Bring It OnBring It On!

A super quick thought this morning. We had already had calm temperatures into the ’20s a few weeks ago. But, it’s cooling down again as a cold front sweeps through the area. This time the wind is still blowing, and rain is still falling. We’ve lost electricity once. Yesterday. I was not here, but we were without power for nearly 2 hours.

This is the season where the Pacific storms sweep across our landscape. The saturated ground makes the tree root hold tenuous. A little bit of wind starts the process of trees hitting the ground. Soon, snow and ice will crowd in, and the typical weather of the Pacific Northwest takes over. Bring it on!

We wonder why everything is so green. We brag about the west side of the Cascade Mountains being the “green side.” The east side is high plains with much farmland, but it takes an enormous effort to keep the green alive. For all of us, continual fall rain is the key. Mountain snowpack defines our water levels for the dry months. Bring it on!

One storm after another marching northeasterly, sweeping from the warm Pacific waters, the energy releases when it collides with the landscape and mountain ranges. Bring ’em on!

I’ve learned not to complain. Keep it coming! It’s like a dogpile. We lose power nearly every year, and sometimes for days. The well quits pumping, so we know to store up water. Bring out the camp stove! Computers don’t run, and mobile phones barely work, so communication is mostly out. Our backup telephone is an old rotary dial model from the last century. I can pull out a generator, back-feed the house, and keep a few things running that will keep us semi-comfortable as long as the fuel lasts. Quasi-prepared. A Boy Scout, you say? For a little while, yes, so I’m just partly prepared.

Here’s my thought this morning: There’s nothing like the present time to prepare for the worst times.

By Michael Gurley

Making Sense of Life, One Thought at a Time!