Weather report

A storm pelted rain all though last night. I remember now that last year, it rained almost every day the entire month of August. In the Bay Area, rains tend to come later in the year, but here, it rains in August. I remember feeling quite guilty toward Dan, whom I had promised a Summer of endless daylight, but secretly being glad for myself, because I love the rain, and had worried that in Fairbanks, the rain would be too cold to enjoy. But here it was raining in Summer! Sweet!

I've always loved the rain. In the Bay Area, rain washes all of the haze out of the air and makes the air crisp and clear. In the Wintertime, rain in the city equates to snow on the highest peaks. A few years ago, I remember being mesmerized by all of the peaks in the East Bay being dusted with snow. Also, in California we have a constant water shortage, so a few good storms would mean a higher snowpack and thus taking longer showers without feeling guilty. AHHHHHHH loooooong hoooooot shooooowers!

Here, we do not have a water shortage, but I feel guilty wasting water all the same. Also, our water comes from groundwater, not precipation-filled reservoirs, as it does in the Bay Area. So the rain makes for less immediate impact on our water supply. Still.

Anyway, so the storm has made the trees dump their leaves. Fall in Fairbanks is about two weeks. Here is the front yard:


People here talk about Winter the way kids tease their younger siblings with talk of monsters in the closet. "Yup, it's a beautiful day now, but Winter is coming soon!" " Enjoy the sun while you can, because Winter is coming fast!" And when they hear that this will be my first Winter here, they laugh delightedly.

My classmate V is quite annoyed with this. "What is UP with everyone and Winter? They act like Summer will never come again! In Colorado, when Winter comes, so what? We put on more clothes, and we go skiing! We don't go wooooOOOOOOoooooOOOOOO Wiiiiinter is cooooooming!" When I point out that well, we do have one of the harshest Winters in the US, she pretends she didn't hear me. That's spirit!

Personally, I am quite curious to see how my pansy California butt will do!

OK enough pondering on the weather. Here are puppy pictures:




And here is one of Rae with her rawhide bone:


Hey the radio has just informed me that the temps will drop to 30-35F tonight! WOOOooooooOOOOOOooooo Wiiiinter is coming!