First Day of Fall

            It’s almost as if Mother Nature glanced at the kitchen calendar and realized, “Crap!  Fall is supposed to start today!”  So she ordered up a big ol’ wet and stormy blow for the Pacific Northwest to make sure we knew about it.  And now limbs are down, the ground is soggy and the sky is countless shades of gray (WAY more than 50, for sure).

            The unenlightened (code for non-locals) assume that gray and wet is a constant state of being in these parts, but we have a big secret.  Our little corner of the country enjoys brilliant bright summers complete with sparkling blue skies and waters, indescribable sunrises and sunsets, and more green than you can imagine.

            The problem for sun worshippers comes when fall arrives.  Autumn rings in the 9 month long season of gray.  It is a myth that Seattle and the surrounding neighborhood are washed in a constant sheet of rain.  When you look at precipitation charts, we get far less rain than parts of the country that are associated with sun.  Atlanta, GA, Houston TX and even New York City get 10 more inches of rain annually than Seattle.  Our rainfall is almost exactly the same as Dallas Texas, believe it or not.  Why our rainy reputation?  Because here in The PNW the wetness comes in a slow dribble interrupted by periods of dark rainless clouds with the occasional sideways, turbulent spray.

            Before you start feeling sorry for us during our season of moss, you need to understand we like it this way.  Never is there a time period when the weather is too hot, too cold, too dry or too wet for us to enjoy our incredibly beautiful landscape.  Mountains are climbed, waters are paddled, sailed and surfed, and fresh air is consumed in abundance.  Today we enjoyed a drippy post-storm walk in the woods, and were reminded of how the rain still falls in the woods after a storm has passed, as big drops slowly roll off of leaves from trees above and splatter onto your head and face in huge blops.

            Contrary to popular belief we don’t have to bid Mr. Sun adieu for the entire period (equal to the gestation of a human being.)  The sun WILL appear, but much like a brightly wrapped package, it will surprise us, and for a moment we will rejoice and find excuses to spend more time outdoors to bask in its warmth and glory.  We will enjoy the occasional and short-lived gifts of blue sky with warm glow, and even the rare and coveted Snow Day – when roads and schools close and we all congregate in the streets for some old fashioned sledding.

            I’m not going to mourn the loss of summer.  I welcome this season of busy squirrels, fully horned bucks looking for love (leash your dogs – those big horned deer do NOT like their dates interrupted by vigilant mutts…just ask my labrador) and endless shades of green, gray and earthtones. 

I say, Bring it on!