Flooding follows Znow

First a lot of snow, then warm weather, and then rain, tons of it. The weather "stream" is referred to as the "Pineapple Express" since it originates in the waters around Hawaii - warm, moist air - and the end of this firehose is normally the Olympic Mountains or the Cascades. But all water that ends up there has to come down. And with warm weather, add to that a lot of melting snow.

So, here it resulted in amazing (and for many surprising) flooding. All passes were closed, I-5 closed south of Olympia, and only way out of state is driving into Canada or flying. Sort of strange, living in one of the most high-tech hubs on the planet.
Today could not sit home and just watch it all on TV - especially not after that some areas SW of Seattle got over 16 inches - that is more than 400 mm... - of rain over the past two days. So Aksel and I decided to drive up to Snoqualmie Falls and City, one of few areas one could actually still get to, to get a close up encounter of the disaster.
Despite weather report talking about clearing, it started raining heavily and later even snowing, wet, very damp snow. Snow that sticks like wet wool gloves...

It was sad to see the state in downtown Snoqualmie, with belongings thrown out of flooded houses into the front yard, but at the same time, living close to sometimes "raging rivers" (as the amptly named tavern in Fall City), you actually do take a risk (just as we do living in an earthquake prone area...). A river that is beautiful and calm in late summer, can quickly turn wild and raging with some precip up in the mountains.

WSDOT has posted some truly amazing photos of the damage at their Flickr site. There is a lot of destruction, or should we say evidence of Mother Nature's Fury, but check especially the ones taken up on Snoqualmie Pass.

If interested in some stuff from last winter, there are "true" winter pictures in WSDOT's Winter 2008 Flickr archive

Neighbors are back - and so is the Znow!

Sort of hard to imagine. When we dropped off our neighbors at SeaTac for their winter trip to Europe, it started snowing when we were driving through Bellevue.

Today, two weeks later, we were driving towards the airport to pick them up, and even though most snow has melted/rained away, it started SNOWING as we were driving through Bellevue. What's up with that town?

Later in the evening, when everyone was safely home, I took Phoebe for a late night walk, and it was almost prettier than during our very heavy snowfall around Christmas. The snow tonight was so wet and heavy, but it was also very "untouched" due to the late hour, and one realizes how much "dampening effect" the snow has on sound/noises. Snow just makes everything so very peaceful.

Back home after the walk, I peaked out into the backyard, and our poor bamboo was probably in worse condition tonight, than after the Christmas snowfalls. The bushes are supposed to be some 30+ feet tall, but were weighed down so much by the vet snow that they did not reach to more than maybe 5 feet. But, bamboo's been through this before and it must be a very resilient plant, or rather grass, so it'll recover. Note to self: Go out early Monday morning and shake off as much of the heavy stuff as possible to help the bamboo recover!

Winter DrivingZ

These past couple of days, or should we say last week, some residents and media has been very vocal over the state - or maybe lack thereof - of snow and ice removal on our wintry roads. People complain that is it bumpy, that they get stuck, that they can't go anywhere, etc, etc. But, based on the crowds out in the malls and grocery stores, I doubt the (fun) snow really had any real dampening effect on most peoples' driving.

For us used to driving in this "stuff", it has just been fun and interesting. Feeling a big 4x4 slowly tug its way through gigantic snow drifts is an amazing feeling. Why spend tons (literally) on salt and other environment (not to neglect the impact on the cars) damaging chemicals, when we all know the snow will be gone in a few days? Just roll with it.

And, so yesterday morning, it really started to get wet, wet, wet, and much warmer. Whatever snow is left by tomorrow will only be in piles, if even that. Seattlites have gotten a few days of rest - we do not need to rush around EVERY day - and more importantly, we have again been taught a lesson not to mess with mother nature. When it snows, sit tight, or know what you are doing before you go out, instead of complaining about the winter weather's effects.

I could have lots more of this (snow). It just makes everything so amazingly beautiful!

Winter PictureZ

Sort of hard to imagine that this is Kirkland, WA, in December. We NEVER have it this nice (in the winter that is...)!


Click here for better resolution photos.

Znow in Zeattle - but no Znow Ztorm

Wow, what wonderful weather. We are actually getting snow in Seattle! It started Thursday morning and we got a good few inches - enough to really make it a true joy to drive! The LandCruiser - even though far too heavy for spirited snow driving - showed its class and we got everywhere and more where we needed to go. Even took a few neighbors out and made sure they got groceries, got to the bank, the post office, etc. All in the spirit of Christmas!

One of our distant neighhbors was not so lucky. she did a nice slide down the hill, firmly planting the right front fender into a tree. Picture to follow...

Saturday afternoon, we took our neighbors to the airport and snow started coming down again just south of Bellevue. Leaving the airport for Fremont and Ballard (to pick up the annual Christmas ham) made for interesting driving and wonderful sceneries through downtown Seattle. On the way home, crossing Seattle, the 520 bridge, and then up through Kirkland was like a Christmas miracle. I wish we could have this EVERY YEAR!

And I am so glad that we don't salt the roads around here. There is really nothing better to drive on than a nicely packed snow road. That and it keeps the cars "pure" - compared to many states out East where even brand new cars start to rust due to excessive salting and just "shitty" weather in general.

After checking on-line, we thought our neighbors had been able to take-off, before it got pretty bad at the airport, but turned out they endured a 5 hour delay on-board w/o anything else than water and dry pretzels. The crew visely wanted to really be on standby in case there was an opening in the weather. Smart, since there are not that many connections SEA-LHR on a daily basis, so better get out when one can. Just talked to the "touristas" and they safely arrived in Vienna, only about 4 hour late - which is nothing compared to the tons of travelers that are stranded out at SeaTac.

For us remaining here, sometime around 7 PM last night the wind started to kick up, and we had for a few hours something that - for a Seattleite - really could be called a small blizzard. We even got fairly decent snowdrifts on the roof, and it is just plain pretty. I guess you have been too long in Seattle when you start to really enjoy these small tricks by nature, tricks that were fairly common during the time in the French Alps or in Northern Sweden.

For some photos, check this post!

Winter Ztorm?

The Pacific NorthWest sometimes never ceases to surprise me.

This is an area of endless natural beauty, of mountains, of sunshine, of rain, of wind, of ocean and archipelago. In the winter time we expect (and hope for) snow. Plenty of it. It is what provides the water needed to support an evergrowing population the the Puget Sound region, it is what provides "the base" for one of the best past times ever; skiing. It is also stunningly beautiful! A filthy dirty area can temporarily be "cleaned up" by a decent layer of the white fluff.

So, when we finally get some snow in the mountains, it is the main headline on the news, it generates an emergency declaration by the Governor, and it creates havoc for people driving. Why?

I can understand that it is of a great inconvenience to be landlocked on either side of the mountain when WSDOT is forced to close the roads due to overwhelming avalanche danger. But a little (or a lot) of snow on the road should not be antyhing that stops traffic. In most other countries, traffic just continuous, albeit at a little bit slower pace.
Here, even when a large portion of drivers are humming around in AWD or 4x4 vehicles, traffic is chaotic when snow's on the ground. Elsewhere, small Fiats, VWs, Renaults, or Saabs and Volvos do just fine in the snow. Here, people can't even drive vehicles that have high clearance, big wheels AND all-wheel-drive. State Patrol is forced to shut down the freeway long before there's any snow on the ground.

But a little snowfall (yes, even if it is measured in feet...) is no catastrophy. It is an expected winter occurrence and it has been like that for thousand of years. Why can't we learn to live with it? No, for some reason, we have to follow the lowest common denominator and close schools and workplaces, advice people that it is slippery outside, that "snow" is something that is "dangerous" and has to be avoided at all cost.

A distant friend in California got the following sent to her from her HR department. Her take on it was that Americans are no Vikings. I could not agree more...

• Walking on snow or ice is especially treacherous and wearing proper footwear is essential. A pair of well insulated boots with good rubber treads is a must for walking during or after a winter storm. Keeping a pair of rubber over-shoes with good treads which fit over your street shoes is a good idea during the winter months.
  
  When walking on an icy or snow-covered walkway, take short steps and walk at a slower pace so you can react quickly to a change in traction.
  When walking on a sidewalk which has not been cleared and you must walk in the street, walk against the traffic and as close to the curb as you can.
  
  Be on the lookout for vehicles which may have lost traction and are slipping towards you. Be aware that approaching vehicles may not be able to stop at crosswalks or traffic signals.
  
  At night, wear bright clothing or reflective gear, as dark clothing will make it difficult for motorists to see you.
  
  During the daytime, wear sunglasses to help you see better and avoid hazards.

All makes sense, but why does it have to be so "regulated? Set the winter Free! Now!

Znow in the Mountains

Snow's been falling mightily during the past week up in the mountains. Even good ol' I-90 has been shut down due to avalanches and control measure to prevent them - halting more or less all traffic across the Cascades.

But today the pass was open. And there was snow! We decided to make it a field day and drive up with one dog. Ended up at Hyak and then hiking all the way to the top of the mountain. Poweroutage so the lifts were not running and the slopes were empty. A few boarders and skieers doing the same thing as us - walking - but it was a perfect day to allow Phoebe to run around and get pooped. She found a few other dogs as well, and the best match was "Shadow", a 9-months old Rottweiler puppy that just wanted to play. But, this was at the end of the day and Phoebe really was tired after running up and down the mountain and trotting through some really deep snow.

The sad thing is as soon as you enter I-90 to drive back home, is that there is slush, and more slush. The wonderful white wonderland at the summit turns to a mix of grey and brown as you roll down the freeway. Sometimes I really wish we could have the same weather down here in town as up on the pass!

Pictures to follow shortly...

Dr. Hans Blix - a PeaZeMaker

Dr. Hans Blix, the somewhat famous Swedish diplomat (and Bush' nemesis during the buildup to the Iraq war) arrived in Seattle today for a few days. Already signed up for the lecture at UoW long time ago, I also got invited to a great little private reception and buffet before his speach. Dragged the wife and dad since I thought they'd enjoy it as well (they did).


Over a glass of red, I got a few minutes with Dr. Blix, commending him on his work for "detent" and disarmament specifically and world peace in general. A really nice guy (well, he is actually 79, maybe gentleman would better suit him...) and I feel sad that I never sort of paid any attention to him until my time in Texas when he was the face of the IAEA and later head of the UN WMD inspections team in Iraq. He has had a very long career in both the Swedish Foreign Office, as well at UN "before" Iraq. But I guess that that's the way they work most efficiently, in the quiet, in the background, never getting any recognition until they sort of retire - and then it all comes at once, proven by a large number of standing ovations tonight.

Apart from a very interesting lecture, very fitting the culture and general approch of people here in the Pacific NorthWest (where neither support for Bush or any Iraq - or Iran - war is very strong), he also pulled of a few good jokes, and a some memorable phrases, most notable probably being:
"The United Nations is not there to take us to heaven, but to help us avoid going to hell." (Dag Hammarsköld)

So apart from a nice dinner buffet, a nice one-on-one chat with Dr. Hans Blix, a good lecture, most amazing was probably to see how increadibly well respected he is (a true Statesman) and how highly his work is regarded here in the U.S. He is likely more of an international "superstar" here, outside his native Sweden.
In any case, an evening when you're proud of being Swedish!

And, almost forgot. First fall storm hit just as we were leaving home. Camera in the car, I took this picture crossing the SR-520 bridge. You could actually feel the shaking when up at the East highrise. Down on the pontoons, it was pretty smooth, but it looks sort of weird. Such a contrast between the south (angry) and north side (calm and relaxed). No windsurfers out today, though they normally have a field day during these few storm events.

Zcorcher...

Well, today is HOT up here, VERY hot!
Still, nothing compared to Texas and other places in the south.
I used to go running when it was 105F in Texas w/o any major problems, in fact I even enjoyed it, but here (even though the air is fresher and the humidity is lower) it FEELS warmer. Man kind adapt and adjust quickly and accordingly.

That said, due to the fact my office is facing west and the sun also happens to set in that general direction, it is getting to be close to unbearable inside. Having the PC running does not help either. So, for a few hours now it is "PC-off" time and time to care of other stuff.

Znow on Granite Mountain

Decided yesterday to take the dogs hiking up in the snow. Picked the ONLY rainy day - but in retrospect also the perfect day!

Granite Mountain is a good training hike. About 3,600 vertical in just over 4 miles. On a hot summer day, it can be a smelter! Once you exit the forest at about 4,000 feet, you are exposed to the scorching sun. If hiking with dogs, there is a stretch here that has no or little water in the summer - and it is extremely hot. Caution is advised. Your pouch will suffer.

But today we were in lucky. It rained when we left Seattle, it was overcast at the trailhead and only a few cars. The air was lukewarm and full of refreshing humidity. Perfect day for a quick hike up. Shouldn't take more than two hours!

Dogs knew what was coming and happy to get out of the car. As soon as we started, they sped up the trail, but never further than that they always kept an eye on us. Guarding instinct is deeply rooted! A fair amount of water in the small streams along the trail indicated that there should be a fair amount on snow higher up.

Wife got sort of winded after about 40 minutes or so. Started talking about not making it!? I managed to move the pit stop until we were out of the forest and at 4,300 feet. Everyone got fed and watered. Convinced wife that we just had to make it to 5,000 feet before ANY discussions about turning around. The weather was really perfect, both for humans and dogs, but at 4,600 feet, just after the first little snow field (=very happy dogs), the sky opened up. A real squall with no clearing in sight. I trotted on, eager to get as far as possible. When we hit 5,000, it sort of just stopped, and the sun came out. I was soaked, but wife pointed out that "there's the summit" (she been there once before) - a good sign. Since the weather was clearing, and her spirits better, I convinced her to go "all the way". Would also allow for the dogs to get a good run in the larger snow fields on the Northern side of the summit ridge.

We spent about an hour on the summit munching down and lightening our backpacks. Saw a few marmots on the way down, always at a distance. 20 minutes fro mthe car, the sky opened up again and down at the parking lot, both dogs were very eager to both get out of the rain and into a "soft spot" to take a long snooze! All in all, in a slow poke pace it took as about 2h40m to reach the top. All together about 5 hours out in the "wild".

A truly good day in the mountains. Check out some of the pictures here below.

BTW, there was a traffic accident in the West bound lanes at I-90. Accident must have happened just about 30 minutes before we reached the trail head (State Patrol wooshed by us). A tractor trailer with a construction crane seemed to have "sort of" taken aim at a rock wall on the north side of the freeway. That happens...
But, was there really a need to keep the freeway blocked off during this entire time? State Patrol had blocked it down to just one lane before we got there, and that blockage was still in effect when we got off the mountain. Combined, that was much longer than 6 hours, choking the only true East-West route through the mountains.
All for a dinky little accident (it was not even reported on the news - even though we could see a news chopper from the summit).

(and yes, it is rain, heavy rain, you can see in the first image - click on it)

SummerZissle...

Walking into the kitchen on Friday afternoon, looking at the thermometer in passing. It's displaying 99.9F. And this in an area that's been in shade all day. Walking over to the bedroom (north side) and checking there as well. 99.8F! In Kirkland, along the shores of cool Lake Washington?

Upon entering the kitchen again, the digits decide to move past 100F! 30 minutes later, they settle on 101.7F. A remarkable temperature in this part of the country.

The family has a somewhat mixed relationsship to the temperature. Wife is hot and complains about the weather. She succumbs to the basement and decides to make that her bedroom until the temperatures are back to normal. One dog follows her down as well. A couple of the cats and big dog decide to "stay the course" and follow me around. They are not comfortable, but it is clear that they prefer my company (?) over to giving in to the heat. Just as an option, I leave the door open to the garage so they can sneak in and benefit from the cooler temperature down there, or enjoy the cool concrete.

I have decided not to complain about the heat. Does no good (cannot change it...), this is still nothing compared to the years in Texas, and in a not too long time, we will have forgotten all about this and complain about the rain/cool temperatures. Hence, better enjoy it while we can, even though it IS hot!

It's Znowing

Yesterday we actually saw the first snow of the season. It was not what we really would like to call snow, too warm for that, but it did for a while actually cast a shade of white on the green lawns and bushes. The weatherman tells us we might still see more of it over the weekend, so maybe, maybe...
And, of course the wet snow (it was really wet, walked the dog while it was coming down, got soaked) prevented ANY efforts in putting up those darn lights. Wife also wanted a "special" design, something along these lines - see here. Not sure if I'd survive that design for more than a few minutes. A bit too loud for my taste - albeit pretty lively - and Christmas is still far away...

Have also now formally after a wonderful hiatus and vacation gotten into the serious job searching mode. Polished resume, talked to head-hunters, and the like. Will soon start pester my local contacts once I've scanned the open postings and determined which ones are worth while pursuing. Should be good get back into "it" again.

If all bodes well, we will also take the boat out once more this season. A trip around Lake Washington to check out the Christmas decorations is always a worth while effort this time of the year. Even though it can be COLD out there. But, seeing everything from the sea(lake) side gives it a different flair. Argosy Cruises are also in December running “cruises” around the lake and they come around a few times singing Christmas carols. It is quite pretty seeing these decorated and lit ships, blasting traditional Christmas carols ashore. If you want to know more when and where these ships are to be found, check here.