Keeping in touch with Jim

These first two were taken 12/22/08 Christmas day 2008.  I'm sitting in my bedroom on the second floor of our apartment and it is snowing again.  We have already had several inches of snow, then some ice, then more snow.  Even though the measurement in the front yard is only 7 inches it is now packed down and I estimate that we have had at least 14 inches in the last several days.   Saturday December 27 th - The snow is finally starting to give way to the rain and the air temperature in about 45 degrees.  After over a week of sub-freezing temperatures it actually feels almost balmy.  The sidewalks are still mostly covered in snow and ice so walking is diffucult but it is better than sitting at home doing nothing.

Over the last few days it has been snowing off and on but yesterday we got dumpped on. I measured the snow in front of our apartmet where there was no drifting and it was right at 6". Last night there was some freezing rain on top of the snow but today it is just a light snow once again.

Yesterday the cold front moved through and we got our first shot of snow; about 2 inches in most areas. For a while it was near blizzard conditions here on the southeast side of Vancouver, Washington. I was brave enough to stick my camera out the front door for this shot. Today the wind is still whipping the trees and the snow around but the sky is clear and the sun feels good as long as you are out of the wind. Our high right now is 27° and our low is expected to be about 17°. The cold is expected to stay with us for 7 to 10 days and there is the possibility of more snow on Wednesday and again on Friday or Saturday. I probably won't make an attempt to go out for photos until we get a good dose of snow.

Yesterday the storm started moving in from the southwest. I walked down to the Columbia River and watched it rolling in while a captured a few images. I put my camera away just as it started to rain a bit. By the time I got back home (appx 1 mile) I was pretty wet but I'm happy with the images I got. This morning I decided to take a walk and get some coffee and treat myself to something sweet so I walked up to my the Pranzo Cafe, again about 1 mile, and the sign across the way at Bally's says the temp is 37°... no wonder my hands are so cold. But it is refreshing... just so long as I have somewhere I can warm up later. The weatherman is still predicting snow for the next two days ... we'll see.

Weather. Everybody talks about it ... period. Our fall has been uneventful, dryer than usual and temperatures about normal. However, all the news stations are predicting sub freezing weather with a chance of snow down here on the valley floor. Our elevation is only about 500 feet so we normally get very little snow. The last "great snowfall" was in the winter of 1968. When we do get snow it usually only sticks around a few days before a warm front blows in from the Pacific Ocean and brings us back to the mild rainy winter that we are used to. If we do get any accumulation of snow I will be sure to post photos with my next entry. Until then, stay warm, stay safe and be just as happy as you want to be.

It has been a while since my last posting, so here is an update. Since arriving back in Vancouver I have been reorganizing my "stuff" and getting ready for the next leg in my journey. It will not, however, include Old Silverback as it is now ready for the junk pile. It served me well and was a fun ride, much like my old '46 Harley Trike was back in 1992. I have added to my arsenal the new Nikon D90 with a nice zoom lens (18-105). It is a remarkable camera and I am, once again, in love with photography. As always, my plans remain flexible and I am just waiting for my first opportunity to skip this cold, wet weather and head for Mexico. It will, I hope, be within the next month or two.

I made it to Crescent City, CA Monday evening and spent a chilly night at an RV park. I left early in the morning heading for Grant's Pass as the coast was very foggy. I arrived in Vancouver yesterday at about 2 pm and spent some time with my grandson Kris and started unpacking the van. It was a fun time on the road but now it is time for a break before "Round 2". Anyone up for lunch?