OK Seattle, Give Me My Summer Back

HM decided that 5:30 AM was explore-the-garden-to-see-if-Mr-Bill-had-paid-homage-to-Her-Majesty-with-more-treats time. A few lights flickered on, clothes found, doors opened and off we went. It was cool outside, and raining. The grass a thick green carpet, tree branches drooping with sodden leaves; newly transplanted mint was already taking over the little plot where grass had refused to grow. With rain falling and the grass soaking, HM looked at me and decided that 5:30AM was NOT explore-the-garden-to-see-if-Mr-Bill-had-paid-homage-to-Her-Majesty-with-more-treats time and retreated back to her comfy couch/throne.

I immediately went up stairs and looked out every window I could, wondering if I could glimpse the Space Needle, a glimmer of Puget Sound through the lead skies or possibly snow capped Mt Rainier to the east.

All I saw was the familiar roof tops and skyline of Kansas City.

You see I thought for a moment I had been transported overnight to Seattle. Consider the facts: It is raining...always, it is cool; the temp this AM at 5:30AM was around 60 and everything is green... Pacific Northwest climate, not mid-continent US climate. By August 1st I am used to the world looking UPS truck brown, not green, lush and wet.

The National Weather Service said it is not abnormal to see short term cool weather from the north in the summer. It is unusual, however, to see the cooler air persist for so long. Since records were kept, only 1891 and 1950 had cooler temps. We have yet to see a 100 degree day officially, but we got close.. this spring.

Oh, and as for Seattle...they got our summer, with temps in the 100s and little rain. Maybe like ball teams, we need to do a trade.

Both the pro and anti global warming factions have been doing their usual back and forth using the cool month both to prove and debunk the idea of global warming. Both seem to forget that the climate is unlikely to change over night, and one cool month or one hot winter will not totally prove or disprove the theory. Frankly, as I see it, there is strong evidence of a slow and persistent climate change... and we need to take steps to alleviate it.

But really, I think Grandma had it right all along; the men who landed on the moon screwed with something and everything has been nuts since.

It is plausible... that would also explain Rush Limbaugh's popularity and two G.W. Bush terms too....