Ah the new year is here. We are firmly set into 2019 now as it is the 2nd of January. So I can remember next year, Jan 1st the temperature reached 40 degrees, We were having a foen, (not sure on the spelling of that-it means a very warm wind to me), type wind from out of the south, a tropical pineapple express with warm waters, clouds, and air mass from the central pacific. Just before the new year we went out and got some nice sunset pictures. they did end up being the last sunset pictures of 2018 due to heavy overcast skies the next 3 days in a row.
Early in the morning of the first, about 2 am the skies cleared for a few hours and Mr. Orion and his belt were visible, it did not last long though. Throughout the remainder of January first the clouds would continue to cover the skies, the air would continue to get warmer, and the rains would hold off. On December 31st for everyone that had them, they would light off their fireworks. But Mother Nature was prepared for any accidental fires on January first. She held off on the rain, but not for long.
The snows in the drive way were giving way to becoming slush in the warmer air, and the warm winds that were blowing on January first. Then toward the end of the day, as everyone was sitting down for the first dinner of the new year the rains began. Soft and gentle at first, as if not wanting to disturb the first day of the New Year. By midnight it was no longer a gentle drizzle, it had become real rain. Where if you went outside you would think twice about going out with out a jacket.
So how has the year started out for me? First it was a lot of noise, all the fire works and only a few gunshots to ring in the New Year Alaska Style. That was the 31st. On the first the rain, and all the snow slumping off the steel roof all night long. To wake up with a roof free and clear of snow. The warm wind, and light rain and drizzle helped that along. Then early morning on the second, the real rain, the kind you do not have a doubt in your mind, put the jacket on, and maybe a raincoat, and have an umbrella ready if you own one, real rain. One thirty AM on the second, raindrops hammering down on your snow free metal roof. Loud rain drops loud rain, and steady rain, like driving sixty miles an hour through a thunderstorm sized rain drops.
Soon it will be the third of January, they say the third times the charm. Maybe it will be a peaceful night, one with out the noise of fireworks, gunshots, snow sliding off the upper roof to plop loudly on the second roof, then continuing to fall off the second roof to soundly plunk down on the ground like the sound and feel of an earth quake, or without the sound of rain drops the size of quarters plunking, plinking and plopping down on the now naked free of snow roof, dripping and plopping like a Chinese water torture, there is nothing relaxing about a heavy monsoonal type rain on a tin roof. I don't care what anyone says about how relaxing they find the sound, they are not talking about raindrops the size of quarters and silver dollars slamming into the roof. So maybe the third will start off a little bit quieter.
I did change out my banner to one of the last of 2018 sunset shots that I got. Here is the full image, and below it is the banner photo I replaced.
I hope everyone enjoys the new year, life is good even when there are things that annoy you, like fireworks when you want to sleep, snow sliding off of roofs, when you want to sleep, heavy rain drops on metal roofs, when you want to sleep. The simple things in life are free, and sometimes annoying, but they do let you know that you are alive, after all what do the dead have to be annoyed about?
