Once upon a summer’s day, I walked along the beach under a big, green umbrella with the name of a local bank emblazoned in gold across its face. I was dripping wet, the kind I abhor the most when my skin feels so sticky and shiny, I can only hope no one I know will stop and chat with me in my most vulnerable state. Any foreigner would laugh at the sight of me. No one uses an umbrella on the beach unless it’s one of those resort beach umbrellas that do not walk. But it’s scorching hot, a normal summer’s day.
These days I’ve been using my designer look-alike, plaid umbrella that can barely keep me dry, what with its flimsy metal bones that break at the slightest provocation. It’s been raining everyday since February. I wake up in the morning to the sound of howling winds and heavy surf. The skies are consistently a threatening grey. The ground is muddy and when I walk up and down the long driveway, my flip flops collect the mud. It sticks like glue and I feel laden with weight that I have to stop and wipe my slippers against any protruding rock along the way.
My friends and I talk about the rain and what happened to summer. Today someone said we’re lucky that it’s been windy else we would suffer the tremendous heat. And after thinking about it I had other positive things to say about this strange weather that La Niña has brought about. For one thing, I don’t have to use my airconditioner. That’s a big savings! And there are no mosquitoes at night because the unrelenting wind blows them away, hopefully far out to sea. But I miss the flowers in my garden which have eloped with the mosquitoes.
Now I know what it’s like to live in Seattle.
* * *
These days I’ve been using my designer look-alike, plaid umbrella that can barely keep me dry, what with its flimsy metal bones that break at the slightest provocation. It’s been raining everyday since February. I wake up in the morning to the sound of howling winds and heavy surf. The skies are consistently a threatening grey. The ground is muddy and when I walk up and down the long driveway, my flip flops collect the mud. It sticks like glue and I feel laden with weight that I have to stop and wipe my slippers against any protruding rock along the way.
My friends and I talk about the rain and what happened to summer. Today someone said we’re lucky that it’s been windy else we would suffer the tremendous heat. And after thinking about it I had other positive things to say about this strange weather that La Niña has brought about. For one thing, I don’t have to use my airconditioner. That’s a big savings! And there are no mosquitoes at night because the unrelenting wind blows them away, hopefully far out to sea. But I miss the flowers in my garden which have eloped with the mosquitoes.
Now I know what it’s like to live in Seattle.
* * *