Friday, January 4, 2008

Sunrise - What sun?


A while back Katherine asked for pictures of a sunrise from our area of the globe. I took this picture from my back patio a few days prior to her post and thought, "I wonder what I'll use this shot for?" Who knew.


Anyway I really was struck by the colors in it and as much as I'd like it to be from somewhere warm and sunny like, oh I don't know . . . oh yeah, ANYWHERE ELSE, it's not.


Living in the northwest part of Oregon this time of year gets a bit, shall I say, blah. In the month of December we had three days without measurable rainfall. Yippee!
.
We've been up here for about seven years now and generally I don't have the winter blues until March, where after six months of gray and rain everybody is walking around looking as tan as Casper the ghost.


There are those of course who escape to tropical locations for a couple of weeks and come back looking like George Hamilton. You can spot them right away; they have vitamin D oozing from every pore and walk around all day with that ear to ear grin that says, "I saw the sunshine and you didn't, nanner, nanner, nanner." Makes me want to slap the joy right off their smiling little faces.


There are others who try to fool themselves by getting the "fake-a bake-a" tans. These are the ones you see on a regular basis, whether it be at work or otherwise. You know they've been enjoying the forty degree weather and rain like the majority of us Oregonians and haven't gone on a trip in months, but for some reason their olive-brown complexion doesn't match the bed sheet white everybody around them is sporting.


I wish I could just find a big bag of money lying on the ground somewhere. I could grab it, live somewhere down south and live happily ever after.

24 comments:

none said...

The winters aren't bad down here but the summers are BRUTAL. People don't leave the house if they can help it.

Great pic. that's about the deepest blue I've seen.

myonlyphoto said...

Jeff B happy new year. Anna :)

Leighann said...

That pic is both eerie and beautiful at the same time.

Or maybe I'm just weird!

I've lived in the midwest 99% of my life and I STILL don't like Winter!

I was just not made to be cold!

Deb said...

A great way to get rid of SAD (seasonal affective disorder), which many of us get in the winter. I used to tan 10 minutes per day just to get rid of the winter blues. The photo is really beautiful though! :)

Jeff B said...

Hammer- I'm not sure where you're at, but as a kid, one of the places I lived was Indio, CA. It's near Palm Springs. As I recall, 110was the average temp in the summer. ICK

Anna- Thanks, and to you.

Leighann- I'm pretty sure it's just you. hahaha

BTW your skimpy little red, white and blue outfit may be why you're freezing your hoo hoo's off!

na na na na na Wonder Leighann

Deb- Thanks for the input. I'd really like to see that shinny orb in the sky though.

Kevin Wecker said...

I wonder why someone merely left a bag full of money on the ground? Aren't they still looking for it? Have you not yet seen the eerie "No Country for Old Men" yet?

It's eerie. Much like your fabulous photo!

Happy New Year, my friend. Happy New Year.

Schmoop said...

Winters in Ohio are gray. I dont mind the cold, but dear God let me see the sun once in awhile. Cheers!!

Sandee said...

I was born and raised in Tillamook, Oregon so I know exactly what you are talking about. Our average yearly rainfall was 90+ inches of rain. Here it's around 13 in Central California. Have a great day. Awaiting your next literary gift.

Dana said...

I was raised in Seattle, so can really relate to the winter doldrums. Although the winters in Chicago aren't exactly pleasant, at least we get quite a few bright, sunny (FRIGID) days!

Beautiful pic!

katherine. said...

I love the sunrise through the trees...that is great! thanks for playing...

Someone was posting about a blogger's cruise...wouldn't that be a trip?

Jeff B said...

Kevin- Haven't seen that flick yet. Thanks my good man.

Matt- Cold, gray and no ocean nearby; I'd go insane.

Sandee- Good ole' Tillamook, the land of cheese. It's much better in the summer.

I'm sure the story bug will strike me again sometime. Thank you.

Dana- The only part of Chicago I've ever seen was O'Hare (sp?) airport. Everything was covered in snow. Brrrrr!

Katherine- That would be a kick. Can you imagine all of us goofballs on a ship together. I'm sure the Coast Guard would be involved at some point!

Desert Songbird said...

Don't hate because I'm perpetually brown-skinned, Jeff - God made me this way.

Plus, I live where it's sunny 300 days a year. It's not called The Valley of the Sun for nuthin'. Of course, if you can tolerate the 110s in the summer, the winters are absolutely WORTH IT.

Mel said...

The sun was out today and we're lookin' for weather in the 40's tomorrow......
With two feet of snow on the ground--I'm figuring snowmens are about to happen!

Wooooohoooo!

Oh, you know me--make the bestest of whatcha got...cuz......it's whatcha got!? *scratching head*

Made sense before I saw it in black and white? LOL

BEAUTIFUL silhouette of the tree in the pink sky blue.
Now ya know hows come the photo happened! :-)

Jeff B said...

Songbird- Ever-tan, how lucky you are. God didn't leave me in the oven long enough I suppose.

300+ days a year of the sun? I think that equates to about five years worth around hear.

Mel- Making snow men, sounds like fun.

OK old joke here:

You know how to tell the difference between snow men and snow women?

Snowballs! (hehehehe)

Annie said...

On the positive side, your skin never dries out, right?

You mentioned that the grid lines on the North Little Rock high school gave it a prison like look. Today I posted another building from North Little Rock and, you guessed it, there's a continuing theme.

buffalodick said...

I've described Michigan winters as being gray, dark gray, and then it gets black at night... Thank God I like gray...

Mel said...

*chuckling*

I hadn't heard that one before!

(k....that's a lie..... Didn't wanna groan and give away that I might be old enough to know the joke? Like that's a well kept secret....LOL)

Have a grand weekend, sir!

Mimi Lenox said...

Love the sunrise shot. The colors are wonderful.

I've never been to Oregon but I imagine six months of dreary rain would get old.

Jules~ said...

There was a time when I thought the NW weather was depressing. But now I have come to find beauty in all the many shades of gray. God is so amazing with His color palatte. After spending a week in San Antonio recently, I couldn't wait to get back to weather that realy felt like winter. You know, it was like 65 degrees and they had their heaters running and were all bundled up in scarves parkas and ski hoods!
BTW, that really is a beautiful picture.

Travis Cody said...

Great picture. A couple hundred miles to the north of you, we're getting wind and rain. I just saw a patch of blue sky. But it's getting covered over now by fast moving gray clouds.

But I'll definitely put up with the gray days to keep enjoying 80 degree summers.

Jeff B said...

Annie- You're right. Nothing seems to dry out completely.

Buffalo- I feel your pain brother.

Mel- After all my sniveling, the first part of yesterday turned out to be OK. I even saw the sun for a while, so I'm again confident it still exists.

Mimi- It has a way of getting to me after a while.

Jules- Ha, that's funny. Amazing how our bodies acclimate to the climate we're in.

Travis- Good point about the summers. They are truly beautiful around here too.

RW said...

Its a cool photo Jeff!

Jeff B said...

Thanks Roger

Odat said...

That's a great shot. I feel the same about winter...it's so dreary...i need sunlite!!!!! Not just for tanning but for my mind to function properly!!!
Peace