Contributing writer, Lori Riffe, takes a look at the remaining days of summer… from high above the Pacific Ocean on her way to Hawaii. Thanks, Lori, and enjoy your tropical vacation. Read on…
I continually enjoy the comments about the lack of summer in the Pacific Northwest. Every year, starting about in June, people start asking when summer will start. We tend to still be in jeans and boots, awake every morning to cloudy, 50 degree weather, and start looking at real estate in sunny climates.
On the heels of the end of the school year, we wonder again, where is summer? We are not encouraged when told, ‘summer starts July 5th’. The fact is, we’ve had winter type conditions since October, and we are fed up with the gloom.
Here we are, just three weeks away from the start of a new school year. Reflecting on our summer, I was delighted to have a sunny 4th of July this year, along with several other sunny and warm days. Growing up here, I know from experience, this is unusual, as was our incredibly warm Seafair weekend. On top of it all, I know it’s been sunny, because I actually have a tan.
Snoqualmie, this IS our summer. It may seem late to start, and not continually sunny, but, in my almost lifetime living in the Seattle area, this is summer. It starts in July, and, often times, runs all the way through September.
I encourage you to take advantage of not only the last three weeks of school break, if you have kids in school, but also the month of September. Maybe you can squeeze in a few more hikes or a camping trip. Ride bikes to school until the wind kicks in. Grill out every night for dinner, and sit outside with a good book while the kids are at school.
We live in an incredibly beautiful place, sunny or not, and we should take advantage of the weather when we have it. And when it’s gone, the mostly mild winters, still allow opportunity to be outside. Hiking, biking, skiing, walking, geocaching, and more.
Here’s to the rest of ‘summer’ in Snoqualmie! And cheers to another great ski season (please)
Oh, I forgot to mention, I’m writing this from 32,000 feet on my way to Kauai. I enjoy the sun there too. 😉
