What is that bright thing in the sky?

For over two weeks there has been an almost unrelenting wave of rain storms sweeping in from the Southwest. I have awakened innumerable times to things hitting the roof, blown off from the surrounding trees, and then hearing the sound of whatever it was rolling down the roof. Probably mostly Douglas Fir cones since they are the few things that will roll, but lots of twigs, small branches have also been blown helter skelter over the roof and yard. But now I sit here, bathed in sunlight at Cutter's Point, drinking hot coffee and enjoying the warmth. In fact it is so warm here that I had to take off my sweat shirt.
I got up just after 7 am to blow off the driveway, deck and street. The accumulation of fir needles, leaves, twigs and cones had reached such a depth that it was embarassing especially when my next door neighbor, with his powerful leaf blower, continually blows not only his driveway off and the street in front of the house, but he also blows the street in front of my house! It took just over an hour and used up one tank of gas in my puny leaf blower. Much of the driveway was still wet and the fir needles were almost impossible to blow off. On my deck it was so wet that it was impossible to get it all. I don't even try to use the blower on the needles until it dries off somewhat.

Politics...yawn

Ok, now the democrats have a chance to show everybody how they will handle all the pressing problems. Funny thing is that I never heard very much about their plans before the recent election during which they won control of congress, so I am doubtful that anything workable will be presented. Politics as usual...
Lessee...oh yes, there was one and a half days of nonrain this week. Now it's back to normal (looking out at the television-monitor grey sky and the drizzle, the windshield wipers, the dimples of rain in the puddles).
Yesterday, going into the library, I heard a hoarse croak and looked up to see what appeared to be a Raven in the top of a Douglas Fir. Wanting to make sure, since I rarely seem them in the lowlands here, I rushed back to my car and took out the binoculars to take a look. As I did another one joined the first. Yep, there was no doubt as I looked at the thick beak and the raggedy appearance of its neck feathers as it bent over to give some more croaks. I have never seen them in this immediate area until about a year ago. I see them in the mountains fairly commonly though. The crows, which they resemble, seem to have a built in antipathy toward the ravens and often mob them as they do owls, hawks and eagles. Perhaps the Raven prey upon their young.
I am working straight through this week with no days off, and I have to whine a bit. Sniff...too bad I can't resist the money.
Last night I checked out Hotel Angela in Bocas del Toro, Panama. That was my favorite place during my visit to Panama last Spring. It showed that the weather was in the eighties with rain expected every day this week. How fondly I remember sitting out on the covered deck/dining room over the waters of the Carribean, drinking hot coffee, watching the sun rise, and checking out the reef fish feeding in the pilings by my table. I must go back if only for that.

Sun at last!

The rain continued all day until about 3:30 pm, when the sky cleared and the sun came out. The rivers are still high and running over their banks, but for two days or so the rain should let up before another rain storm moves in.
I was trying to get my home network set up with Network Magic which coordinates all the computers on a person's home net. It seemed to be working fine until I tried to adjust it so that all the computers could share the common printer. The program would freeze up each time I tried it.

Pineapple Express

Everybody knows the reputation that the northwest has for rain, but this is ridiculous. It has been raining steadily since last Friday (this is Wednesday!). The news agencies, paragons of understatement, shout that this is a record breaking storm (storm? It's just rain with a little breeze!), which may dump as much as ten inches. It does get a mite damp, however, and I find myself yearning for a bit of sun and it's only November.