Sunday, January 13, 2013

Sunrise

In the winter the Northwest typically gives you two choices:

The default setting is rainy but moderately warm (somewhere between the low forties and the high forties). This makes for a lot of dark, short days between December and March.

My friend Lisa reminds me that this sort of thing often leads to the sort of creative despondency that produces great art.

I will take her word on that.

However, the B-side of this winter drizzle are the days when the east wind blows, and the sky clears, and the frost settles on the wet grass like sudden senescence.


That's when we get mornings like this one.

And for all the extra work; the careful descent down the icy stairs, the laborious de-icing of windows or (worse) breaking open of frozen doors, the high blue vault of sky during the daylight hours is always worth the labor.

6 comments:

Lisa said...

What a transcendent sky!

I'm not sure that I would have the fortitude to face one third of the year under a leaden sky, but I deeply admire the resolve which you and your fellow Portlandians (and Seattleites, and the rest) face your challenge.

I have met many people for whom Portland is their favorite city for its many delights, and despite the weather challenge.

Lisa said...

"the resolve WITH which ..."

(proofread, Lisa ...)

FDChief said...

Well, no everyone does. There's typically a steady stream of refugees fleeing the weather. It's not for the sun-loving sort.

But there ARE lots of other reasons to love this town, and so I do...

Leon said...

Speaking of weather, we went from around -5 (23 fahrenheit for you barbarians) to +15 (60 farahsomething) over the weekend and then back to -11 (12 farkenhoit) with windchill. Dafuq?

Anonymous said...

That resembles our sunset sky tonight....about 3 hours northwards, Chief! Very cold... but beautiful with the setting slender crescent moon.

Anonymous said...

http://www.gocomics.com/bc/2013/01/06


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