Something In The Air

Here in the Pacific Northwest, we are comfortable with moderation when it comes to the weather. We like it mid-range between hot and cold.  We like knowing that we don’t have to spend every day watering plants to keep them growing. We don’t mind wearing mud boots with our summer shorts, some even like the look and refer to it as the ‘Oregon Fashion Statement.’

Last week, a warm front moved in and the temperature was nearing 90 degrees for a couple of days. For it being only spring, it was warm to say the least, almost uncomfortable with a muggy-ness  hanging thick in the air. The weather forecasters kept saying possibilities of thunderstorms and a few violent pockets did brew up in the lower part of the Willamette Valley. We stayed sultry and sticky until about midnight the following evening.

Loud thunder with lightening lit the dark night and woke us up from a sound sleep. Heavy rain showers with hail rolled through the area. Winds tossed branches around and we could hear them hitting the side of the house. Rain water filled and overflowed eaves, puddles started, grew and expanded to the whole driveway and a small stream washed through the show barn.

Meanwhile, outside in the pastures, the change in barometric pressure brought on labor for two cows that were close to calving . Both babies were born during that storm, and a young, first-calf heifer started into labor shortly after. That storm sure caused a flurry of activity around here. It’s a good thing that it only lasted a few hours with only lingering hard showers during the whole next day, I’m ready to get back to my cut-offs and boots.