Chinook

Vineyards on a warm winter day                                        © Diane B. Reed

A Chinook is "a warming wind from the ocean into the interior regions of the Pacific Northwest." It may have been named for the Chinook people, who lived near the ocean along the lower Columbia River.

Playground at Lions Park, College Place        © Diane B. Reed

It's been unseasonably warm the last few days, in the high fifties, brought to us by one of these Chinooks. The sun came out for awhile this morning, encouraging folks to get outdoors. The park playground was busy and I even spied several people sporting shorts.

Frisky squirrel at Whitman Mission                 © Diane B. Reed

 The ice has left the Lions Park pond for the time being. The birds and wildlife seem to be enjoying their respite from the cold as well.  Out at Whitman Mission National Historic Site a squirrel was running along the fence in wild abandon, back and forth, back and forth.

We'll enjoy it while we can, colder temperatures are on their way.

Solstice

© Diane B. Reed

One must have a mind of winter
To regard the frost and the boughs
Of the pine-trees crusted with snow;

And have been cold a long time
To behold the junipers shagged with ice,
The spruces rough in the distant glitter

Of the January sun; and not to think
Of any misery in the sound of the wind,
In the sound of a few leaves,

Which is the sound of the land
Full of the same wind
That is blowing in the same bare place

For the listener, who listens in the snow,
And, nothing himself, beholds
Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is.

Wallace Stevens, "The Snow Man," 1921

© Diane B. Reed

As we pass the shortest day of the year, the earth, forever turning, begins to lean toward the sun and the light returns. 

Keep this in your heart as winter settles in, knowing that the spring will inevitably come and bring renewal.   

Best wishes for the season from the Walla Walla Valley!

Freezing Fog

Lions Park Pond shrouded in freezing fog                                © Diane B. Reed

It's the time of year when we often wake up to a valley shrouded by freezing fog. Last night the fog rolled in over the span of just a few minutes. By this morning it was still enveloping the Blue Mountains and had frosted the trees and grass in the valley.  Everything is frosty and and quiet.

© Diane B. Reed

     It's been so cold that the pond has mostly frozen over, except where the flow of Garrison Creek passes through. The geese and the Great Blue Heron have been tiptoeing across the ice, seeming to be a little baffled.

© Diane B. Reed

     Freezing fog is a fairly common phenomenon around here, and though it's beautiful it can also be treacherous for pedestrians and drivers. If we're lucky it will melt by midday, but not always. Hopefully it won't linger too long, it's about time to get our Christmas tree and finish up Christmas shopping. So far, I've managed to buy all my gifts locally, many from downtown stores. It's a relaxing approach to the holidays, and it's nice to know that 69 cents from every dollar I spend stays in the community. Don't forget the Fort Walla Walla Museum gift shop.They have great local items, books, and art.  

Stay warm and cozy, and when you venture out, shop locally!
     

© Diane B. Reed