Weird Weather of '09 #13

We're actually having a very unusually pleasant Autumn... maybe the Northwest is showing off for your benefit- wants to impress the new girl. ;)

Don't tell anybody, Summer. It's our secret. :-) Glad you are getting such a lovely welcome from Mother Nature!!

This winter is supposed to be influenced by the El Nino currents - more precip and warmer temps (the "Pinapple Express storm systems from Hawaii), but with more storms and wind. La Nina current years are supposedly colder, but with less drama. Or something like that. http://www.elnino.noaa.gov/lanina.html

In 2002 my family had a Thanksgiving celebration at Newport, Oregon. It was in the 70's. None of us had the appropriate clothing!!

I think this is a blue moon month - tonight is a full moon and there's another on 12/31.

Summerkid, I moved to Oregon 2 years ago, and the weather has been beautiful ever since. I loved the snow last winter, and the spring and this fall have been spectacular. Everybody keeps saying "Oh this is unusual for this time of year" but I figure they have all been just spreading rumors so hoards of folks don't descend upon Oregon. Last night the moon was so bright I woke up and went to the window because I thought it was a searchlight.

Ah, yes, Summer, it is our well guarded secret. But once in a while we have to be reminded about what we should be telling the rest of the world, and we get some bad stuff, and for quite a long time.

Oh, but I adore the storms, too. And the hail is dramatic on the skylights. When the hemlocks are whipping about & rain is pounding against the windows, it is so lovely to sprawl out on the couch in front of the fire with a very big book.

The 7th Harry Potter book is in my hot little hands. I devoured Book 6 last night (ALL night & well into today). 700 pages at one gulp. Will it break my heart to be at the end in about 18 hours, like with "The Lord of the Rings" oh-so-long-ago?

I thought the Potter books ended well. I was satisfied with it. LOTR's was a little disappointing. It is always hard to leave when theybecome your friends.

I have big skylights also and love the sound of rain and hail. If we have a good storm, i always go out on the porch and watch so I can feel it. love lightening also.

Now I don't feel so odd sitting on my front porch, wrapped in a blanket, watching a storm. Love it!

^_^

I love a good thunderstorm.

We froze up pretty hard last night. Still got ice in some spots.

Odd, Judi, I don't think so. I remember last summer sitting on the front deck with a visiting friend from PA until 2am, chatting and watching the thunder and lightening. It was wonderful, even though I am usually in bed by ten.

Wow it's cold! Everything is covered in frost and the roads are slippery. I got all my errands done yesterday so today I am going to hibernate and make a carrot cake. I'm still searching for the perfect gluten-free version!

I hope those of you further north are not freezing to death. Do voles freeze?

We are very frosty this morning. Everything is covered and white. I took some frost pictures. Hope they turned out . On the hydragea

On the no-longed mirrored-ball.

Hellebores

Can't remember. Oh, it's the hebe.

This message was edited Dec 5, 2009 11:31 AM

Judi, I just think the voles get more voracious. Back east, where the temps are more extreme, they do some pretty bad root damage in the winters.

Patricia - that's what it looks like here. Frosty pictures. I should go out and try to take some; the sun is shining. But for me today is about the indoors.

Aren't there any plants that make those buggers sterile? Sometimes I long to live in the country but yesterday I drove through downtown Portland and it was so festive. Lights are everywhere and the park blocks are beautiful. Even though I am not doing Christmas shopping this year (too many people - 7 kids, two daughters-in-law, two significant others, 7 grandchildren) (plus I hate shopping) I like seeing the shoppers lugging bags and presents. I love this city. I think I will make some foody gifts for neighbors. Hmmm. Maybe homemade nutella or walnut pesto. Suggestions?

The sun is out but it is cold. My front garden looks ok but the back garden looks desolate. I need some type of evergreen vine that will grow on a fence. In the spring and summer the shrubs hide the fence but now it is bare. Suggestions?

Evergreen Clematis

I have an evergreen clematis growing against my garage. Will it do ok in shade? It would get winter sun in the morning but will be in shade in spring and summer. I like that suggestion - thanks!

Pyracantha is also a good one. It has red-orange berries and can be trained. Skimmia is an evergreen shrub that is beautiful all year and has bright red berries in fall and winter. Also easy to prune. Needs afternoon shade.

This message was edited Dec 5, 2009 1:40 PM

I have two pyracantha beside my front steps. That may be nice trained along the fence. Another great suggestion! They seem to survive everything from hot hot hot to frost frost frost. I think that's it! I'm going to the nursery tomorrow.

I like these suggestions. For a vine, evergreen clematis seems like a really good suggestion. Clematis can take sun (especially here), as long as its feet are cool. That sounds like a perfect place for it.

I've been enjoying seeing the berries of virginia creeper in various places around. I think I'd like some.

Christmas in the city is lovely - I like to visit and then go home to get away from the noise and crowds. Right now I'd vote for the walnut pesto. Yum!

Here is a picture of my Viginia Creeper with berries. I will leave them and see if any sprout. If they do I will have a million of them. FREE!

This message was edited Dec 5, 2009 1:55 PM

Ohhhh, Patricia. Thank you. That's so nice. This is the first year I've noticed them - don't know where I've been!!

I have virginia creeper growing over a deck by the back door. It's lovely in all seasons but especially in the fall. Maybe I will plant both evergreen clematis and pyracantha. I think there's enough room. Can I put them in the ground now? Will they be too tender when young?

If they are out in the nursery, they will do even better when planted in your yard. Just wait until it warns up a bit. Back into the 40's anyway.

It may be a long time until it's 40 degrees again! Our high yesterday was 29 and more of the same predicted for the next week at least. I could sit them by the fence and wrap the pots with something to keep them insulated.

You can plant anytime the ground isn't frozen.

Then I will plant them and mulch. Thank you for the advice - I'm learning step by step!

Sounds like everyone is just as cold as we are. 32 right now and they're saying down to 16 tonight. And in the teens the next two nights, way cold for this area. Spent some time today covering up and emptying fountains. Pulled in my cymbidiums, and put up the fushias and geraniums. I got my lights up a few days ago, but haven't got the deer or my trees out in the yard yet......just too cold for my fingers to work. Having a hard time with my Raynauds this year. Maybe because it's so cold. Hotties to the rescue is the key word right now. Really windy this afternoon and it felt like it was coming from a glacier. Calmer now and feels warmer even though it isn't.

Nice pictures Willow, love the frosty ones.
Stay warm everyone.

The wind here is insane. I barely slept last night, it was so loud, and it's been blowing nonstop since. I hope everybody's okay! Julie? Sharon? Lynn? You guys have power? I worry.

Power is on here, but my goodness, it has been gusty. I was going to go outside and cover things with leaves, but never made it. It has been so cold, it's probably too late now.

I haven't heard from Julie or Sharon in a while. I sent Julie a Dmail tonight. I hope everything is ok there. It is such a stressful time for them. I miss their posts, they are so considerate of everyone and so much fun.
Let's bombard them with Love Notes!

Good idea! *runs to Dmail*

Hope they do a check in so we know everything is o.k. Wind is picking up again now. Had to tie down the clappers on some of my wind chimes, they were going nuts. Had to tie down everything in the yard too

This message was edited Dec 6, 2009 7:49 PM

Hmm. Temps dropping here, but not much wind. Hope it stays that way.

Wind is still strong, trees are still standing, thank goodness. Cold, cold, cold. We shall see how the "bear alarms" sleep tonight. Hopefully better as we REALLY need a good night's sleep.

Good to hear from you Sharon, keeping an eye on my trees too. Hope you sleep well tonight. It's really windy again right now, but I haven't heard anything banging around yet! LOL

What, exactly, are you guys calling cold? It's around 30 here.

I was in Portland over the weekend, left the heat off & doors open for the cats. Holy cow, was the house chilly. Built a fire & then read in the Jacuzzi for 3 hours till the place got above 49 degrees.

But this is OK!!! Ten straight days of sun, I can handle a little frost.

Summer, it is 21 here right now and the wind is still strong. That to me is COLD.

Your definition of "cold" will change in time. The first winter we moved here from Anchorage, I wore nothing but a very light jacket during the winter. I still do not dress as warm as I did back then or back when I lived in MN, but am not at all happy when the temps drop below 30 or so. Of course, I now have plants that I know will have a harder time surviving in below freezing temps as well......something I would have never considered in either Alaska or Minnesota.

It is 19 degrees here this morning, and this is the third day of really strong winds. Some of my plants are looking pretty stressed, especially an old rhody in my side yard. That area gets a lot of wind.