Having grown up in the Midwest, I know winter. Living in the Pacific Northwest, I know a whole different kind of winter. My childhood winters were snowy and bitterly cold, but there was also sun. During my first winter in Seattle, there were 90 days of rain. A local news station also claims there were sunny days mixed in. Two days – November 17 and January 2. I refuse to include the sunny day in March. That was the first time I ever experienced anything close to cabin fever. I may not have been snowed in, but the mind needs a little sun to roam.

So far, my Portland winters haven’t been quite so gloomy, but it can be hard to tell the difference between the rains of winter and the rains of spring. That means when you wake up to clear skies, you change your plans. Continue reading →