS HIGH AS 50 TO 60 MPH NEAR THE BEACHES AND COASTAL HEADLANDS THURSDAY...AS WELL AS ACROSS THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE COAST RANGE AND CASCADES. THE FRONT WILL LIKELY BE ACCOMPANIED BY A PERIOD OF HEAVY RAIN... ESPECIALLY IN THE COAST RANGE WHERE UP TO 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT.

SNOW LEVELS WILL START OFF WELL ABOVE THE CASCADE PASSES EARLY THURSDAY...BUT ARE EXPECTED TO FALL QUICKLY AS THE FRONT MOVES ACROSS THE CASCADES THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. BY FRIDAY MORNING...ACCUMULATING SNOW IS POSSIBLE AS LOW AS SOME OF THE CASCADE PASSES. WITH COOL UNSETTLED WEATHER EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL DAYS BEHIND THE FRONT...SNOW SHOWERS MAY CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND AS LOW AS 3000 TO 4000 FEET IN ELEVATION.

ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT ASPECT OF THE GULF OF ALASKA STORM SYSTEM WILL BE THE VERY LARGE OCEAN SWELL EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AS THE STORM STRENGTHENS WEDNESDAY. THIS SWELL MAY BEGIN IMPACTING THE SOUTH WASHINGTON AND NORTH OREGON COAST WITH HIGH SURF AS EARLY AS THURSDAY MORNING...WITH THE STRONGEST WAVES IMPACTING THE BEACHES THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY. THE HEAVY SURF MAY PROVIDE THE POSSIBILITY FOR MINOR COASTAL FLOODING DURING HIGH TIDE...AND THE LARGE BREAKERS MAY PRODUCE HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS ALONG THE BEACHES.

Gary The Wood Guy came by yesterday and stacked a buncha wood next to the wood stove and left after telling me to call him when I ran low. Don't have to do much to stock up ahead of this storm -- maybe a grocery store run for a few items but my hatches are pretty well battened down already. Brought in a few tender plants -- they will stay indoors this winter. When the hired girls come this weekend, I'll have them move the tender plants in heavier pots in.

After Thursday's storm another is forecast to come ashore Saturday. The November storms are only a few days late arriving in the Pacific Northwest this year.

Saying Goodbye Is Hard To Do

Woke to the sad sad news that my buddy Katymine passed. She was a relentless advocate of health care issues and a good friend. FDL asked me to write about her -- that post is at this link.

There is a hole in my heart.

Temptations

Can't let Sunday pass without some Temptations:

Aint To Proud To Beg:



I Can't Get Next To You:

Saturday Sunset

The sun is setting further south each day. The sitka spruce still blocks it from sight while in the living room but if I go into the breakfast room -- the view is spectacular. I don't like to take pictures through the windows so usually take them from the deck in front of the living room.

From the deck.



From the breakfast room window.

No rain today. Total rainfall is now at exactly 7 inches.

Thursday Color

No sunset tonight. Tis a dark stormy night here at the peaceful retreat on the bay so I'm sharing last night's color. I took these two photos a few minutes apart and shortly after I took the second, the color quickly dimmed into gray.

I've been bad and not recording rainfall totals. The year to date (from Oct. 1) is 6.56 inches.

Flu Shot

I got mine -- have you got yours?

Picture courtesy of CDC -- and yes I know it is of an expired vaccine :)

Sibling Rivalry

Last Monday, I put up some pictures of Jen (my eldest) and promptly got a what about me from Stephanie. I asked what happened to her rule about not posting pictures of her and added that I don't have any recent ones of her. She ignored the first and send me a variety of photos from her current adventures galavanting about the mid-West. The picture up top is of her mini-mohawk before she left Portland. She said she was very proud of that mini-mohawk and asked that I include it with any other pictures I selected.

Here she is in Aspen with her friends:

Lakeshore at Lake Michigan in Chicago:


Celebrating fall at a pumpkin patch in Illinois:


Mugging in front of the case containing James Dean's shirt from Giant at the Kansas Underground Salt Mine:



She will be back in Colorado (currently in Kansas) by the first of November. She plans to spend the winter there and return to Oregon in spring to pick up her stuff (including her car) before starting Bible College in Wyoming.