It's Cold..and that's a Fact!

Yesterday's local paper had the headline "Not Your Imagination: It's Been a Dreary Year". Well that certainly sums things up! The story went on to confirm what we Oregonians knew - this Spring has been cold and wet! In fact, April was the fifth coldest April on record since 1890, with temperatures averaging 5 degrees below average. With half of May know gone, daytime highs are running 4 degrees below average. This is all being attributed to a confluence of three things; the La Nina pattern, the start of a cold Pacific Decadal Oscillation pattern, and fallout from last Spring's eruption of the Icelandic Volcano. You can see the effects of the cold as you walk around our property. The Sweet Gum trees have just begun to leaf out.

The Douglas Firs are also beginning to show their new growth. I have always loved how the new needles are such a pretty mint green color and are soft to the touch when they are newly emerged.