More regarding the Summer that Wasn't

I have written before about how strange a summer this has been (on the Northern California Coast) in that starting around April or May the "June Glooms" Began and have continued until now which is September. This has to be a new record that it has continued into September from April or May. For example, the high today is 64 degree and we have been having this kind of weather since April now with many days only as high as 59 degrees or 58 degrees (ALL SUMMER LONG) mostly with no sun at all much since April. Maybe a few days it got up to 70 or 75 at most here and there. But, for sure, this is the first Summer that completely wasn't where I live on the coast. When I went to Santa Barbara a friend of ours said it has been like that in Santa Barbara too.

What is also strange is that every morning there is up to 1/2 inch of water on our deck in the back yard which makes the forest around us here on the coast very happy. So, unlike other dry years the forest is still green (the undergrowth) which is amazing to have green undergrowth this time of year here in Northern California on the coast. Whereas if you go inland 10 or 20 miles it often looks like a desert now from all the heat this summer. So, it is the opposite of the Northern California coast right now most places. Where I am the humidity is at 78% which is also very unusual for this time of year. In Santa Barbara the humidity is 68% which is also very unusual for there too because even though we live on the coast this time of year is usually one of the driest at least until late September or Early October when often we can get rain along the coast some years. For example, at Telescope peak in the `1950s when I was likely about 9 or 10 we got snowed in at Telescope. For example, the low today is 57 degrees (we have been having winter like lows all summer here) from 50 to 55 degrees. It is true we will also have a few days of weather in the 30s sometimes between late November and March but that is very very rare and often we have years with no weather in the 30s Farhenheit at all. But there are always going to be nights during the winter that get into the 40s Fahrenheit here on the coast.

I keep a gasoline generator for electricity for when we get 100 mph storms off the ocean sometimes in January through March usually when they blow down trees onto houses and power lines. I finally got one big enough to run my whole house that I can wheel out of my garage if it isn't raining. If it is raining I will wheel it in next to my KLR 650 dual sport motorcycle and run it with the garage door open if it is raining so the water doesn't kill the generator engine. You just don't want to run it in any room that vents into your living area because that is how people sometimes get sick or die from Carbon Monoxide poisoning. Also point the exhaust out the

Anyway, this was the summer that wasn't. I suppose some of you might prefer this than to be sweltering in over 100 degrees Fahrenheit like many of you did this summer. However, being able to see the sun in the summer time I sort of need too which I didn't get much this summer.

It's really hard to grow up in Los Angeles where it is sunny all the time winter and summer and then deal with a summer that Wasn't.

However, as I think about owning a house somewhere that it never gets 100 degrees and is moist a lot from high and low fog so everything stays green I suppose that is an advantage too. And if I really want to see the sun bad enough I can get into my truck and drive inland 10 or 20 miles most days too.