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.

Viagra

Robin Williams - Viagra (totally not safe for work)

The Dentist

Bill Cosby -- The Dentist. From his 1983 show Himself.

Walked out with one less tooth but it was a doozy. He went after that bad boy (his words) bottom right molar. Took 4 shots and he tested it again, this time popping out one root. I still wasn't totally numb (he said I'm wired a little different -- not uncommon-- and they were looking for my lip to go numb) and since there was only one more root to pop out, I told him to go ahead and take it out. He asked me if I was sure and I affirmed and he yanked that puppy out pretty darn quick.

Of course, halfway home and while telling A (who drove) about the procedure, my lip went numb. And stayed numb for a long time. Once it started to wear off, I started to notice my jaw was really really sore. Thank goodness, Dr. T wrote me a rx for some pain pills. I took one and it helped a lot. Coming about due for another one but wanted to get this post done before I took it -- friends don't let friends blog while comfortably numb.

Bill Cosby sure hit the nail on the head about that lower lip thang.

Waiting

Waiting for the storm off the coast to come in. Tomorrow is supposed to be a solid rainy day -- and is the day I return to the dentist. Dr. T, the traveling dentist, will be in town tomorrow and will be doing more extractions. My landlord, A, is at the studio and said she will drive me there and back home.

Gary-the-wood-guy is bringing more wood later this afternoon. I have two different pots of soup in the freezer along with some ice cream (just in case of any potential swelling yanno) . I'm as prepared as I can be -- now I am just waiting.



The Doors - Waiting For The Sun from their Morrison Hotel album, natch.

The Sounds Of the Bay

This is my first attempt at recording video with my camera. As you can see, I'm still learning but I was amazed at how the audio picked up the sounds of the birds and the ocean roar on the other side of the spit.

Not bad (if ya ignore the zooming and the camera being pointed at the sun thangs) if I do say so myself.

Manic Monday

Spent the day hanging out with my oldest, Jennifer. We went girlie shopping (!!!) after I opened a buttload of birthday presents from her and Mike. Oh My Stars! Pants (yes plural). Long sleeved tshirts (plural). A forking jacket! Warm fuzzy purple slippers and wicked cool green and black striped socks with a purple witch on them. A tank top to layer under the tshirts. A warm fuzzy soft scarf to wrap around my neck -- my short hair leaves areas uncovered that were previously covered :) Holy moly -- when I gave her the list she asked for, I was expecting one item from the list -- not the entire forking list!

Twas a grand day and I don't feel at all guilty about all the makeup we picked out. Yes -- makeup. The last time I wore makeup was at her wedding and I can't remember the time before that. My goodness there sure is a lotta variety and styles I've never heard of. Thank goodness I had my girlie girl with me to translate. We went to the Sephora store (fanning face) and I was only nervous for a few minutes. Got right into the fun of trying stuff on and figuring out colors. A. Lot. Of. Fun.

Of course on the way home we had to stop for lattes before we scarfed down the chocolate mousse she had made. From a Barefoot Contessa (Ina Garten) cookbook -- I don't know which one but ... I am headed into the kitchen to snag some. Jen sent me home with a container for my midnight snack.

Pics of Jen and Mike, Jen and Dublin, Mike and Dodger Blue, and a group shot.



The Bangles - Manic Monday. Contrary to what they sing, Mondays are Fundays.

Misty

A misty day. Was 56 when I got up after the crack of noon Sunday and it is currently 55 outside at 1:00 in the morning. A day made for procrastinating -- I'll run my errands tomorrow when I head over the hill to spend the afternoon with Jen. We are doing coffee and dessert and going shopping -- a day to celebrate my birthday last week.

Token and Bailey cat spent most of the evening curled up on the sofa in front of the fire. I'm off to spend what is left of my evening joining them.