…And when I said in my last post that it was “back to the rains” after a whole bunch of abnormal and exciting weather, what I really meant was “time for more snow!” That’s right. A whole bunch more snow for us Portland people. Whee!!
(snow mushrooms in front of our neighbors)
I love how snow brings everyone out into the world. Part of that is that so much closes down — the result being that many people take their unexpected time off to explore a city that looks totally different in the snow.
(Mt Tabor here, for example, could totally be Mt Hood! Well, sort of:)
Another part is that walking (or skiing! or snowshoeing!) seems so much more convenient than driving, so I actually see many people who would normally be inside their cars. Yes, I know that I say that from my experience of living in a part of town where most things are actually walkable. I was talking to a fellow yesterday who hates the snow because his house in Oregon City is totally car-dependent: everything he needs, including a bus stop, is at least 5 miles away. I could see how that might make snow a little less fun. So I’m pretty darn thankful for my walkable neighborhood where crazy weather is much more exciting, much less stir-crazy-inducing, and much more amenable to seeing my neighbors.
(including my snowpeople neighbors!)
There’s nothing like snow to make me appreciate good urban planning, where everything I need is actually close to where I live.
For realz, though, I think that’s the last of the snow for a little. NOAA says it might even get above freezing! But I sure have appreciated all this not-only-rain, actually-overtly-exciting-to-be-outside kind of winter so far.