The San Juan Islands have a very moderate winter compared to many parts of the country that I almost feel guilty if I complain….but….
This year was a tough one for everybody and even those who rarely complain were heard saying, “What’s going on? Is it ever going to warm up?” I found it especially hard because I ran out of wood in late February and had to rely on electric space heaters; which aren’t only expensive but also pretty inefficient in my cabin with it’s 22′ ceilings and single-pane windows. The rainy days seemed to be continuous or at least the gray rarely left us alone. I was very ready for spring to come and yesterday it came with amazing glory!!
The large puffy clouds, green vegetation that almost seemed unreal in its intensity and water sparkling in front of snow-covered mountains….incredible. 
Its funny how people from the Pacific Northwest respond to the weather change. All it needs to do is go from the 50s to 60s and the shorts and flip flops come out and we act like we’re having a heat wave. Visitors from California are still bundled up in hoodies and long pants, wondering what we’re thinking. They don’t understand….we’ve been waiting five months for this day and we may go a week or more until we see another one like it. At least this time of year, our chances are better.
I guess its the incredible contrast between the dark, short days of winter and the long, gorgeous days of spring and summer that keep us here. Just about when we’re ready to give up and start shopping for a sunnier place to live, it changes and seduces us for one more year. We go through the summer pinching ourselves that we live in such a gorgeous place; slide into fall enjoying the long shadows and crisp days; slip into the holiday season with all its festivities and fun…..and then drop into winter. It sneaks up on us and around mid-February or early March, we figure out that we’ve been hoodwinked again into staying here one more year…
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