Weather, not just about our personal comfort

If you’re like most people, you check the daily weather and maybe even days beyond, to determine a personal level of comfort. You probably think about what to wear, what activities might be best, how to navigate your life so it feels the very best.

But the weather which is a day to day aspect, and the climate which is a long term aspect of weather, are ways of being on this planet that are not just about seeing to our personal comforts. The weather and climate affect the water sources we use, the food we eat, the places that we choose to live.

As climate change becomes more and more devastating we are seeing how what once was a concern only for our individual selves now must shift to a concern for the global community.

In regard to our precious water supply, there are many who are finding a lack of water due to droughts that are carrying on year after year. There are also those whose supply of what was once clean, safe water are finding that sea level rise is contaminating their water sources, making them unusable. And as far as sea level rise, this devastating effect of climate change is forcing many to look ahead to the sad possibility of finding new places to live.

And of course the weather is so important to agriculture, to the ability to grow food and provide what is absolutely essential for the human body to function. We often take for granted how important the weather and climate are for those farming the land and providing our food. It’s far too easy to make our way to the grocery store and all that we need is right there. But with the changes ensuing that are climate change, it becomes apparent that we need to be aware of how to make changes in agriculture that will assure our food sources are always there for us.

Recently a new bill has been introduced, the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes provisions for working on climate change and how to both adapt and mitigate. This important act of legislation is what we so desperately need to turn things around and get things back in balance. The longer we sit on the fence and do nothing, the worse it gets – and sadly far too many are living out the worst of it in tragic ways.

So the best way to help in all of this is to write or call your state senators, and ask for their support of this newest bill that is on the table. And it’s so easy!! Just go to the website senate.gov and click on where it says “senators” and then in the drop down box click on the “contact” tab. Then find your state and the officials to contact will come up, along with the contact information. We need to take action with our voices being heard, and as important as individual actions are well we really need the support and policies in place that come from our governments. Let’s step up and work together to make our world a much healthier and happier place.

Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, Oregon

Ocean appreciation

the Oregon coast

Every morning when I have my coffee, I am treated to a splendid view of the lake near my home. I live in the “land of 10,000 lakes” as Minnesota is often called, and living in close proximity to a lake is a dream come true.

morning coffee view

But since I started taking an online course through edX entitled “One Planet, One Ocean”, I have come to think more about the bodies of water that are the various oceans. Oceans make up 71% of the Earth’s surface, and affect all of us in ways that perhaps we don’t even realize.

I enjoy eating seafood, but I’ll admit I don’t give a thought to how it was obtained or where it came from. Sadly there are many issues of overfishing as well as illegal fishing practices. I intend to pay more attention to the seafood I buy, reading labels and making an effort to support healthy fishing practices.

Then there is the crucial role that the oceans play in our climate, our weather systems, and in general working to maintain a healthy balance between atmosphere, land and water. The specifics of how the oceans operate in this way are complex and I won’t try to explain, I am a beginning learner in all of this myself. But one can find plenty of information out there in this regard, and I feel it really brings home the fact that oceans play a critical role in the health and well being of planet Earth.

And I’ve been made aware of how many cultures and nations are ocean dependent, from ways of economics to ways of life. A lack of respect for the oceans becomes a lack of respect for those ocean based peoples. Time to think outside of ourselves.

Plain and simple too, the oceans and the life within are magnificent! I was fortunate enough to travel to the Oregon coast a number of times when I lived in Portland, an easy hour and a half drive to marvel in all that massive water. The joy and beauty that we find in our oceans is also an important reason to think of those waters, and what can we do to help, even if we are hundreds of miles from the coast? Perhaps take some time dear reader, to search out ways to support that health and well being of our lovely oceans.

sea anemone

Changes at the lake

Springtime at the lake this year was a treat, no April snowstorms, everything in luscious bloom early on, looked like it was going to be an enjoyable summer on tap.

But then it all took a turn for the worse. It went from fall like weather the last week of May to a solid week of 90+degree weather. After five summers here without air conditioning I finally had to break down and give in, the heat just too much and not healthy for me when my home reached 92 degrees one evening.

Bit by bit the landscape changed. The once lush green lawn slowly turned into dry brown and now is literally like straw. The hostas that were growing so full early on are now starting to show signs of drying up. The caretaker here takes time to water them but still, they lack the much needed moisture of a good rain, something that seems to be nonexistant this summer.

the usual healthy green grass of summer

the sad state of affairs that is summer 2021

I also took note one day, with great sadness, the complete drying up of three small ponds down the road. Not a drop of water, only dirt, and with that an absence of the waterfowl that used to call those ponds home.

And the lake is struggling and suffering, the worst I’ve seen it in the five years I have lived here. With hot, dry temps and lack of rain, the water level of the lake is quite low. The joy of sitting on the end of the dock and dipping my toes in the water is not an activity I can engage in this summer. In fact the water level is so low that nearby boat launching sites had to recently shut down temporarily in order to make readjustments, due to boaters being unable to safely launch their crafts without damage to the motor.

In talking to locals who fish, they have said that fishing this year is not so good. There is a far too early predominance of weeds in and on the lake surface, which makes fishing a bit challenging. Yes, there have always been the “dog days” of summer in late August but this year those days are making an early appearance, throwing a wrench into lake activities.

too many weeds for early summer

But in a bit of an ironic twist, the lessening of activity on the lake has resulted in much more loon activity. Loons are a bit skittish around us humans but without so much people presence on the lake they are out and about and singing their song with gusto! So what does that say about sharing the land with other species?

In my neck of the woods, lake life is a much treasured way of life. But if we do nothing about the issue that is climate change, lake life will continue to change, and it won’t be for the better.

The skylight

Each day I wake to the morning light streaming through the skylight above my bed. It presents a slide show of varying views of the sky, as if to give me a constant weather report. At night, if I am so blessed with a clear, cloudless sky, I can watch the moon and its shifting phases; the full moon shines a beam of light that kisses me at times. The writer in me has found inspiration in my skylight, and so the words came out to try and describe the images I see…

Kaleidoscope

 

The skylight captivates me

With an ever changing view

Of all things appearing

In the heavens above

A spinning wheel earth turns and turns

Shifting and changing

Each frame I see

Ethereal colors

Move through an artist’s palette

Sun bounces from east to west

Moon follows a path from west to east

A cloudless sky reveals

Every shade of blue

A gathering of clouds

Paints the canvas white and gray

Wind becomes an energetic sculptor

Shaping and molding the gossamer clouds

Plumping them up like pillows

Pulling them long and thin like taffy

Stretching out a white woolen blanket

Constant works of art created

Drenched and heavy clouds of rain

Happily release their burden of moisture

Raindrops sing and dance on the skylight

Broken glass from the sky

Clouds part, sun appears, blue sky reigns now

A mosaic of prism raindrops

Reflect the sun as it bursts through

Azure blue colors the spaces in between

The kaleidoscope is still

For now