Curse you La Niña!

Tonight Showers Lo 47°F

Tuesday Showers Likely Hi 58°F

Tuesday Night Chance Showers Lo 48°F

This just might be a 'complain-about-the-weather" post. We're supposed to be tough up here, with all this rain and the endless gloomy winters. It makes us hardy. We're not that tough though. Gloom, fine. Drizzle, fine. But rain, wind, cold OR "excessive" heat? Freak out time. If it gets below 50 we complain. If it gets above 80 it's a heat wave and local newscasts tell people to to stay inside and drink water. Seriously.

But right now, it's June for hell sakes! Last summer was like this too. It was cold all summer, we rarely had a day above 70. Never above 80. It rained for every boat show, it was cold for every trip outside. Our tomatoes occasionally grew but not really.

According to NOAA:
La Niña is defined as cooler than normal sea-surface temperatures in the tropical Pacific ocean that impact global weather patterns. La Niña conditions may persist for as long as two years.

I guess we're in year two. The wind is blowing so hard right now that some plywood in our exposed attic rafters just blew onto the lawn. (Why exposed rafters? See the "Porch" posts.)

This shot of our back deck was taken April 18, 2008. I think officially this was the latest ever recorded snowfall in Seattle. What's funny is the BBQ and deck chairs are out. Nice. We just got snow in the mountain passes again last night. Apparently we broke another record: Latest ski season closing ever! But who cares, nobody wants to ski past March. Some summer.

Right this second, we're having a weather phenomenon known only to Pacific Northwesterners called a "sunbreak." The sun shines for a brief period of time, usually before the drizzle starts again. In today's case, a 100% chance of overnight showers. I hope the tourists are having fun in the sun! It's going to last about another 10 minutes.

An open letter to Hillary Clinton

Dear Hillary,

It's over.

Love, America

Choisya ternata 'Aztec Pearl'

Plant Of The Week, #2


Choisya ternata 'Aztec Pearl' or Mexican Orange, is a great medium-sized evergreen shrub that grows down to USDA Zone 8. I think this shrub is a little tougher than that, maybe to 7b. As requested, I'll try to post some plants that don't just grow in Seattle in the future, but this might not be one of them... It's in bloom right now so you'll have to forgive me. These are fairly fast growing. Ours started at 2 gallon size and has doubled in 20 months. Ultimately you're looking at about a 4'-0" high and wide shrub. What's so great about it? It's the foliage I think. The flowers are ok, last about a month, attract bees and possibly birds, and are extremely fragrant; but it's the foliage that really smells good. Mexican Orange is the common name because of the spicy scented leaves that, when broken, smell vaguely of orange. Whenever I pass it on a walk I grab a leaf and break it.


I used to not like this plant much, but when the mad botanists that hybridize plants came out with 'Aztec Pearl', I was sold. The more slender and brighter green leaf is much more interesting than the straight species, which has broader, less delicate looking foliage that is frankly pretty boring when not in bloom. And regular Choisya ternata can get really big, so Aztec works better in tighter spaces. Both are drought tolerant once established. The leaves may droop a bit when they're really dry.

"It's like smelling the roses without getting aphids in your nose and a thorn in your cheek. "

ps. That red grass in the foreground is Uncinia uncinata, Hook Sedge. Native of Hawaii. Haven't you seen it on LOST? Sun was planting it in her garden when Charlie kidnapped her. Just kidding.