Weather and Feelings

I’m pretty sure most of the folks who read this blog live in Walla Walla, Washington or have spent time here or at least visited. For those of you who haven’t, let me tell you, winters are gross. We live in this beautiful valley and most of the year it’s sunny and pretty. We’re right at the foothills of the Blue Mountains, which are really plateaux and we can talk about the Great Missoula Floods and the Palouse and why the topsoil looks like it does or why the Columbia looks like it does or any number of things like why do wheat and grapes grow so well here. It’s a remarkable place. When I look at photos of Tuscany or the south of France or some places in Spain, we’re not far off the mark. It’s why Italian immigrant families found it so familiar and easy to settle here. It’s a special place, I’m telling ya. And while I don’t come from an early settler family or have ties to the Cayuse, Walla Walla, or Umatilla tribes, my mom was born here, my sister was born here, both of my parents went to college here, and there’s a bridge on the outskirts of town that has my maternal grandmother’s maiden name (from a step-father who adopted her–Wickersham). I spent winter and summer breaks here often as a kid even when I lived in Ohio. I remember eating homemade ice cream from cream purchased at the College Dairy on College Ave and eating that on shortcakes with Klickers strawberries. This place is magical. It has layers of complicated, sometimes heartbreaking, and yet extraodinary history. I’m fortunate to be here. I would not choose any where else to be home (except maybe Tours, France).

But winters. Oh man. This valley gets socked in with inversions. The low cloud layer is dense and heavy and sometimes without any end in sight. It can take a toll on one’s soul. Bryan would get out of it by going to Bluewood (our local ski hill) and have “the most powder days” he ever enjoyed anywhere and he skied a lot of anywheres. He would come down from the mountain exhilerated by these powder and “blue bird” days. I’m not a skier and so I didn’t go up. I stayed down in the gloom and would let my mood fester. Yesterday, I had kind of a crabby attitude so I forced myself on a walk at Mill Creek anyway and here’s what it looked like:

Even in this gloom, I could laugh about calling for Heathcliff and enjoy the otters playing.

Today, the weather forecast was for more of the same, but the sun came out and there were patches of blue sky. The cloud cover was significantly higher. Il faut profiter. When things are just right, one must take advantage, so my sister, brother-in-law, and I went for a walk at Bennington Lake where most of Walla Walla and their dogs also decided to carpe diem.

After a lovely hike and a serious workout of the gluteous muscles, we came home and then I got busy painting with bright, cheerful colors. As much as I like to write and share my feelings (laugh with me), I do like to be quiet and express them other ways. These suckers are coming out one way or the other. Let’s just be glad it’s not my riding a horse naked in town or screaming profanities at brick walls–you’re welcome. 😉