This wasn’t just plain terrible, this was fancy terrible. This was terrible with raisins in it.
- Dorothy Parker
Today is the first day of summer. Well, perhaps where you are it’s summer, but here in something vaguely resembling Paradise, I’m still having to check my calendar to be certain I didn’t oversleep and wake up in February. Yes, while most of Texas and a good part of the Southeast will be pushing or even over 100 degrees, it’s 54 degrees, gray, and threatening to rain (again) here in Portland. The high today is supposed to be 67, and though rain (allegedly) is not in the forecast, no one will mistake Portland for South Beach. The all-time June record for rainfall was broken halfway through the month, and the only thing we’re missing is a freak snowfall…but June isn’t over yet, is it?
As I’m writing this, I’m wearing a fleece pullover and praying for warmth to a pot of coffee. Thus far, sadly, the gods have been ignoring me. I may be marveling at our lack of anything resembling summer, but I think I’ll refrain from complaining too vociferously. Last summer was one of the hottest on record here. Given the choice, I’ll take 54 degrees; at least all you have to do is put a sweater on. Because of the climate, most residences here aren’t air-conditioned, so when it hit 107 last July, it was beyond miserable.
It would be nice to have to finally be concerned about risking a sunburn, though…. ;-)
