Merry Christmas!

After a month of mostly dismal weather, 

we were blessed with sunshine 

on Christmas day!  

Alexa says it is only 45 degrees outside.  

It feels much warmer.

Perhaps the Opposite is in Store

 

It is so cold outside

So unlike our first year in Oregon

We didn’t need light jackets then

Let alone heavy coats

There has been warning of snow

I personally think it’s too cold

Snow doesn’t fall when it’s freezing

Or at least that’s how it used to be

The worst part about all the cold

That is currently causing misery for many

Is in thinking that the summer months

Will be so much worse blaring heat upon us

Quite the opposite of now.

Drastic Change

 

I have a drawer where

my shorts live or

used to anyway. 

Weather changed. 

Make way for the

coats and sweaters! 

 

Problem is – I don’t

have enough room. 

Too much bulk for

just one drawer. 

 

I do love the fall though. 

Kind of naughty for the

morning temperature to be

67 one day and 43 the next. 

 

I have gone two days now

without running the air conditioner. 

I would rather have it cold than

overly warm

 

Pretty soon we’ll be

turning the heat on. 

Bah, humbug!

Mystic Skies, Heat and Snow

     You know it's hot when Richard is the one who suggests to open a window or turn on the fan.  Surprisingly I don't think I felt as warm as he did.  I was comfortable and in no hurry to leave the bed.  Perhaps 20 min or so had passed before I decided to get up and open the window at least a crack.  I also threw his pajama top over the vent - he must have been hot!

    This morning I noticed the box had been moved from the vent in the bathroom.  I will have to find something less bulky.  But as for now the window remains open.  True there is a chill - but I have put on a long sleeve shirt.  The scenery is so pretty outside

.

That Was an Incredible Surprise

 Each of us in the household have been sick - though Biff hasn't experienced what the rest of us have - and hopefully it may pass him completely.  Claire looks awful - which is how I imagined I must have looked.  I never felt as horrible as Richard sounds.  He did sound better last night than the night before.  Still not sleeping great - but at least it was not his cough that was keeping him up.

I always open the windows to let in the fresh air - also because I'm always hot.  When Richard comes to bed he always complains that it is cold.  Thus yesterday I made certain that the windows were shut, the fan was off and the vent wasn't covered.  I was still awake when he came to in the room.  We watched TV and I fell asleep.  

       It wasn't overly hot in our room this last night but I had tossed and turned for much of the night trying to adjust to the temperature as I could not decide weather I was hot or cold. It had rained all night. I was quite surprised to see the window was open this morning.  He said he opened it to let the moisture in.  It must have helped him.  It totally pleased me.

What?????

 Last week when Roland left the house, it was always below freezing.  This week it will be in the low 50's.  Are you kidding me?  I am going to die come summer.  If I look at 40s and 50s as "no coat" weather, how am I going to survive 90 and triple digits.  I'm not.  My posts are dwindling as it is.  When they cease to exist (probably in the summer) than chances are looking good that I will too. (Well, I will exist, just not in an earthly form;  I am okay with leaving my body behind)

Wearing Me Down

 

              It seems that Roland has had a cold each year – usually as a way to start off the New Year.  Each cold seems to linger longer than the last.  This year could be different with all the COVID related illnesses going on.  We haven’t been checked.  According to the news the last batch of testing kits may not be providing correct results anyway.  I think it’s just a cold.

          Every time he gets a cold he senses drafts that really aren’t there.  He is always wearing thermals and wrapped in blankets.  I, of course, am hotter than normal.  We are generally in two different rooms so that each of us can experience a temperature that is unlike that of the other. 

          I fortunately do not have his hacking cough – though I have had a dustball type cough on occasion – nothing as proficient as his.  I have started in with a runny nose.  I’ve experienced aches and pains. And even weirder that . . . I haven’t had a period for over eight years now and it seems to be making a comeback.  Are you kidding me?  I’m almost sixty.  Let’s lose this menstrual pain and blood already.  What the hey? Time to make a doctor’s appointment.  Find out what is going on. 

          AHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Ever Changing With Mother Nature

Last week the temperature would start out in the mid-forty’s and go up another 40 degrees throughout the day.  That’s not nice.  This week we have had consistent weather and have included wind and rain. 

 

I prefer the cooler weather – especially for walking Bonnie.  We all feel deprived when it is hot.   

Chilly

The morning fog was thick

In years past that meant

when the skies decided to clear

 that it would be sunny

and warm

then to hot

Not today.

The fog finally cleared

the sun came out

But it did not get warm

The wind blew and chilled the air

Our day is now near its end

Fog to Sun and 30 degree Jump

Roland turned up the heat as

he was cold yesterday morning. 

The fog was thick and did not seem

to start lifting until after 9:00. 

It started.

It was still foggy. 

I did not choose to leave the

house until almost 11:00.  It

appeared the fog had lifted

quicker in Myrtle Creek than in

Tri City.

Still the hills were hidden.  I

couldn’t see the towers until 11:30. 

It was 47 degrees just before

the fog lifted.  Of course

I was already hot and had the

windows open, fan running and  

told Roland that he should shut

 his door and plugged in the small

space heater that is probably

the perfect size for his office. 

I think his office is plenty hot without

the space heater.  The longer it

takes the fog to lift in the morning, the

hotter it gets during the day. 

It got up to 75. Fortunately

we have not removed the

air conditioners (as of yet)

The fog does not seem as dense
this morning.

Happy Anniversary – Let’s Make Grape Juice

          Roland and I went to the outskirts of Roseburg (Melbourne) last night to pick grapes in the rain.  We didn’t go with the intention of being rained on nor did we go to the vineyard with the intent of celebrating our 18^th wedding anniversary and yet it was.  I would have forgotten all about it if my sister hadn’t sent me an anniversary wish.  Wow.

          We were on our mini-vacation when the month had started.  What happened to the week after we returned?  September used to be the longest month in my opinion.  And here it’s been ten days and I have foreseen that this will be the shortest September ever. How odd.

          The weather has gone from unbearably hot to misty fog and cool temperatures except at 4:00 a.m. when the humidity is at 100 percent.  I don’t recall feeling so smothered in the humidity level while in Bandon – though I did in Coos Bay.  Who would have thought I would feel that same temperature and stickiness in Myrtle Creek during my sleep. 

          I’ve been getting up every morning to shut the windows. I wonder how much longer Roland will allow for us to go to sleep with the windows open before he attempts to kick on the heat.  He gets cold and I get hot.

          We started the grape juice last night but it was only a start.  We watched the first episode of “a Very Brady Renovation” How special that HGTV would make the premier on the date of our anniversary (LOL) We picked three and a half buckets and have almost three buckets left and possibly 13 gallons of juice by the time we are finished.  Roland says we’ll make more jam this year.  We will see if he can contain himself.

Change in the Weather

         

          Though it rained and the temperatures remained cooler during Roland’s staycation, it hasn’t been the same this week.  Tuesday got to 104 though yesterday was not as bad.  All day it appeared to be overcast with little promise of rain.  By 10:00 yesterday morning it was already too warm and the temperature rose up from there and didn’t start going down until after 8:00 – even though there was sign of actual raindrops that made a pathetic appearance and left again. There was a heaviness in the air that felt murky and seemed to distort my vision.

          I’ve taken so many pictures of the sky – trying to capture its brilliance.  I have two or three point-and-shoots that I use and of course, there’s my cell phone which is a flip phone and does NOT capture anything brilliant.  As I said before, I think a lot of it has to do with having the opportunity of seeing the sky this summer as we have not had a lot of summers when so much sky remained smoke-free.

          My allergies have been acting up – as though our yard has turned into a field of poinsettias or chrysanthemums – both of which I’m allergic to.  Actually, there are few plants that I’m NOT allergic to.  But I would say poinsettias and chrysanthemums are the worse.

        The forecast for the rest of the weeks has us in the mid ’80s and upper '70s.  I would like to see it kick down to 72 or below. I did not notice a breeze this morning in Tri City, but when I got to the pool (only about five minutes away) there was a wind blowing what felt more than just four miles per hour.  It knocked off my hat.  It felt nice, but not in the water.  I returned home without going to class.
        Jenna said it rained last night.  Apparently I missed it.  How is the sky able to send down rain when the air is so hot?  I hope that this morning's wind is a sign of cooling down the temperatures.

This is the Way it Should BE

Currently, the temperature is 56 degrees.  

Alexa says the high will be 73.  

This is why we moved to Oregon. 

 This is how the temperature should be EVERY day.

Crazier Than Ever

          Since spring break, the skies

overall

have been grey and have

produced a huge amount

of water. 

The rivers are not

overflowing, but

                    definitely not

dry as they were in winter. 

The temperature has been

47 – 52 degrees on average. 

On Thursday it was up to 82. 

What is up with that?!? 

Yesterday was not

quite as warm –

maybe 10 degrees less. 

Now we are back to

rain and clouds.   

The Sights and Sounds of Utah . . . NNNOOOOOO

          Corey has had to deal with the challenge of driving to work in Las Vegas construction or attempt to try and maneuver himself around it.  Ah, the good old days (not) of experiencing that very thing in Salt Lake.  I suppose Las Vegas and SLC can afford to put up detour signs - though it seems inconvenience - there is the option of using other streets.  Not so true in this part of Oregon.

          I told Corey that has been another plus to living here.  Sometimes I have noticed Roseburg streets seem at a shutdown, but here in Myrtle Creek, the road construction has generally been less than a week.  Cones go up, signs go up, but they either move down the road or else disappear altogether.

          There was the inconvenience of going South on Old Pacific during a few months last year, but hey, Old Pacific is a long road connecting Myrtle Creek to Tri-City and a way out to Riddle.  As inconvenient as it was for many, it did at least move.

          This year there has been construction on a neighborhood road leading out to Old Pacific.  The signs have moved - but seem to be making their way into the neighborhood rather than out of it.  Currently, there is the option of turning right instead of left and winding my way through the adjoining neighborhoods - but I prefer going to the light than around the neighborhood.  At the rate the signs are moving, it will be inconvenient to try to go either direction.

         

          The news forecast told about an expected heat wave for Roseburg.  No No No.  I want the temperatures for the past six weeks to continue.  Heatwave not welcome!  When Jenna and I passed the fire department this morning, we saw that the fire danger sign had been changed from moderate to high.  NOOOOO  

          The largest class in attendance to the water fitness last year had been 15 - or maybe 16 with the instructor.  On Friday we had 20 in attendance - our largest class yet.  And the pool was cold again.  Body heat does not penetrate in the water or else no one had any to give

          I haven't been to the pool for four days and my body has been rebelling as I haven't had a good workout.  I chose not to go on Monday as it looked cold out, and though the temperature of the pool has been opposite of the air in years' past, that has not been the case this year.  Yesterday my stomach was giving me problems and I thought being in the water would only add to those problems. 

          We were told that the water was the coldest Monday than it had been all summer.  It was also learned that the thermostat/heater has not been producing accurately.  I had that figured out last month.

          We could hear police sirens in the distance sounding closer to us and had expected to see them.  After we returned home, I was hanging wet clothes on the line.  I could hear yard buzzing coming from my neighbor's yard.  We don't have a garden this year. I haven't missed having to go out and weed and so forth.   

Spoke Too Soon!

          For two weeks now, I have been sleeping sound all through the night.  Yesterday I posted about how cold it’s been and right now I am up because it’s too hot to sleep – even after turning on the A/C.  I ended up waking up instead of going back to sleep.  GRRR . . .

          Google says that the temperature is only 56 outside, but there is obviously no breeze.  No circulation.  Currently I have the fan on in the other room, and Roland is buried under the covers.  It’s quite sickening.  It did get up to 86 when I had checked less than ten hours ago.  

Too Late To Plant?

         It has been said that plants and seeds should be introduced to the ground before Mothers' Day ends . . . or perhaps it's just seeds?  Roland and I are both city bred, but have tried our hand at living in the country.  Our yard is an ugly mess right now.  We were late planting last year.  I think we may have missed opportunity this year . . . but then again, the weather has been crazy enough that we may be okay to purchase a tomato plant or two.  Our garden won't have as many plants as what we tried last year.

          We purchased some strawberry plants and something called "Hula Berries" which we have never heard of before, but thought we would try it.  Roland tugged at the buds as they came up saying our harvest would start this year rather than last.  It may be the only crop we have.  Trick is weeding it without pulling up the plants.  As an added challenge, we'll have to put netting around it in order to keep the deer out.  I don't understand why they would walk through other houses in the neighborhood to get to ours.  It's not like we're in a large or open area.

         

          Roland likes to do the yard work when the sun is blazing overhead.  I prefer not to do yard work at all.  But if I must be out there, I would prefer the sun was not - especially when it's directly over us.  I need some shade.  Last week seemed to be the best time as it's been rather cool - and even cold at times. Often, our last week of May this year, looked and felt like November.  The temperature reached 79 one time I think, but the winds have been blowing over 10 mph and so it has always felt cooler.

          It is said that if you don't like a particular area to stay there for five minutes, and the weather will change.  I suppose it's like that all over the nation.  We had that saying in Utah and I have heard it in Oregon.  Only Oregon was not supposed to be like that. The temperature was supposed to be consistent.  And without fires.  It's been cool enough to change that, I suppose. 

          Yesterday the sun was out, but it was still cold.  At 10:00 a.m. it was still only 56 degrees outside. Sun is up again right now.  I'm predicting it will be warmer than yesterday.

New Year to Finals

            It is really a sad thing to have finals right after a two week vacation.  Instead of having just one assessment or assignment - all of it is expected from here on.  Every week will be the same.  That is fine for the times I have just one class, but it seems quite challenging this particular week when I have two and have not bounced back with my mind.

            Theoretically I should be working on my assignments or posting a comment to a fellow student on discussion, but I first need to clear out my brain.  Perhaps if I brainstorm here I will have  a better understanding about what to write for my class assignment.

            We're supposed to set goals on improving our self-management.  Yesterday's daily check point had us watch a video on sleep hygiene.  Now there's my inspiration.  I haven't been sleeping well.  I KNOW I need to sleep  better to control my emotional intelligence.  I slept much better as a single person than one who is expected to share a bed.  Forget my disability to find comfort on a flat surface.  Roland and I have never been able to agree on room temperature.   If he's comfortable, I am too hot.  If I am comfortable, he is too cold.

            The air doesn't seem like it will push through the vents unless the thermostat is above 72.  There's another brilliant error design that came with our home.  The thermostat is set between the back door and kitchen and so never does get an accurate temperature of the entire house.  Duh.  Of course we never have the finances to fix or change anything.

            So last night we used a space heater that plugs directly into the wall and is not on the floor. 

   

          

The instructions are quite simple and say that the temperature goes from 60 to 90.  Who in their right mind is going to set it to 90 degrees?  I think 75 is too hot.  At the advice of a column I will reference for my assignment, on suggestion for better sleep is to keep the room cool.  I think 65 may have been a bit too cool - especially for Roland.  He was pleased to see me this morning as I usually wander into the living room during the night;  the air quality in the living room has been the right temperature for me - but the couch is a beast to sleep on.

              I don't know that either one of us really slept any better than we have been.  I usually wake between 1:30 and 2:00 because I'm hot.  My bladder woke me up at 2:30 - ah, the drawbacks of cool verses warmth.  My pipes don't leak in the warmth, but when I'm cold I've suddenly got water bursting through me.  Where does it even come from.  It's not as though I am sipping on Big Gulps during my sleep

 I've also noticed that electric heat seems drier than natural gas.  We don't even have a natural gas option in this house.  I wonder if that is what has contributed to my stomach rash.  It doesn't make sense to me, but is the only thing I can think of that is different from my normal routine - or what started out as routine anyway.

            Still searching for answers.  I do need to eat better, and that will help me sleep.  But I still need to find that perfect t temperature for both of us.

            I hadn't made the connection of exposure to light.  The article discussed getting out in the natural daylight.  There haven't been many hours of light for several days at a time.  It's been overcast, foggy, dim, kind of depressing.  The daylight effects the moods of almost all people.  All the sudden it has made sense to me.  I don't know if this post does, but I plan on posting it anyway.  Take a shower, say a prayer, get on with my day.  Hopefully I will become more alert than I am at present.