NW Windstorm 2006

Windblown greetings!
For us, the fun really began on our commutes home yesterday. We both encountered small lakes & rivers on the roads leading home & much of our parking lot was a pond. Our lights flickered as we quickly got ready to head out for the Sportworks Christmas party at the Redhook Brewery in Woodinville. Due to the weather, attendance at the party was sparse & about half-way through, the brewery lost power & we spent a little time chatting by candlelight until the generators kicked in. We were surprised to see our Christmas lights on when we arrived back home, but it didn't last long. We lost power around 10:30pm & promptly went to bed. I woke up in the middle of the night & lay awake looking out our bedroom window. Lightening flickered constantly & every few minutes the rush of the wind would turn to a roar (during which I heard a couple cracks of trees breaking). Waking up this morning, we still had no power & dressed for work by flashlight. Levi headed out to Sportworks & I hopped a bus downtown with no trouble & everything is powered here. Levi is now home napping (still no power), as not much can be done at Sportworks without electricity. I will be covering the reception desk for the afternoon, as our receptionist did not make it in, but it works well for me, as I'll be able to work on our Christmas cards while answering the phone. :)

This wind storm inevitably makes me think of the Inauguration Day Wind Storm of January 1993 (apparently this recent one has been ranked more extreme). I was thirteen & in 7th grade at Whitman Middle School. We spent morning recess out on the blacktop leaning into the wind as it held us up. Before too long, we were no longer allowed outside & the school lost power. Undoubtedly many teachers had headaches that day, as we raced around the dark hallways, hollering & playing. I remember Kris Hansen finally getting up the courage in a dark hallway to ask me to the Valentine's Dance. Soon after, school was canceled for the day & Alan came & picked up my friend Ailee & me. We drove onto our street & there was the huge holly tree from our front yard lying all the way across the neighbors' driveway! Since our house had no power, we ate fish & chips in Ballard & fortunately finished our meal just as the entire Market Street went black. I did my homework by kerosene lamp that night & the weekend was spent cutting up the enormous holly tree with the help of my uncle & cousin & then waiting in line at the dump for hours (well, Mom & Uncle Dave waited, while Lisa & I played football in the nearby field).

Yesterday, as the storm began, I found myself continually thinking of the Washington Coast. How incredible & awesome it would be to witness the storm along the rugged & wild coastline. Nature's force & power manages to be awe-inspiring & exciting to humans, while also causing fear & danger. The destruction of a windstorm hitting the Puget Sound Metropolitan Area is often sad & expensive & I couldn't help but think of how different it would be to witness this force in a natural environment, out in the wilderness. While I wouldn't want to try & pitch a tent (much less sleep) in conditions like these, I sure would love to see a winter storm on the wild Washington coast. Last night the gusts on the coast were breaking 70 miles an hour & the ocean swells were reaching 30 feet! Imagine the beach combing after a storm like this! You'd find all kinds of strange & interesting sea junk (maybe even a glass float!). So, next winter, or perhaps even in January, we'll be making a winter trip out to the coast. Let us know if you're interested: a fondness for getting wet & beachcombing are a necessity, but unless we've invested in some amazing gear & are feeling particularly hardcore, we'll be renting a rustic cabin on the coast. Who's game?

I hope everyone is safe & warm--what are your recent or past windstorm experiences?