Barbara J. Hamby

Weird Weather

Much of the world is experiencing weird weather. Global warming, or weather cycles, or whatever, is baking some parts of this country, flooding others, and turning the calendar through the seasons, a day at a time, in the Pacific Northwest.

We had two or three hot days in May and, since then, the weather switches back and forth from pleasant sun to cool clouds or cold rain. Today I’m comfortable in a long-sleeved sweater and warm slacks. The outdoor pools in our complex haven’t opened yet. I’m told there is a requirement of three nights in a row of a given low temperature to open the pools and we haven’t achieved that yet. I still swim daily in the indoor pool and enjoy the hot tub spa.

After a lazy day Sunday—brunch out and an afternoon reading, I was full of energy on Monday and tackled a list of chores. Naturally, I had to rest on Tuesday.

Today, I have alternative plans, depending on the weather. If the sun comes out in early afternoon, I’ll head to Southeast Portland to take a picture of a house. My youngest sister was married fifty years ago in the house our parents lived in at that time on Southeast 47th, near Holgate. The last time I saw the house, it looked to be in withdrawal, possibly from drug or some other criminal activity. The doors and windows were so overgrown as to be almost invisible and the house seemed very neglected. However, there were stacks of lumber in the yard that hinted at possible remodeling. That was several years ago and I haven’t been back since. I’m hoping the house has been spruced up and will look at least as nice as it did on the date of my sister’s wedding.

Plan B, which is looking more likely as the clouds fail to disappear, is to work on memoirs at the computer. I’m getting excited about the possibility of actually getting them put together this year.

Sometime in the next month we should get a bright sunny day to take a picture.