*Grilled halibut with salsa verde and grilled asparagus.*

revisiting some roots (a fishing expedition)

May 31, 2018 in food

I grew up as a typical Midwestern Catholic kid in the 1960s and 70s. My parents were devout, but not too strict on things related to the Church. We did follow certain practices such as Mass on Sundays, though after about age 9 or 10, we most often went at different times rather than as a family. I had to go to confession at least once a year, though that may have been handled in the parochial schools I attended rather than the at the parent level. A little later I got drafted into the altar boy ranks along with most of my classmates. If I complained about any of this, a common saying around the house was "You live in our house; you live by our rules. When you live in your own house, you can live by your own rules." One rule my parents kept more out of tradition than for any other reason was to not eat meat on Fridays (or at least non-fish meat).

In my house this typically meant frozen fish sticks or patties; tuna salad sandwiches with cold cucumber salad on hot summer nights – a favorite; tuna casserole in the winter (the fish version of beef stroganoff); macaroni & cheese; or – when my parents went out on Friday nights with friends which they often did – a cheese pizza and salad sometimes made it to the table.

My mom used to always say that there was no longer any requirement to abstain from eating meat on Fridays in the Church, but that our family chose to do so out of tradition. And she would add fish was more healthy and it was good to sacrifice occasionally. Looking back, as a middle-aged adult, I’m not sure how healthy frozen, battered fish logs slathered in tarter sauce were but in principle, even at that age, I agreed with what she meant.

I'm not much of anything these days. Religionwise, that is – though some would say why limit that statement to religion? And I’m not a huge fish eater as an adult, though I’ve lived in Seafoodlandia for nearly 35 years now. But I’ve recently decided to revisit some of those roots and try to eat fish at least once a week – for some of the same reasons my mom listed back in the 70s. It is probably a little healthier fare and doing something different (if not really sacrificing) is good for the soul (if not the sole).

Tonight I winged it. This morning I picked up a fresh halibut fillet at the small grocery in Phinney Ridge that has become one of my favorites for meat and fish. I learned just the other day that fish is best eaten very fresh and to not let it sit in the reefer for five days or longer – trust me, there's two lessons there that I'll never forget.

It was a nice early evening, so I elected to grill it outdoors. That has the added benefit of not stinking up the house with cooked fish. I grilled some asparagus along with the halibut and topped the fish off with a homemade salsa verde of capers, home-grown curly parsley, a mashed garlic clove, some olive oil and a pinch of salt. I also had a side of first-time-from-scratch homemade Tabuleh salad.

*Tabouleh salad made with homegrown ingredients.*

All-in-all, it came out pretty tasty. I'll probably switch to a slightly different salsa verde next time, to one I've made recently for salisbury steak. It is basically the same ingredients as tonight's except it uses finely diced white onion soaked in balsamic vinegar and kosher salt for 30 minutes rather than garlic. I'm not a huge garlic fan.

Tonight's dinner felt a little healthier than my conventional homemade meals. And it wasn’t much of a sacrifice.

Recipes

Salsa Verde + Grilled Fish:

Basically, the recipe I followed for the salsa verde sauce to use with the grilled fish follows this one from Martha Rose Shulman from the New York Times with two exceptions:

I did not use anchovies in the salsa; and
I used halibut rather than cod.

Tabouleh Salad

The recipe for came from the package on a bag of Bob's Red Mill Red Wheat Bulgar. It also closely follows this recipe from Melissa Clark, again of the Times.

Gazpacho for a hot summer day (re-posted)

August 27, 2017 in food

Gazpacho Soup

Cold, spicy gazpacho soup is the right ticket on hot summer days. It pays to make a day or two ahead to let the ingredients blend and chill in the reefer. Temperaturewise, today was almost perfect. High 70's crystal blue skies and dry. With a westcoast foggy morning to suck in with fans and cool the house (very Berkeleylike, though about 850 miles north).

I read this morning it is suppose to get hot again by the weekend. If true, might as well be prepared. Here is my version of gazpacho soup in nine easy pieces. First the ingredients. Then the assembly.

The Ingredients

The solids:
1 medium cucumber, peeled and cubed (or diced)
1/2 or more of one small red onion
1 medium-sized jalipeno chopped fine
1 green bell pepper seeded and diced
2 stalks of celery, sliced somewhat thin
1/3 cup of stuffed olives, sliced

The herbs:
a couple of sprigs of noregano* from the backyard
a leafy stem of tarragon also from the backyard
a few sprigs of cilantro - yep, from the backyard

The granulars:
1 tspn of Kosher salt
1/2 (heaping) tspn of raw sugar
1 clove of garlic or the equivalent garlic paste

The canned:
1 28 oz can of whole tomatoes (save a few for chopping)

The liquids
3 tbsp of oil
1 tbsp of sherry wine vinegar
1 cup of tomato juice of Spicy V8. I use the latter.

The Assembly

Combine the solids and the herbs into a large, sealable jar. I stacked them in layers this time then added the chopped herbs on top. [photos 1-3]

Step 3. Chop the herbs and toss 'em in the jar.

Combine the canned, the liquids and the granulars into a bowl. Strain the tomatoes over the liquids. And let the juice from the can mix in. Save three or four of the tomatoes. Place the remaining tomatoes into the bowl. [photos 4-6]

Step 4. One large 28 oz. can of whole tomatoes (..or two 14 oz. cans of the same..)

Step 5.  Mix the oil and vinegar.  Add the sugar and salt here too. — Step 5. Mix the oil and vinegar. Add the sugar and salt here too.

Step 6.  Strain the tomatoes adding the canned juice to the other liquids.  Keep 3-4 of the tomatoes whole and put the rest into the bowl with the liquids.  Add a cup of tomato juice to the bowl.  Puree into a thick juice. — Step 6. Strain the tomatoes adding the canned juice to the other liquids. Keep 3-4 of the tomatoes whole and put the rest into the bowl with the liquids. Add a cup of tomato juice to the bowl. Puree into a thick juice.

Chop up the rescued tomatoes and add to the solids in the jar. [photo 7]

Step 7. Chop up your saved tomatoes and add them to the top of the other diced goods and herbs.

Puree the mix in the bowl in a food processor until it is a thick juice. Five or ten seconds, tops. Make it five. Then more if it looks like it could use it. You be the judge. Pour over the solids in the jar. [photo 8]

Step 8.  Pour the pureed mix over the chopped solids and leaves in the jar. — Step 8. Pour the pureed mix over the chopped solids and leaves in the jar.

Take a tall wooden spoon and mix the liquids with the solids. [photo 9]

Step 9.  Mix & chill.... — Step 9. Mix & chill....

Seal the jar and stick in the reefer overnight. Enjoy, with a squeeze of lime and slice or two of avocado if you're inclined. And a cold tuna or turkey sandwich. Maybe a cold, sliced nectarine as well.

* noregano - organic oregano through inattention, laziness, or the lack of care or feeding. Produced from an organic farming method of benign neglect.

A summer of sun...

August 01, 2017

After a long, rainy start to the year (really all the way back to last October) it has been a summer of sun. Total sun. We may have had one really rainy day in mid-June, but other than that it has been mostly clear since May. This pink weed — not really, but a perennial flower misplaced by some bird or the wind in the abrasive grass over a decade ago — has bloomed early this year.

Today we turned the page into August. They say we're in for some hot weather beginning this afternoon through Friday. They're predicting temperatures in the high 90's to 100's here in the Land of No Air Conditioning (that may change soon for me if recent summer trending appears to become a permanent seasonal state).

****

I took on a backyard garden project earlier this summer. Basically, it was to rip up the small lawn and replace it with a garden. But it requires me to build a bridge across the space to avoid mud when the rains return. The bridge could be stoneworks, deck platforms, or a simple crushed gravel path.

*34 dishes of water to confuse the cats and birds...*

The turf is up and gone. Some plants have been transplanted temporarily into the garden space. I've organized all of the building materials. Even cleaned the pots and dishes I've collected over the years in a delaying tactic yesterday. Last night, in anticipation of the hot days to come, I topped off the dishes with hose water for the local cats and birds that pass through the yard. The neighbor's cat must have thought he stepped into nirvana this morning when he found thirty four dishes of fresh, cold water on the patio. He took a taste from many of them and looked all around repeatedly - a sort of confused but happy look. I'll keep them out and filled during the heat wave even at the risk of stepping in them myself and soaking my shoes. It's happened a few times already. And at risk of attracting more raccoons. I guess they need water too.

But I've reached a point of indecision on the "bridge"— really a hardscape connector between an existing sidewalk and a patio. The path of stone pavers is out for now. Not enough time for design and building left this summer. A series of connected cedar deck pads is designed, about 85% complete. I have much of the needed wood left over from previous projects but I have some details to complete yet on the design and Bill of Materials. Then, last week a crushed gravel path appealed to me, even if only a temporary one. So I temporarily changed course and designed several new options in addition to the decks. Yesterday I took trip across town to the gravel yard and priced the gravel path material and delivery costs. By afternoon, I was reconsidering the deck, not due to cost, just due to preferences.

I love the sun we're having. I can't stay inside while it's so nice outside. What I could really use is a cloudy or rainy day to have an excuse to stay indoors, finalize my designs, perform an analysis of my best option, and make a decision. Otherwise I keep vacillating.

A true First World complaint if there ever was one, as they say.

Looking wide from green Skyscraper Peak (center-left), to trails crossing verdant Berkeley Park in the center, to Fremont Peak and her lookout (center-right).

A relatively short drive away...

July 27, 2017

I was back in the San Francisco Bay Area last April. I recall thinking the region has so many incredible places nearby to visit within an hour or two's drive. It is a photographer's paradise. There are, of course, the cities with their old buildings and landmarks, their new buildings and landmarks, many people, and the terrific vistas. But there are also the East Bay parks and the parklands to the south on the San Francisco peninsula. To the north are the Marin Headlands, Mount Tamalpais State Park and, my favorite, Point Reyes National Seashore. Each visit leads to at least one newly discovered place. On the drive out of the region last April, zipping across California Highway 37 towards I-5, I drove along the edge of San Pablo Bay National Wildlife Refuge on a perfect clear morning—another place with incredible wide open vistas. I didn't have time to stop, but I did bookmark the place in my mind (and in notes) for a deeper exploration on another trip to the area

There is so much to see in the Bay Area, all within a same day decision and relatively short drive—if traffic cooperates. I did not own a car when I lived in San Francisco and Berkeley from 1978-84. My range was limited to where my feet, a bike and public transportation could get me to and back within a day. On my recent visit last April, I recall thinking how incredibly lucky people who live there are. I wished and dreamt for a minute on what it would be like to live there again now that I'm no longer tethered to Seattle with a career and job.

****

However, the Pacific Northwest has similar access to many great places—as long as weather and traffic cooperate. Three national parks, and many state parks, are well within day trip range. And if you know the basics of mountain hiking, know what to bring and what to wear, have much of it pre-packed, and know these places well, many of them are well within a same day decision to pay a quick visit with little planning.

Mount Rainier National Park is one of those places. Tuesday I decided to head up to Mount Rainier. I had actually decided to head up there the night before but did not run the necessary preparatory errands Monday night. Tuesday morning I woke up about 5:45 AM. But I dawdled all morning with some necessary chores (watering the plants) and performing the duties I should have taken care of the night before (fill up the gas tank/shop for groceries).

*A Volkswagen campervan rounds the curves through the park. 2005.*

The northeast corner of the park is about 100 miles (or two hours) from my home in Seattle. I didn't leave the city until just shortly before 11 AM. I was at the trailhead by about 1:15 PM or so. The hike I took was about 10 miles round trip. I was back home just after sunset around 9:30 PM. Similarly, I left in midmorning, as I always tend to do, for North Cascades National Park a week ago on another trip. That day included a 12 mile round trip hike. My return home was a little later that night, about 11:45 PM.

Mount Rainier is huge. And a drive around the park takes some time. Therefore, for impromptu visits, sticking to the northeast corner works best for me. I visited the Sunrise area of the park and hiked to Third Burroughs, a third peak on the Burroughs ridge generally left unmentioned in park literature. The elevation gain from the parking lot to the top is probably less than 1500 feet.

*Mount Rainier from the White River. 2011*

*A panorama of Burroughs Mountain from Skyscraper Peak. July 2006.*

This trail may be one of the most scenic anywhere. My first visit was in October 1986. We backpacked up and over Second Burroughs on a loop camping trip in a driving sleet storm. You could not see 20 feet forward as we ascended. I didn't see much. Once past the peak, the skies opened and the temperatures warmed into the sixties or seventies. Rainier can be like that with its micro-climates and conditions. This trail has become one of my favorites that I return to most years since I rediscovered it around 2010.

*Little Tahoma Peak and Mount Rainier from Second Burroughs around 5:30 PM on Tuesday, July 25.*

*Climbers on the Inter Glacier below St. Elmo's Pass late in the afternoon. 2017.*

*Purple lupines cover the slopes in July. 2017.*

*Tundrascapes on Third Burroughs. 2017.*

*Glacier Basin Trail. The Glacier Basin trail runs beneath the Burroughs Mountain ridge, next to the White River. 2011.*

*Snowfields to cross below Third Burroughs. 2017.*

*A remnant snowfield on Frozen Lake. July 2006.*

*Returning to First Burroughs from Second Burroughs. 2017.*

*Another test shot and lesson with my older Leica X1*

Relearning photography with the Leica X1

July 22, 2017 in photography

It was a warmish, lazy July Saturday. The temperatures were in the low 80’s but the sun was hot. I found a sling chair on the front deck to read a book in the shade after some gardening work in the backyard this afternoon. I’ve had plenty of sun recently, shade sounded good. I refer to sling chairs as “instant sleep chairs” because within about five minutes of sitting in one I’m off in a deep sleep, book in hand or not.

After a brief nap, I woke up close to 5 PM. It was still too early to start dinner so I pulled out a camera and began to play with it.

About five years ago I picked up my first true Leica camera, one designed and built in Germany. It was an X1, a fixed lens compact. Maybe Leica aficionados don’t consider this a true Leica, but it was my first taste of one so I do. I didn’t care to spend the many extra thousands of dollars for a more expensive rangefinder. I’m not convinced my work merits the expense. But I liked the Leica color I was seeing in other peoples photos, and was interested to see if Leica cameras, even the less expensive ones, produced similar color and better photos for me as well. I had at least one other Leica camera before this one, but it was basically a rebranded Panasonic compact with Leica glass. Capable enough and Panasonic is a great electronics and optical company. I continue to use it; it is very handy. But it is a Panasonic at heart.

I read numerous reviews of the Leica X1 before I purchased it. It was going to cost me about $2000, and the reviews were mixed. The picture quality was generally considered very good at the time due largely to its larger-than-standard APS-C CMOS sensor. But it was reported to have several flaws as well, namely being slow. And by slow, I mean the camera takes time to focus and takes time to process an image. It also had a fixed lens with no ability to zoom (not an issue for me). The manual focus feature is clunky. It was also larger than most compacts, making it difficult to slip into pants, especially jeans. But since my jeans mysteriously shrank a size or two several years ago over winter while simply lying flat and folded in my dresser drawer, I don’t wear those as often these days. The camera fits fine in looser pants and in jacket pockets.

I used my X1 quite a bit when I first purchased the camera, but mostly as a city camera. Subsequent camera purchases led to this one sitting at home often. When I used the X1 early on, I often used one or more of the automatic settings, whether shutter speed, aperture setting or ISO; sometimes two of them together; often all three. Occasionally I would shoot in complete manual mode, but not as often as I should.

A few months ago, I pulled it out again out of curiosity. I’d since picked up a Leica Q, a much nicer camera. But the older X1 had me curious again.

One feature I’ve come to like with electronic and digital cameras is the Auto-Exposure Lock (AEL) feature. The X1 does not have this apparently. I reread the manual and searched online one evening to see if I was missing something. I found a Leica forum where others were asking the same questions about an AEL feature. Most seemed to want one. A professional photographer who also called himself a Leica ambassador replied to the forum discussion topic—with a somewhat condescending tone—that such features are gimmicks, and that one should learn to use basic photography principles and understand the links between shutter speed, aperture and film speed to get the correct exposure. Although I could do without the condescension, I had to admit he was correct.

In the 1980s and 1990s I learned these basic photography techniques when I shot film in the mountains with my inexpensive Pentax ME Super. Although kit cameras of 1983 vintage had some automated features, it was quicker, and ultimately more reliable, to estimate the correct shutter speed and aperture settings for a given lighting situation. I didn’t always guess correctly, but over time I did more often than not.

I became lazy and forgot a lot of the basic techniques with the dawn of digital cameras with more sophisticated electronics and firmware features. I decided take the photographer’s advice and use my Leica X1 almost exclusively in manual mode. One interesting feature I discovered with the camera was that once you manually set the exposure and speed dials, the AUTO ISO feature is disabled. The camera forces you to select all three key variables manually. This is good.

In the last month or so, this relearning has made me a better photographer. I’m using what I’m learning with my other cameras as well, at least the ones where shutter speed, f-Stop and ISO can be independently selected easily.

The simple selfie photo above, taken with me sitting lazily in a sling chair this late afternoon, is just one more practice attempt using these manual techniques with the Leica X1. Each photo taken contributes a little more to restore this body of knowledge I once had twenty or more years ago.

Camera: Leica X1
Focal length: 24 mm
Aperture: f2.8
Shutter speed: 1/250
ISO 200
Exposure Setting: Multipoint
Focus Setting: Spot
Flash off
Exposure bias: 0
Hand held

Some additional recent photos taken manually with my Leica X1

An experiment with mint (and red peppers)...

July 10, 2017 in food

I planted a small herb garden on the back deck this summer. The deck is on the south side of my house and is in one of the few sunny spots back there. The herb containers included basil, mint, oregano and tarragon. All are doing quite well with the sunny and warm summer we've enjoyed so far. Especially the mint.

I'm unsure why I planted the mint other than the smell of it on hot days. I have ready recipes and situations for the other herbs, but not mint — aside from a farro grain salad I only occasionally make. After a search on the web, I found a recipe for a mint-sweet red pepper marinade¹ for using with chicken kebabs prior to grilling.

I decided to adopt and modify this recipe to suit the whole chicken breasts I already had in the refrigerator.

Step 1. Creating the sweet pepper paste (photos 1-3)

The marinade called for Turkish sweet red pepper paste. Unable to find jarred paste in the grocery store, I looked online for a recipe. I found a few online and followed one² from food.com. I modified this recipe slightly to account for my available ingredients.

The sweet pepper paste recipe called for blending two types of peppers: red capsicum peppers with red sweet peppers. I used five fresh Fresno red peppers for the heat (capsicum). These peppers are similar in size to jalapeno peppers but have less heat. After trimming off the ends, splitting in half, and removing the seeds (photo 1), I sliced the pepper halves crosswise into ¼-inch strips.

I chose jarred Peppadew piquante peppers for the sweet red peppers (photo 2). A local pizza chain uses these peppers on one of their pies and the results are terrific. These were ready to eat and were rather small. The online recipe calls for an equal number of capsicums to sweet peppers, but I selected about nine of the piquante peppers due to their size to balance the Fresno red peppers. I sliced these in ¼-inch strips as well.

I then combined the pepper strips with 40 ml of olive oil, 20 ml of water, and 1 teaspoon each of sugar and salt in a food processor and pulsed these ingredients to a oily, wet paste. The final step in making the paste was to simmer the mix until it thickened a bit. This took about 15-20 minutes on very low heat (photo 3).

Step 2. Creating the marinade (photos 4 & 5)

The modified ingredient list for the marinade included:

fresh mint (rather that dried mint), 2 tablespoons;
italian seasoning, dried (in place of dried thyme which I did not have), 1 tbsp;
red pepper flakes, 1 tbsp;
1 tbsp of the sweet red pepper paste made in Step 1;
sun-dried tomato paste (in place of standard tomato paste which I was out of), 1 tbsp;
Aleppo pepper, 1 tbsp;
fresh ground black pepper, 1 tsp;
olive oil, 1 cup.

Simply mix and blend these ingredients with a whisk in a large bowl. Then pour over the chicken breasts and let them sit for 2-3 hours in the refrigerator.

I ran the grill on high. I cooked the first side for 7-½ minutes; then flipped them on the second side for 6-½ minutes (photo 6).

After starting dinner with a cool green salad on a hot day, I served a main course of the mint-pepper chicken breasts with roasted potatoes and several lemon slices for drizzling over everything.

*Served here with grilled potatoes and lemon slices for drizzling over everything.*

3. Results and thoughts...

This was a pretty good recipe. The chicken was a bit overdone on the exterior, but this was mostly the marinade becoming toasty on the hot grill. The chicken was extremely moist and tender on the inside, with juices running clear.

A few things I'll certainly try different next time:

I'll use boneless and skinless chicken breast. They will hold the marinade better and would be easier to slice and eat. I usually buy chicken in this form. For some reason, I had purchased fryer breasts. I like fried chicken but rarely make it. I'm not sure why I purchased chicken with the skin and bone in place.
I think serving the chicken sliced (after grilling) would work better as well.
I may try the marinade with less olive oil and try to make it more of a pasty rub. The olive oil was fine, but one cup of it left the marinade runny and, more importantly, a whole a lot of oil to clean up after eating. The recipe called for enough marinade to cover kebabs for 6-8 people. I should have adjusted the volume for less. This much oil is not something I wish to wash down the kitchen sink drain. I handled the excess oil by soaking it in paper towels and making a 'compost burrito'. After rolling, I tossed the burrito into the compost bin.
I'll back off the grill time slightly. Rather than a 7.5/6.5 minutes split on each side, I'll set the timer for 6.5/5.5 minutes.
I'll try the sweet red pepper paste tonight as a smear on a grilled sausage sandwich. I'll report later.
I'll try the marinade on a flank steak I plan to grill later this week. I think it would also pair well with grilled pork loin. Again, I'll report later.

Recipe Source Notes

Saveur Magazine; Mint & Aleppo Pepper Marinated Chicken Kebabs (Tavuk Kebabi); http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Tavuk-Kebabi-Mint-and-Aleppo-Pepper-Marinated-Chicken-Kebabs; date: May 20, 2013.
Food.com; Turkish Red Pepper Paste; http://www.food.com/recipe/turkish-red-pepper-paste-294358.

striations

May 17, 2017

Saturday morning, April 15, 9:01 AM.

A 3.8 magnitude earthquake hit off the coast about 10 miles north of here near Waldport about an hour earlier. I had stayed the night in the nearby small coastal town of Yachats and was likely packing up at the time. I didn't feel anything, but some follow-on reports indicated some mild tremors were felt on shore.

This is an easy, drive-up viewpoint that a lot of people miss while driving down the coast. I missed it myself for years despite camping many times below this point in the 1990's.

I like to stop here if it's a nice morning or clear twilight in the evening. This may be the clearest I've seen it. It's only a 30 minute diversion, so in the context of an hours-long drive down the coast, it doesn't add too much time to the drive. There is also a trail that climbs to the same spot, but that, of course, would take much longer than a half-hour for the round trip for the average person. I've hiked the trail while camping below. It's a nice hike.

It likely isn't the case, but I wonder if those dark, thin, evenly-space striations in the water are the result of the quake that morning. The ones running parallel to the shore.

moonwatcher

January 11, 2017 in stream of consciousness, urban landscapes

I took a walk late this afternoon. It was pretty cold, near freezing. But I needed to get out of the house and get some exercise. It was also the one year anniversary of the day my father passed away. I wanted to think about him a little. When I started the walk, it was almost exactly the hour he left this earth one year ago. Solo walks help with thinking.

I walked up to Louisa Boren Park, about a mile from my home. It's a common destination to point towards. The view out to the North Cascades is wonderful from this postage stamp park on Seattle's North Capitol Hill.

About ten minutes before this photo I had the tiny park to myself. The sun was setting and there was still alpenglow light on the tallest peaks. I decided to move on past the park. About a block and a half away there is an intersection and decision. Take a right and the way home lengthens by about an extra mile. I needed the exercise anyway. Nine times out of ten — heck, 99 times in a hundred — I take that right.

Tonight I took the left which doubles back towards this park and view. I don't know why. In that short 10 or 15 minutes the view had switched from sunset to moonrise over the Cascades. I don't think it's quite a full moon. It looks like it here. But, later in the evening I stepped outside and the moon looks a little less than full.

Nevertheless, I'm glad I took the left. When I crossed back past the park, a number of cars pulled over and folks were drawing out their cameras and phones to capture the moment.

Some mom or dad stopped and out of the minivan popped three 10-12 y.o. boys, each with a camera in hand, oohing and ahhhing. They looked like brothers.

My first camera was a Polaroid Christmas gift when I was twelve. It was my all-time favorite gift from my childhood. Today, it must be terrific for kids that age with all of the new cameras. I expect we're in for some great visual works from that generation as they grow, learn and mature.

Cold Start

January 11, 2017 in data visualization, climate

By any measure, it has been a cold start to winter in the Pacific Northwest. It appears parts of Portland OR received up to a foot of snow last night. Traffic cameras show the snow belt extending well into southwest Washington State as well, even as far north as Olympia this morning. Seattle, my home, hasn't seen much snow this year. But it has been much chillier than normal for much of December and this first third of January.

How cold? Figure 1 shows that the average daily temperature has been 5-10 degrees below normal for much of the past month. Now, cold is relative. The normal average daily temperature in this part of the country in December and January is about 40F or so. So, even on days when it is 5-7 degrees cooler than normal, it is above freezing — although barely.

Nevertheless, it has been chilly, especially in mornings. My monthly gas bill from Puget Sound Energy came in the mail this Monday. It was almost twice its normal winter amount — for a number of reasons extending beyond just the coldish temperatures.

Figure 1. Departure from normal for daily average temperature, 2016+.  Click to enlarge. — **Figure 1.** Departure from normal for daily average temperature, 2016+. *Click to enlarge.*

***

The chart above shows the mean temperature for each day last year and its deviation from normal for any specific day based on 30 years of readings (in this case, readings recorded from 1981-2010 by the National Weather Service). Most of the past year has been significantly warmer than normal. Especially last spring which was noticeably warm and summer-like at times.

Figure 2 shows temperature departures from normal in Seattle across a much longer time span, from 2000 to early 2017. We've had other, lengthier stretches of cooler-than-normal weather recently, especially during the first half of 2011. But these cool patterns tend to occur later in the winter or early spring, so cooler-than-normal doesn't typically mean near freezing at these times. In fact, not only this year, but in more recent years, warmer than normal temperature days dominate.

Figure 2. Departure from normal for daily average temperature, 2000-2016. Click to enlarge. — **Figure 2.** Departure from normal for daily average temperature, 2000-2016. *Click to enlarge.*

an icy weekend (last days)

January 05, 2017 in stream of consciousness

I came back to the city I was born and raised to attend to some family matters on very short notice in early January 2016.

It was probably 20 years since I was last back here this time of year. It would have been for the holidays. Maybe 35 years or more since I was here in January — the real heart of winter. The temperatures on the predawn Sunday morning, when I arrived, were in the low teens. It was colder Monday. A light snow had been falling each day.

My father's health had been failing for some time, but now had taken a turn for the worse. You could sense these were his last days. I detoured through the neighborhood I lived in during the 1970's on my drive back to the hotel that Sunday afternoon from my father's last place he would call home. On Monday night, that would become a certainty.

It was one of two neighborhoods I grew up in from 1960-78. The other was about a mile and a half from here, pointed in the same general direction ahead of me.

It was late in the afternoon, close to five. The midwinter sun was managing to peek through the icy clouds. I just liked the soft light on the newfallen snow. And the icy tree cover. I pulled the rental over and took a photograph — mostly for memory's sake.

This city is no longer my home. I moved to the west coast — for the most part — at 18 years old. I've always liked this city but maybe I took this town for granted then.

It is unlikely I'll visit here again in a future January unless there's another family emergency. But there are times when this city has real beauty and charm.