Freezin' in Seattle, Missin' Arizona (Tucson: house, living in, garden)

[LordBalfor]

Sounds like the title of cheezy Country-Western song don't it?

Unfortunately it's the reality for us up here in the Pacific Northwest this year.

At 12:21 in the afternoon here on Monday, June 9th, the temp at my house is measly 51 degrees, with an expected high today of (maybe) a whopping 55. That's a full 13 degrees below normal - not that our normal high for this date is all that stellar at 68. The bad news is, this has been pretty typical for this year. So far "Junuary" has been awful - an May was not any better - nor for that matter was Aprl.

Take a look at this excerpt from an article about our recent weather here in Seattle:

"So far this month, Seattle's average high temperature is 57.2 degrees -- this is a full 5 degrees below the record coldest average for June and over 12 degrees below the normal average high, although it's highly unlikely we'll stay this cool the entire month. So far, we've only had one day this month be over 60 degrees.

Some other records: This is the coldest first 8 days of June in Seattle history. Also, Seattle has never gone the first 12 days of June under 65. That record is in jeopardy, but will be close."

I'm FREEZING.

So, all you folks down there complaining about how awful the heat is, let me tell you I WOULD TRADE PLACES WITH YOU ANY DAY.

Give me a break! It's almost summer and we're shivering up here. We have foreign vistors in town and I can't take them up to Mt Rainier etc because:

#1) There's still too much snow up there. The snow level is around 4,000 ft. today and then drop to 2,500 ft. by midnight and up 12" is expected in the passes.

#2) Even if you go up into the mountains you can't see anything anyway because it's all socked in.

And the extended 3-month forecast is for more or less more of the same (a cooler and wetter than normal summer).

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Ken

[cobolt]

Oh I agree. I'm wearing a freaking turtleneck to work for heaven's sake and WHEN is the last time you saw the sun??? OMG make it stop already. I can tolerate heat better anyway. Maybe it was all those years living in Texas. Anyway, it's cold in my house when I wake up, cold when I get dressed, cold at work. I'm tired of always feeling cold!!

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by LordBalfor

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Ken

LOL, as far as I'm concerned Tucson's been in global freezing this year.

[LordBalfor]

Yeah, it's pretty rotten.

About the ONLY good thing I can say is that my garden plants are very happy and that my yard is even more of a jungle than usual (see photos below). The bad news of course is that it's been too cool and too wet to enjoy it all that much.

And so the Daffodils were lovely for an exceptionally long time (essentially refridgerated as they were) - lasting a full 2 1/1 months - but I pretty missed them because it was too crappy to be outside that much (except for a couple of exceptional days).

My Tulips were beautiful (I think). Didn't really see them much either.

My enormous dinner-plate sized pompom Peony's came and went without much notice, as did my lilacs, and currently waining Rhodies.

Nice to have a beautiful garden (something that will be lacking in Arizona).
Too bad I've not been able to enjoy it much.

Ken

[LordBalfor]

Originally Posted by sierraAZ

LOL, as far as I'm concerned Tucson's been in global freezing this year.

Yeah, I noticed that temps on our land are lower than average this year. Still, it's been a LOT warmer than here in Seattle.

Ken

[sierraAZ]

Originally Posted by LordBalfor

Nice to have a beautiful garden (something that will be lacking in Arizona).
Too bad I've not been able to enjoy it much.

Ken

Wow, that's such a pretty garden!

[LordBalfor]

Originally Posted by sierraAZ

Wow, that's such a pretty garden!

Thanks.

We like it a lot - especially the waterfall and fish pond, which are right outside our bedroom window (just off cameral to the left in the shots of that area). Makes a really nice sound and helps block out the noise of the nearby airport (we're close to both Boeing Field and Seatac Airport).

As I said though, this year there's been little occasion to really enjoy it much.

Ken

[LordBalfor]

Originally Posted by cobolt

Oh I agree. I'm wearing a freaking turtleneck to work for heaven's sake and WHEN is the last time you saw the sun??? OMG make it stop already. I can tolerate heat better anyway. Maybe it was all those years living in Texas. Anyway, it's cold in my house when I wake up, cold when I get dressed, cold at work. I'm tired of always feeling cold!!

Indeed.

Ken

[michael krotchie]

Thanks for sharing the pictures, very lush looking indeed. I hiked Seven Falls yesterday and was stoked to see the waterfalls; but instead I saw green stagnant pools. >.< Oh a lovely coral snake.

Send some rain our way!! (Soon enough I'm sure )

[LordBalfor]

Originally Posted by michael krotchie

Thanks for sharing the pictures, very lush looking indeed. I hiked Seven Falls yesterday and was stoked to see the waterfalls; but instead I saw green stagnant pools. >.< Oh a lovely coral snake.

You're welcome.

Yeah, snakes and such are one thing we'll have to get used to down there. We have no poisonous snakes in Western Washington whatsoever. East of the Cascades (on the desert side) there's Western Rattlesnakes, but not over here on the west (Seattle) side of the mountains. Outside of Alaska, we're probably the only section of the country to have no poisonous snakes at all.

Ken