A Great Year for Storms

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I LOVE thunderstorms!

The past couple of years were really disappointing for me. The few storms I remember passing through were too far in the distance to be very exciting and none were worthy of a midnight drive or even sleepless night of window gazing.

It felt like it had been forever since we had a truly inspiring thunderstorm.

Then it happened! The 'storm of the century' hit two Sundays ago, and wouldn't you know it? I was out of town!! ...and to add insult to injury, the next morning I was ruthlessly tormented on Facebook with story after amazing story and countless, unbelievable photographs.

I tried not to express my disappointment too aggressively, considering the fact that I was visiting my mom. I didn't want her to feel that I would rather have seen that storm than spend an extra night with her, because that's not true, but I'll tell you, I was really, REALLY bummed out!

It turns out that that storm was just the beginning of a long, awesome series of pretty decent storms, though, and last night I finally got to experience a window-gaze-worthy exhibition. 

Here's to more beautiful, summer thunderstorms! Bring 'em on! 

(Minus crop damage and wildland fires, of course!)

Curves Ahead

My family is originally from Vancouver, Washington. We moved to Yakima when I was seven years old, but I remember that for a few years we would take trips back to Vancouver almost every weekend. (My mom despised Yakima.) I got to know the Columbia River Gorge pretty well! 

I remember my mom telling me stories of the countless trips her family would take through the Columbia River Gorge, when she was growing up, to visit her grandmother in Toppenish. She said that she had driven the Washington-Side of the river so many times that she could practically navigate the curves with her eyes closed.

I thought about that, often, as Adam and I learned how to maneuver through the Pine Canyon curves. Over the years, we've become so accustomed to that road that I can completely understand what my mom meant.

It really hit home this week once the big paving project was finished. Muscle memory really is an amazing thing! Our first trip down the newly-lined road felt just a little weird. We could tell that the radius of some of the curves had been changed ever-so-slightly and it took us a couple of trips to readjust. 

The new road surface is wonderful, though and I was impressed with how quickly they got the job done, even considering the days they couldn't work due to rain and/or excessive wind.

It's especially nice that that huge, badly-patched pit on the big curve at the top is gone. That was never very fun to encounter on a motorcycle.

Dueling Drivers

When you drive a significant distance to work every day you begin to recognize and distinguish people and cars around you.

"Oh man... We're behind the slow, stinky car again!"

"There she is passing in a no passing zone again."

"Dang, Adam! Did you have get in front of him again?!"  

I made that last statement this morning when a vehicle I remember all too well rumbled up behind us. Adam replied with a chuckle, "It's okay, I'm going the other way today because of the road work. He'll go through the canyon and will probably get stuck."

The last time we encountered this particular vehicle during our morning commute, Adam made the mistake of pulling quickly out of our driveway in front of it. He had assumed, based on experience with similar vehicles, that it was going to go really slow on the highway and that it would be better for us to hop in front rather than have to pass it later. Well, Adam was wrong and let me tell you, the other driver was intent on letting him know it. 

He immediately rev'd up to our bumper, as if to say "how dare you cut in front of me," and ended up riding it all the way into East Wenatchee where we were finally separated by the 19th street traffic light. Adam was not amused, to say the least, and I was a little freaked out. I couldn't help thinking about that 70s Spielberg movie, "Duel."

I hadn't realized, prior to becoming a commuter, just how competitive a daily drive can be.

Coors Light Annoyance

This year, I have developed an extreme distaste for Coors Light, but not for the reasons you may expect. Someone, apparently, has decided that my garden looks like a trash can. I found the first three or four cans after the snow melted this Spring. I was annoyed, obviously, but I assumed it must have been an isolated incident; a party in the alley or something like that. Since then, though, just about every week I find a fresh, mostly finished Coors Light can nestled between my sunflower sprouts. 

Finding peoples' wind-blown garbage in our yard is one thing, but the fact that this trash has been deliberately thrown over our fence makes me a little mad, especially considering the fact that there is a dumpster in the alley less than a block away!

I think a taller fence might be in order. Although, I'll admit, I have considered booby traps.

Remembering Memorial Day

"In the cemetery, when I read the headstones, I can see the face, and hear the voice, of every person I knew."  ~Robert Mathison, Memorial Day, 2012

Early last Saturday morning, Adam and I drove past the Waterville Cemetery and saw that the Memorial Day flags had already been set up. It made me think about all of the people who would be giving their time on Memorial Day weekend, instead of camping or otherwise recreating, making sure that not a single military grave was forgotten and helping visitors find their way to the friends and loved ones they were searching for.

Adam worked in the funeral business for approximately four years. I remember that, every Memorial Day weekend, we would have to wake up really early and head to the cemetery to place flags on the graves of those who had served in our nation's armed forces. It was a fairly large cemetery, so even with several people working it took quite a while. I'll admit, I grumbled and complained (just a little bit) about the fact that we didn't have the opportunity to get out of town and "vacation" like other people did on Memorial Day weekend. I understood, though, that it really was the least we could do and I knew that those who came to visit would be grateful for the time we had invested to honor their loved one(s). 

I am thankful for that experience. Prior to our years in the funeral business I never really acknowledged Memorial Day as being anything more than just a fun-filled, three-day weekend. Now, every year, I do take time to remember those who paid the ultimate price to establish and preserve our liberty.

The Colors of Spring

Adam and I were told, when we first moved to Waterville, that in the Spring, the water can sometimes be "colorful." We've experienced a few different water shades over the past 4 years, but last weekend was the first time our water actually ran brown. 

My mom was over for a visit and I had just poured her a nice, cold, clear glass of water from our Brita carafe in the refrigerator. I told her, as I turned on the tap to refill the carafe, that we had just changed the Brita filters and the water was really good! 

As I spoke, I glanced down and discovered, to my horror, that the water flowing from the tap was not just a little off-clear, but rather a nasty, deep brown which grossly contrasted with the bright, clean white of the Brita. 

My mom had a good laugh as the water that drizzled through the filter emerged only a slightly lighter, more coppery hue.

I shrugged and said, "Well, yours is good anyway."

We had clear water again within a few hours, but "EEW!" Even if the water is technically clean, there is no way I'll ever drink it when it looks like that!

New People, New Connections

Adam and I met some new neighbors last weekend. Well, "new-ish" neighbors, that is. We're a little slow on the uptake when it comes to meeting people. 

We didn't actually meet both of them together, either. The first came and introduced himself while Adam was spraying the lawn and I met the second a little later when I was seeding the lawn. Now each of us knows one of the other two. I'm really not sure why that's funny, but it makes me chuckle.

They are very nice people who, like Adam and me, moved to Waterville because it was more financially viable than other options and very quickly learned to love this little town. They also, like us, acquired a fixer-upper that needs an awful lot of work.

Another thing we have in common?

I've mentioned that I maintain a few websites here in Waterville. It turns out, they have one too! It is called Interactive Waterville and it was created for the purpose of connecting Waterville townsfolk online. The site includes posts about events, lists of businesses and churches and even has a classifieds section! (Unfortunately the classifieds page is malfunctioning but it should be up and running/ready to use very soon.)

If you haven't seen this great new website, check it out at: http://www.watervillewainfo.com/