A Juneau kind of day

It's a gray and rainy day in Mission. It's actually the first significant rain we've received since my arrival in November. It has been quite a dramatic, and welcome, change from the typical weather pattern in Juneau. In fact, I pulled out my waterproof jacket for the first time at lunch today. There's a little bit of wind out there too, enough to pelt the windows with raindrops. (Ah, memories...) The dirt road leading up to the Habitat property is muddy, the potholes filled with water. I'm sure the unpaved roads across the reservation are sloppy, including the Dump Road, my usual running route.

Of course, this isn't the first precipitation we've had this winter. There have been several snowfalls, plus a sleet event on Super Bowl Sunday that was accompanied with dark skies and summer-like shafts of moisture. And then there was the brutal blizzard which swept through in early November. (The snowbank out front from that storm has almost melted.) My sunny disposition toward this winter would certainly be different if I had been here to experience that.

For me, looking back at my first winter in the Dakotas will include thoughts of howling winds, frozen pipes, and blasts of arctic cold. There's still a ways to go before spring is here for good. And significant snow is possible into April and May. But just knowing that a real summer is on its way is enough to get me through. Bring on the heat - and the farmer's tan!