You got it Mary, My thoughts and prayers go out to all of you up there.
I have been thinking the same thing, fires continue to ignite and spring up all around us, and you surely do not need all that rain you are getting. I think that I heard on T.V. that this is the 29 th day in a row for rain up there. We are in our third worst ever drought here, with practically no rain since last spring, lakes getting low, people having to feed their cattle, driving as far as Kansas for hay, and soon will have to start selling them off due to lack of drinking water.
My oldest son is enroute now with his 18 wheeler from Milwaykee WI to Spokane, already going thru snow in N. Dakota, still have the Rockies to cross then into the floods.
They say He didn't promise us a rose garden, we have to make the best of what we have I guess.
Bill P.

we've got better conditions here on Vancouver Island as far as flood possibilities, but our water table is so high the worms are wearing scuba gear - helps some areas that have had exceptionally dry conditions for a couple years and who's water supplies were always low, but are topped up now - so being topped up w/ water, maybe we could have a few weeks of cold and dry to kill off overwintering bugs n things and prevent the fruit trees from blooming too early! :(

Bill

Thanks Bill P. I said a prayer for your son. Was looking at the forecast for Spokane. Snow, but it doesn't look too bad. I don't know if he will face flooding. If you look at a map, the Cascade Mountain range runs through Washington and Oregon. The west side of the mountains is where it's flooding. The east side is much drier, although Spokane, being closer to the Idaho panhandle gets some moisture.

Hi Bill in BC. I know what you mean about the worms wearing scuba gear. Noticed that earlier today. (LOL) We had a dry spell of several hours this evening, but it is back to raining. We'll see how it goes.

At least it looks like drought won't be a problem this summer. The weatherfolk were saying the mountains are getting lots of snow. The ski resorts should be doing a brisk business.

Mary

Sounds like you're being hit harder than we are, Mary, and we've had plenty of flooding in the Bay Area, even some slides. One storm after another... finally, this morning the forecast in the paper showed five days of sun! Maybe the mud in the driveway will dry out enough that I won't have to start pushing my car out -- it's been slipping quite a bit, I almost couldn't back it out of the ruts yesterday.

I am so ready for some of that dry, cold January weather. I used to mutter about it, because I had to watch and make sure the watering system got turned back on... but I'm praying for it now.

prevent the fruit trees from blooming too early!

Too late for us, I fear; the oak trees have been leafing out for the last couple of weeks, the tulip trees are in full display, and I'm sure the cherries are blooming. We'll have a lot of tree-fruit crop failures in the valley this year, mostly cherries and apricots.

--Alison

Hey Mary, still thinking of you folks up there. We finally got a 0.875 of an inch of rain down here, which is not nearly enough but very welcome any way. It should help decrease the fire danger for a few days.
Looking at the NOA weather for Seattle, it looks like you folks may be getting a much needed break for a day or too also, and The Seahawks won yesterday, that should help the mood of many people up that way. ":^)
Bill P.

Hi Bill and Alison,

Yes the rain did ease up. In fact, it stopped and has for several days. Thank goodness! I am so glad you got some much needed rain Bill. Saw a news report this weekend showing an Oklahoma neighborhood getting rained on. The place looked brown and barren. I hope it doesn't rain so hard that it takes top soil away or flood. You folks don't need that.

Alison, I don't know if we have gotten more rain than you or not. The news was full of stories showing flooded farm fields and water getting close to some people's houses. I do not know how bad the damage may be. I think most houses got through it fine. More mudslides along highways. Especially along the coast. Definitely not as bad as the floods of 1996. Those were the worst I have ever seen in Oregon or Washington.

Yes, it was sweet for northwesterners to have the Seahawks win. I grew up when we did not have any pro teams in the northwest at all. Trying to remember which team was the first to come here. Probably the Sonics. I must have been in my teens when that happened.

Take care,

Mary