The Annual Weather Post

Every year, about this time of year, I seem to post something about the weather. It's a tough time for most people in the Willamette Valley as far as weather goes. It's still pretty dark in the evenings and it seems to rain every day. The gray clouds cover the sky almost constantly, and it feels like spring and summer will never arrive.

Yes, this is the season of depression in the valley.

It is also the time I start planning a weekend getaway to somewhere warm and sunny. And I start fantasizing about a nice warm island with plenty of sun and sand and daily swims. In my fantasy there is a perfect little beach hut and a hammock and a never ending supply of fruity beverages and freshly grilled, delicious food.

I live on my little fantasy island quite a bit this time of year. It helps me get through.

Something like this

And it also helps me to remember the perfect Oregon summers, when I sit on the patio chatting with friends until late into the warm nights. Oh yeah, that's why I live here. Sometimes I forget.

How to Beat the Heat In and Around Salem

For the most part, Summer in Salem, Oregon is just about perfect. Warm days, cool nights, little humidity, and a few bugs. But then every once in awhile we get a "heat wave", as Oregonians call days in the 90-100 degree range. The reason it really feels like a heat wave is because almost no one has air conditioning since its really more of a luxury than a necessity around here. Since I've been surviving Oregon "heat waves" for my entire life, I thought I'd share some of the local secrets to staying sane in the heat.

1. First of all, there's the window/door air-conditioning trick. Open all the windows and doors early in the morning with the fans blowing the cool air in, then close them up quickly when the temp outside starts to rise above the temp inside the house. My mother is an expert at this, standing in the middle of the doorway one arm held outside and the other inside to test the temperatures. :) Then make sure you keep all your windows closed and blinds and curtains closed until the temp drops in the evening again. 
2. If you have a basement, move your mattress down there and sleep in it on the hottest days. My entire family and an assortment of friends would have slumber parties in our basement on the days that just wouldn't cool down. 
3. Go to the beach or up to Detroit Lake. Both the mountains and the beaches can be 20-30 degrees cooler than the valley. So pack a cooler and head out for the day, just remember you won't be the only one, so expect traffic.
4. Go shopping. The one place that is always air conditioned is the mall. 
5. Go to a movie. Pick a long one and make sure its about mid-afternoon so you miss the worst of the heat. (The hottest part of the day in these parts is usually between 4-6 pm).
6. Make friends with people who have pools (pretty uncommon around Salem) or join one of the community pool clubs. I know there are a couple in Keizer, one in West Salem, one out south and I'm sure lots of others. They can be pretty spendy, but non-members can sign up for lessons which are MUCH cheaper. You don't get full access, but you can stay cool for awhile.
7. Head over to one of the splash fountains around Salem. The largest fountains are at Riverfront Park and River Road Park. There are smaller splash fountains at Fairmont, Northgate, Wes Bennett, West Salem and Englewood neighborhood parks.
8. If all else fails, take a cool shower and then sit in front of a fan. Repeat as needed.

Have fun, enjoy summer, and be safe. And don't forget to hydrate!

The Holidays in Salem

It's that time of year. Time for bundling up and getting in the Christmas spirit. I must admit. I haven't been doing very well at either one.

Usually I have a Christmas tree by now, but with master's classes, family emergencies, and the general busyness of life, I just haven't gotten around to it yet. I did put a red bow with some bells on my front door handle yesterday, thanks to a friend who donated the decor that leftover from a project. That may be about as Christmasy as I get this year.

As for the bundling up...well, I think I finally got into the spirit of that. I mean, I had to right, or I would be an ice cube by now (insert in your mind a cartoon image of me completely surrounded by a block of ice)! I don't really love winter clothes so it always takes me a while to find things I'm comfortable with and get into the layering mode.

I actually really like this time of year. I like the festive decorations. I love it when the wreaths go up on the lightposts downtown. I like to see Christmas trees lit up in stores and in people's windows. I love that people get out and go to parties, go shopping, and get together with family. I like Christmas goodies like fudge and sugar cookies. I don't really understand when people talk about the holiday blues, or the stress of the season. I generally feel pretty good about the holidays, the weather, and the end of the year.

But just wait until January. Now there's a depressing month.

In the meantime, I'll try to keep you all posted on the exciting happenings around Salem during the holidays!

The Land of Sun and Snow

I went over the mountain to Central Oregon for Thanksgiving. My family rented a place at Eagle Crest and enjoyed a little (or a lot) of turkey and stuffing while relaxing in the cold, sunny weather.

On Wednesday it was so warm and sunny that I was laying out sunbathing on the deck. I felt like a lizard soaking up rays of sun to get me through the cold times. Every morning we would wake up to frosty grass and snowy mountaintops peeking through the trees. Every day at lunchtime we would sit out on the deck enjoying the warm sun. And every night we curled up next to the fire or sat around the table playing board games. I loved knowing that the sun would be back the next day and that I could walk out into the bright sunlight every morning for my morning walk.

I think I'm going to have to make some more treks over the mountain this winter. I don't really mind the rain, but every once in awhile I just need to soak up some bright, snowy sunlight!

Fall is in the Air...The Oregon Edition

Well, folks, looks like summer is officially over. There may be a nice day here or there, but you can feel the crispness in the air.

I really do love fall. I love the leaves falling off the trees and piling up on the sidewalk. I love the wind blowing and creating leaf gusts. I love the crisp mornings and the sunny afternoons. I love the fog and the rain - the sweater weather. I love that fall means cozying up with a blanket, pumpkin lattes, candles in the evenings, and Thanksgiving! I love all that stuff and more.

But, as so many Oregonians do, I realize that fall leads to winter and winter means rain and dark and no more Christmas lights and being constantly damp and not seeing the sun for weeks at a time and...and then I just feel depressed. Is this normal, I wonder? But then, I talk to a few people and realize it may not be normal, but it's common enough to warrant a name.

It is commonly known as SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder. I'm not sure that I actually have that. I would refer to mine as pre-SAD. Like I'm not really depressed when winter actually arrives. It's the looking forward to months of it that makes me depressed. And all this happens when the weather is still at it's best!

I realize this may make me sound crazy and that's okay, because I know I'm not the only one out there that feels this way. You're not alone!! :)

Maybe this is actually just a mourning of the seasons as they pass. Sure. Let's go with that. Sounds more poetic...and less crazy.

Camping In Oregon

One of the things that I love about the Northwest is the abundance of camping options. I once upon a time lived in Ohio for a few years, and I remember trying to camp one year. Trying was the operative word. We finally found a KOA camp (nothing against the good people of the KOA, but it isn't exactly my idea of camping) on a small lake. And then came the thunder storms. You know those Midwest summer thunderstorms that are so great when you're cozy in your house? Yeah, not so cozy in a tent with the wind nearly blowing the tent over on top of you, dropping big branches dangerously close to your head, and the rain seeping in the seams of your brand new tent. Apparently I was spoiled by growing up in Oregon.

So this summer, as usual, I went camping with my family. We stayed one night at Detroit Lake, which is pretty and has flush toilets and showers. If living without your hair dryer sounds like too much of a sacrifice, then Detroit Lake is the camp for you. The downside of Detroit is that the lake is difficult to access in some places unless you have a boat and the camps are quite close together. It's only about an hour from Salem though, so that makes for a nice quick trip.

The next place we headed to was Suttle Lake. I really love Suttle Lake. It's about 20 miles west of Sisters which makes it about 2 hours from Salem. It's a beautiful little lake. Although motorized boats are allowed it is pretty quiet and peaceful. We stayed at the Link Creek camp on the west end of the lake. It does not have electricity, but it does have water spigots spread througout the sites and it has some pretty decent pit toilets. I mean, you can only expect so much when you're talking about a pit in the ground serving as a toilet, but this one actually had an air freshener, and almost no bugs. :) So I'd say that's pretty decent.

Sailboat on Suttle Lake

The best part about Suttle Lake is the big campsites and the easy lake access. It was great to be far enough away from your neighbors that it was possible to turn your chair towards the lake and forget they were there. The lake is accessible for swimming or rafting or whatever you want to do. It has a nice easy slope and the bottom is covered in small gravel (water shoes might be good for extended lake time as the gravel can be a little rough on the feet). The water is clean and cold, the views are classic central Oregon lake and tree views, and the people are friendly and far between. Just the way I like it! Oh, and the stars. The stars are amazing at night!

And after writing this, I realized I'm an anti-social camper. :) Sorry folks, I guess I go to get away from people.

Does anyone else have any great spots they like to camp? I'd like to try out some new places next year.

Summer Weather in Salem

Okay, did this weekend feel like summer or what? It gave me the urge to go camping, hiking, boating and all those fun summer things. I did end up going to a barbecue at a friend's house, walking across the Union St Bridge (with what felt like about 200 other people!), and hanging out at the boat launch at Wallace Marine, drooling over even the tiniest, rustiest boat. It's just the time of year that I feel the need to be out on the water. Maybe I should get a rubber raft. :)

A Lovely Salem Weekend

The weather this weekend was absolutely perfect and I went to bed last night feeling like I had had a perfect weekend altogether.

Friday night I visited a friend and caught up a little, and then, since I was in the neighborhood, headed over to Winco to pick up a few groceries. Have you ever been to Winco on a Friday night? Seriously good people watching, let me tell you. Actually, Winco is good people watching most of the time. The woman behind me in line was yelling at someone on her bluetooth (which you couldn't see at first because her hair covered it, so it looked like she was just a crazy woman yelling at herself). She kept yelling, "Just go to Denny's and do not get in anyone's car."

Not sure what that was all about.

Then Saturday morning I went for a walk down at Minto Brown. There were lots of people and dogs out and about. It was a beautiful day with lots of sunshine, although the air was still a bit cold. The paths are flooded in a couple of spots down by the river, but there was still plenty of space to walk.

I cut up four pounds of strawberries on Saturday afternoon. I had been lured in by the big pack of bright red strawberries at Winco the night before and decided I should prepare them for the week. Now I can eat strawberries for every meal!

After all that strawberry cutting I needed a nice Saturday afternoon nap. :)

Then it was sushi for dinner with friends at Sushi Kyo. Then a stop for gelato at Napolean's downtown and a drink at Venti's basement bar before heading to bed for a good night's sleep. Ahhh.

Sunday, I woke up late, went over to my sister's to babysit my cute little nieces. I got my arts and crafts on and we made Mother's Day cards.

Later, we went on a Sunday afternoon drive out to the Turner hills to check out some very fancy properties. If anyone is looking for a nice, quiet, country home there are a ton of places for sale out that direction and it's only about 15 minutes from downtown Salem. It is beautiful land out there and the fancy estates are mixed in with quaint little country homes.

We decided to stop for some pad thai at Thai Beer on the way home, which was fabulous. We split of plate of chicken pad thai and some salad rolls, which was just the perfect amount of food.

Perfectly Perfect.

A Funny Thing About Rain...

It makes me want to curl up with my blankets and a cup of coffee and read a book all day. It definitely does not make me want to hear my alarm clock, get up, walk to work, or actually DO any work while there. It feels more like Fall around here than Spring and it's got me all mixed up. I feel like I should go into hibernation. Do you think bears get mixed up about this stuff, too?

Apparently this town is full of lawbreakers

Did anyone head over to Riverfront Park over these past few beautiful days? Did anyone head down to the end of the park where the new Railroad bridge will soon be opening? Did you happen to notice the hordes of people pleasantly strolling and biking right past the "No trespassing," "You will be fined," "This area monitored by camera" signs? Because I did. Now, I'm not admitting to any guilt here myself. :) I'm just saying there was no stopping people from that bridge once the sun came out.

I can see that it is going to be extremely popular. Especially on nice, sunny, summery days like the last few we've had. I will admit that I got a lot of walking in this weekend. In and around Salem there are some beautiful walking trails and areas. I even made it up to the Wheatland Ferry area and walked on some of the trails around Willamette Mission Park.

Just a little tip for you in this economic crisis. Did you know that if you park at the Ferry the parking is free, but it costs the $3 daily fee to park inside the park itself?

Note: Apparently the roadside parking is free. The parking lot is still part of the park. Still, there's plenty of roadside parking.

Yard Work Alert!!

Apparently, we are supposed to have 70 degree weather this weekend. It was all over the news last night. Pretty sad when a sunny day makes headlines.

Well, yay! That's all I have to say about it. I'm ready for it. Somehow I acclimated extremely quickly to the warm weather of Southern Cali and I have been cold ever since I came home. I'm pretty sure the nurseries and home improvement stores are going to be really busy this weekend.

Spring Break!

Although I have come to love Salem and all it has to offer me in my grown-up life, there is one thing still missing. Sunshine. Especially this year. This cold has got to stop. I can't handle it ANYMORE.

Therefore, I have booked a trip to Los Angeles for six days to visit friends and soak up the sun.

I'm sorry, Salem. You try so hard, but some things just aren't you. But don't worry, by the time I get back I'll be so happy to see your uncrowded streets and little dive bars. Your coffee shops that aren't Starbucks and your happy people. I'll love you even more for having left for a short while.

But I must go find some sunshine to recharge my solar soul.

February Rain

Usually, about this time of year, I start to feel desperate for sunshine. This year it feels oddly right to finally be getting downpour. Not that I don't love the sunny springlike days. I do. I do. But being a native Oregonian, I also enjoy a good rain once in awhile. It feels cleansing.

So, I plan on enjoying this rainy stint, reveling in the wind and wet. At least until I get tired of it and start to crave sunlight again. Then I'll start complaining with the best of them!

It's Winter, People!

Well, it's been a few years since this kind of weather has come our way. It feels more like we're up at Mt. Hood than in downtown Salem, Oregon. I haven't seen anything like this since a Thanksgiving snow storm we had sometime back in the 80's.

Here are some pictures of the Arctic Blast of 2008:)

Little snowmen with ice hats outside my apartment.

It's Christmas Time in the City

I wandered over to the Salem Center Mall during my lunch today. I really wanted to get out of the office and walk a little, but it was bitterly cold outside, so I ended up walking through the mall.

Here's what I noticed.

• There is a new store that sells imported mahogany carved items and hottubs. What??
• The food court still offers free samples. :)
• A lot of old people shop during the day.
• Bath and Body Works has their foaming soap on sale for $3.
• The Salvation Army bellringers are located in the skywalks. And they have instruments this year. A trumpet and a guitar. It made me smile because they both reminded me of my a little of my dad, sitting their with their instruments singing their hearts out and playing Christmas carols. They weren't exactly excellent musicians, but you could see they enjoyed it. Ah, sweet. :)

Fall Colors

This has been a perfect autumn in Salem. The colors are intense, the sun is still shining, and the air is perfectly crisp. I was out the other day taking some pictures and here are a couple of my favorites. I think I'm going to go back out today or tomorrow and try to get a few more of these beauties. Maybe it'll help get me through the long months to come. :)