The Summer Switch

Summer switched off suddenly here in Oregon.

Suddenly.

Now temperatures are in the 70's and the forecast for September is for days in the 70's with maybe a handful reaching into the 80's.  This is not normal either, for Oregon.

The predicted storm brought only a quarter inch of rain over the weekend.  We had so hoped for so much more.   Areas in the coast range did receive more.  What we got was a lot of wind, which downed some trees and caused power outages.  But nothing major.  This has all been caused by a strong El Nino, that's been going on for months, the paper article said. El Nino's, those warm Pacific waters paired with westerly winds and other factors down near the equator, can cause excess rainfall and intense storms but the farther north or south you get from the equator, the opposite is often true.  Less rainfall, warmer temps (sometimes).  That's the theory.  As I see it.  The armchair annalist here, without an ounce of expertise on the subject.

The Hood to Coast relay run went on, although the tents and canopies set up on the beach at Seaside, for the party after the race, blew apart and there was no after party.  Runners described facing extreme winds and downpours.   Usually they get sunburned if anything.

I sat here waiting for the rain.  There were a few downpours with thunder and lightning Friday night.  But after that, mostly nothing but wind.  My trees held!

But....the switch got flipped regardless and summer is apparently over.  Off and on light showers are predicted for the week and temps in the mid 60's to mid 70's.   Some would say "whew!"  Back to Oregon normal.  But it's Oregon normal late fall weather, not Oregon normal September, when we usually enjoy 80 plus degree days and cool nights.

Oh well.


Here's a video of my middle aged cat crowd playing, lazily.  21 year old Vision wanders through at the 51 second mark.



Meanwhile life chugs on.  I chatted with a neighbor the other day.   She's got an antenna in her attic and doesn't get the greatest reception for her TV, about like I do.  She pointed out someone else's antenna, said they cost about $100 at Walmart and get all the Eugene and Portland stations.  I thought "Wow", because I often get no good reception at all, especially in winter, and the picture will pixelize out often right towards the end of a show I'm watching.   I've become used to disappointment. Many people in this area cannot afford cable or even internet so try to find ways to get something, at least.   She had tried to get her son to come install the house top Walmart antenna but he hasn't, thinks she should just pay for Satellite or cable, but she says he doesn't understand about not having money. Mostly I read now for entertainment but finding decent books isn't that easy either.  I look for cheap used.   The local used bookstore is not cheap at all.   But I find them here and there.  I can't pay much more than $1 for a used book. The plant down the street a ways from me is fenced off and closed for now.   They rejected the union contract and locked out workers who are now striking.  Probably trying to bust the union.   The city council sent them a letter telling the two sides to find a solution, the paper said, and there is resentment because the city invested over $2 million of local taxpayer money in a jobs program at the local community college so the plant would have trained workers.  Guess the city thinks taxpayers should get something out of that huge investment, like family wage jobs, in terribly short supply around here.  Or something. I think about my brother, by contrast.  He works himself to death, six days a week, to keep his small business running and he says partly because what would his employees do without the jobs.  What nearly broke him, when the economy turned bad a few years ago, was having to cut back health care for his employees and lay some off.  My big tough brother cried over it.  They're like family to him, maybe dysfunctional family, but family nonetheless.  With these big companies, you're not family.  You are a production zombie there to benefit the corporation, to the max.  Period.