Spring in January

January 2018

It's unusual to go all winter in Seattle without at least a dusting of snow. This morning I looked back on years of January pictures, and there's almost always a snow day. Not this year.

The average high temperature at Sea-Tac for the first half of January was 51.8 degrees, the warmest temperature on record over that period in any recorded year, dating back to the 1890s. It looks like we'll finish out the month with a string of sunny days. No rain, no snow.

So I've started doing outdoor things that I typically do in February, like clean the windows.  I use that Windex bottle that attaches to a hose (pretty slick and no ladder.) Rinsing off the winter grime makes it noticeably brighter inside, and of course shows up the dust and those stray pine needles hanging around since Christmas.

Then yesterday I sprayed the plum tree with horticultural oil, which is supposed to smother aphids before they hatch.  I'd rather not use chemicals of any kind in the yard, but oil is probably the most benign treatment on dormant trees.

So I've been making myself useful while stranded here in West Seattle. I bought a FitBit Alta with my Christmas money, and yesterday did 9,000 steps without really "trying." The daily goal is supposed to be 10,000 steps. And to do that, you really have to walk all over the place.  John routinely does 10-15,000 steps a day at work-- such a busy bee keeping Boeing running. Ha!

Well, I'm looking forward to meeting my old friend Candi tomorrow on Vashon for lunch.  No other big plans for the weekend.  Have a good one.