Tag Archives: weather

Apr13

It’s Raining It’s Snowing

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It’s Raining It’s Snowing

Yesterday was April 12th. With April Fool’s Day weather. It was also a Tuesday which means I commute to Leavenworth from East Wenatchee to teach a fitness class. I usually hop on Link, but not yesterday. The rain had turned to snow. Will I ever get rid of this ski jacket? Do I really need to dig out my Sorrells?

Driving along Eastmont, the town of Wenatchee below us had totally disappeared from view, as had the mountains beyond. Visibility improved as we made our way along Highway 2 towards Leavenworth.

I must admit the mountains look very pretty with all the freshly fallen snow. But the snow didn’t stay up on the mountains. Instead it graced the town itself.

I snapped these pics after the fitness class.

The snow had finally stopped and didn’t resume again until late afternoon. On the drive back to East Wenatchee, we noticed a drastic change once we got out of Leavenworth. Instead of snow on the ground, everything was green again. And the sun even began to peek through.

Elsewhere in the USA the weather ranged from vicious tornados to blizzards. My friends back in Manitoba were also bracing for severe winter storms.

Did we skip spring, summer and fall and head directly back to winter?

It’s now 9 am Wednesday, today, just before I post this. The snow is still coming down in East Wenatchee. I know the mountains are out there somewhere.

Apr6

Snow Kids Chocolate

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Snow Kids Chocolate

The spring solstice was on March 21st. But I think winter has returned to tease us. Here in East Wenatchee we had daytime highs approaching 70 F for a couple of days. But now we’re back to 30s at night and 50s during the day. And there has been snow up on the mountains.

The above photo was yesterday in Leavenworth. The photo below was yesterday in East Wenatchee where it’s quite a bit warmer.

There is far less snow on the mountains and the trees are blooming more and more everyday.

Yesterday Joyce and I went out for lunch and wound up at the Wenatchee Valley Mall. We had a great time at Macy’s and Ross. Amazing how quickly two hours can go by at those two stores. And those sacks can get heavy too!

I’m still thinking about a couple of trips to Canada. Possibly next month if I can pin down some dates with my daughter in Kelowna. And, yes Winnipeg, you are also in the running. But I’ve just settled in here in East Wenatchee and am not overly anxious to pack up another suitcase and head out so fast.

Once in a while I like to embarrass my kids. I guess today is the day. This photo came up as a Facebook memory from 2010 before I left for Mexico. The occasion was Kimmy’s birthday.

Let’s talk time zones. For my friends reading this, Culiacan is now one hour ahead, Winnipeg and Aguascalientes you are two hours ahead, Indiana, Alabama, Maine and Toronto you are three hours ahead. Times like this I wish it was the same time everywhere. At least Kelowna is the same as Washington. I’m not sure what’s happening next year everywhere, but in Washington they’re doing away with the time change in the spring and fall.

Look what the chocoholic found at Costco the other day!

Jan26

Voodoo Lounge And Pozole

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Voodoo Lounge And Pozole

As I write this I’m eating a bowl of pozole and listening to Voodoo Lounge. They don’t go together? In my world they do. I know I’m in Mexico because it’s pozole. And I’ve been a fan of The Rolling Stones  for decades.

But as I listen to The Rolling Stones I’m magically beamed back to a hot August night in 1994 mildly buzzed as the smell of pot wafts through the stands of the old Winnipeg stadium. Down below Mick Jagger is strutting his stuff across the stage just as he did back in the 60s when I was a teenager.

Amazing how music can make you travel back in time like it was just yesterday.

So how is your 2022 going? I actually am beginning to wonder why we were all so eager to slam the door on 2021.

With the advent of Omni, I find myself no closer to going back to Canada than I did last year. I have way too many friends now struggling with family crises. I’ve had a few small blips on the radar screen myself this month.

But, ever the optimist, I’m looking forward to the future. February will be a bittersweet month as it’s countdown time until I head up north. It kind of feels like 2020 again when I didn’t know where I was going or how I was getting there.

My playlist for meditation time today will include Matt Redman and Josh Groban in addition to the usual Pachelbel. Lots to contemplate. Lots of people in my life who need prayer.

It’s all about FAITH.

Sep21

Things To Ponder

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Things To Ponder

The sheep reelected the wolf again in 🇨🇦. The decision in the 🇺🇸 was to keep the land borders closed. Here in 🇲🇽 the entire country has been declared green or yellow on the stoplight.

Please take the time to check out the link. A very moving service was held at Spirit of America in Cashmere, Washington on September 11th. I usually attend in person but this year I was already back in Mexico.

We have been getting these incredible thunder boomers at night. After being up in Washington rampant with wildfires and drought, the rainy season here is most welcome. Iracema and I went out for dinner in the pouring rain. By the time we finished eating, the rain had stopped and off we went for a walk in the park.

Talking to friends in Canada this week, it appears that flights to Mexico are still chaotic. Canceled, rescheduled and extremely expensive. I’m so glad I decided to fly down from the USA. Great connections and reasonable fares. Alaska Airlines is the best!

INM is starting to crack down on people with expired tourist visas. They are checking regularly in bus stations and stories are circulating of people being held in detention and/or deported. Original documentation is required and a photo on a phone is not sufficient.

I have finally taken out my gel pens and started coloring again. Now if only King could fix the glitch with Jelly Queen on Candy Crush Friends…..

Aug4

Maybe I’ll Paint Today

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Maybe I’ll Paint Today

I’ve been running around a lot in the past few days so I thought I’d just take a day and stay at home. It’s a much needed day of catching up on emails, phone calls and even laundry. But as I sit here sipping my coffee I’m seriously considering getting out my acrylics and playing with colors.

I spoke to Juan in Mexico last night and my family are all on the mend. Thank you everyone for your messages and prayers. Your thoughtfulness is very comforting.

Wildfires are burning like crazy everywhere. The smoke was so thick in Wenatchee the other day that we couldn’t even see the mountains.

I recall a time when we would all don masks when the smoke got bad. Not this year!!!

I finally did it. The heat got to me and when I was at the hair stylist’s yesterday I told her the short bob I’ve been wearing was just too long. So off came the hair.

    We had an incredible storm last night. It finally rained. It didn’t last long but people were concerned that lightning may have sparked more fires. The wind was pretty wicked too. But it sure didn’t phase these guys who sat placidly out on the lawn.

    Oh oh. Canadian Border Patrol are threatening to strike later this week. Will they?

    Happy Wednesday!

    Jul28

    Wednesday Humpday Again

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    Wednesday Humpday Again

    When I taught ESL in Mexico, days of the week was one of the first lessons in all curriculums. The students were always amused at the nickname of humpday for Wednesday. But they readily embraced this term when they understood the significance of the day. As for me, I still chuckle at the Spanish term for Wednesday. Miercoles is quite a mouthful.

    It’s still hot and dry here in Washington state. There is no rain in sight although some clouds did tease us momentarily yesterday. The outdoor pool in Leavenworth is becoming very popular.

    Almost eleven months since I arrived from Mexico and I’m still here. Physically so close to Canada yet it seems to be getting farther away. Biding my time and wondering what the next announcement will be regarding Covid tests and borders.

    The Olympics are well underway in Tokyo. It seems strange to see the stands so empty. And the competitors and coaches with masks are just too surreal. The athletes will definitely have stories to tell for years to come.

    I’ve been reading more than usual lately. I highly recommend the two books co-authored by Bill Clinton and James Patterson. Big, heavy books but great reads nonetheless.

    Coffee is calling.

    Happy Humpday!

    Jun20

    Sacramento So Far

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    Sacramento So Far

    I left a rainy and cool Portland and arrived in a hot and sunny Sacramento on Tuesday morning. Hot doesn’t accurately describe it. Excessive heat warnings have resulted in the zoo closing early. Temperatures have been hovering around 110 degrees all week.

    Nonetheless I found myself on a light rail heading out to Folsom on Wednesday. I didn’t go to the prison. Instead I wandered around the historic downtown area. Lots of interesting shops to explore selling everything from clothing to souvenirs. I especially enjoyed the art gallery.

    The buildings themselves were quaint.

    On Thursday I went to the Crocker Art Museum in the morning. I especially enjoyed the Tiffany display. Unfortunately photography was prohibited in that area. But I did capture quite a few shots of the other exhibits.

    It was a short walk to Old Sacramento. Here again the shops were interesting as well as a good respite from the heat.

    Saturday marked Juneteen, a day when slavery was officially abolished in the USA. A celebration was held around the corner from where I’m staying. The street was closed to traffic and music and vendors were everywhere.

    I had hoped to leave today on a train trip along the coast headed south. The train was full so I am now leaving on Tuesday instead. I plan on spending a lot of time indoors. No escape from the heat yet!

    Feb21

    Avalanche Warnings

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    Avalanche Warnings

    Here we go again. The temperatures are rising, the snow is falling and there are avalanche warnings out for the mountain passes. The passes were closed last Tuesday and there actually were a couple of avalanches in two of the areas close to the passes.

    Before I came to Washington state this winter, avalanches were just something that happened in the movies. That had been my experience.

    Of course hurricanes and flash flooding were all new to me as well when I moved to Mexico. In Manitoba it was always extreme cold, windchills and tornados.

    Here in Leavenworth we’ve been blessed with an abundance of snow, although the locals all tell me that this winter has been unusually mild with less snow than usual. But after eleven years of winter in Mexico any snow is a lot of snow to me.

    Roofs are slanted here to accommodate the melting as well as the weight of the snow. These photos of the overhang was taken yesterday.

    The house where I’m staying overlooks the seventeenth hole on the golf course. It looks very different in the winter.

    But I’ve been told that avalanches never happen here in town, only higher up in the mountain passes. And that’s reassuring.

    Jan12

    My New Reality

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    My New Reality

    Yesterday I had planned to meet a friend in Cashmere. However when I got up in the morning, the previous night’s rain had frozen over. The sidewalks and streets were glass. It was too treacherous to venture out. We would have to reschedule.

    I checked my Facebook groups from Wenatchee and Leavenworth. Blewett was closed due to spinouts. Stevens was closed for avalanche control. These are the two main passes through the mountains to get to Seattle.

    Leavenworth got over a foot of snow. Here in Wenatchee we got less than one inch. There were power outages all over Chelan County but not here in Wenatchee. The highway between Wenatchee and Cashmere was icy with lots of spinouts. While freezing rain and snow continued to fall in Cashmere and Leavenworth, here in Wenatchee the sun actually came out and melted the little snow we did get, although more rain is in the forecast.

    This is so completely different from the Winnipeg winters I experienced before moving away just over ten years ago. Plummeting temperatures and bitter windchills are just memories now. I think I chose a good place to spend the winter this year although I’d much rather be in Mexico. I miss the sunshine and warmer climate. And even though I don’t need boots yet here in Wenatchee, it isn’t exactly sandals weather either.

    A year ago in January I was in Aguascalientes visiting museums and coloring in parks. I met friends for coffee or lunch. I took long walks and browsed through my neighborhood tienguis. I listened to rosters crow and watched children playing in the streets. I call this time the new “BC.” These two letters now stand for “Before Covid.”

    Winter in Wenatchee is my new reality.

    Jan10

    Even The Geese Are Confused

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    Even The Geese Are Confused

    While my friends in Leavenworth are wearing boots, here in Wenatchee we have rain and need umbrellas. The geese are back. They haven’t headed south yet although they have left Canada behind. And it’s almost mid January.

    In my quest to simplify my life, I eliminated two email addresses and removed What’s App. Only one email address to check now makes it easier. What’s App is useful when I’m in Mexico but not when I’m in the USA.

    I was at Dollar Tree yesterday and in one aisle there was Christmas, Valentines Day and St. Patrick’s Day. I guess Easter is on the horizon. The garden tools and skipping ropes are already on the shelves.

    I’m enjoying my new phone and getting used to the changes. I’m still discovering new features. Cell phones have come a long way since the cumbersome one in a suitcase that I had back in the early 90s.

    Renewed my travel health insurance for another month. My body is still complaining that we should be in Mexico in the winter.

    Time for Duolingo.

    Que tengas un buen dia!