How's The Weather?

          We've been told that Oregon's hottest month takes place in August.  Thus far I have not noticed a drastic difference with the weather here as I had in Salt Lake.  We moved in at the beginning of summer last year.  Oregon was going through a drought.  The entire summer was ALWAYS HOT.  Fire temperatures were extreme.  Grass was brown and dry.  We were told that would make for a hard winter.

          By Utah standards, the "cold" winter of Oregon (west of I5) last year was really mild.  It was our first winter in Oregon, so again, we don't actually know any better.  We got snow.  We're told that snow is rare.  Perhaps we'll have a more accurate experience this year.

          Thus far, the hottest days (in my mind) were July 28 - 30 - the three days that Myrtle Creek had their summer fest activity.  The temperatures had cooled down by June 31 but got hot again on August 1st - which was a week ago last Monday.  I take a water aerobics class in the morning.  The temperature in the water does not mirror the temperature of the air.  It is usually the opposite.

          Even though the sun shone last week, the water was cold.  Didn't seem that anyone in the class was able to warm up.  The air on Tuesday morning was cool.  The clouds blocked the sun and it appeared that it might rain.  I went to class believing the pool would be warmer than the day before.  It was.  Nice and relaxing.  It felt so great - like bath water.  It was hard to get out of the pool and back into the frigid air - which really was not all that chilly except to one who is wet.

          The last two mornings have been overcast and cool.  The lifeguards have had sweatshirts on over their suits.  The pool has been really nice.  Gradually the air will warm up during class or just right after.  Today it took a while for the weather to make up its mind as clouds would pass between the earth and the sun - blocking the rays from shining down.  I actually preferred that to the rays blasting in my face and on my skin like flames licking at me.

          Ever since we moved to Tri-City, it seems I have been doing laundry more often.  Instead of doing four loads once a week, it seems to be spread out into 12 - 16 loads.  I have washed whites, colors, whites, towels, whites, dark load,  white, bed sheets/towels, whites, whites . . .

I expect that to die down back to four within the next few months.  Soon I will have to depend solely on the dryer as I won't be able to hang my laundry outside anymore.  And the pale brown grass will become green again.

          It is 10 - 20 cooler in Oregon than it is in Salt Lake.  I suspect that in the winter, it will be 20 - 30 degrees warmer than in Salt Lake.