The Mountain Is Out

          I live in the Pacific Northwest, a little south of Seattle. As you may have heard, we have rain here. A lot. During a typical winter, we may not see the sun for a couple of weeks at a time. So when the gift of a nice day comes along and we venture out into the countryside, it's a thrill to see The Mountain on the horizon. In case you haven't guessed, "The Mountain" is what people up here call Mount Rainier. 
          Today my friend Nan and I drove to Enumclaw, a little town in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, to have lunch. Here's the view we saw along the way. Although I already have dozens of photos of The Mountain, I just had to stop and take a few more because it may be a while before I can say ...
          The Mountain is out!

~ Sandy N.

More Info on Mount Rainier

WATERPROOF AND INSULATED?

I’m convinced that natives and long-time residents of the Pacific Northwest (where I live) must be naturally waterproof and insulated. A while back, I donned my heavy rain-repellent jacket with hood, and pulled on gloves and scarf to take my dog Rufus for his morning walk. He wore his ski jacket. We’d gone about half a block when I noticed the rain bouncing off the sidewalk. It had turned to ice pellets.

Then Rufus barked and tugged at his leash. One of my neighbors strolled to his car wearing a short sleeved t-shirt and jeans!

This isn’t an isolated incident either. On trips to the grocery store, shopping mall, pharmacy, while I’m bundled up in Gore-Tex and Prima-Loft with a layer of fleece underneath, I’ll invariably see people dressed for a day in the Caribbean. And walking around as if this were normal!

I also have my suspicions that these Northwesterners may have webbed feet. I’ve been unable to gather evidence of this, however, since they have a disconcerting habit of wearing socks with their sandals in cool weather. I’ll have to do more research on that in the spring.