Lockdown Blues Continue in the ‘Couv’

Things are still locked down for the COVID-19 outbreak and this seems to have everyone a bit stir crazy.  Some of the breweries and taprooms are still serving growlers and crowlers to go but things are quiet around town. Eating out is driving through fast food or ordering for carryout only.

The supermarkets are even somewhat quiet although the toilet paper aisles are still cleaned out. I am looking forward to a more normal pace and hopefully we can resume the strong economy after this disruption. Downtown and the waterfront were humming along nicely at the start of the year, now all the activity on the constructions sites is gone and things sit idle while we wait for this thing to pass.

I suppose after this blows over we will all appreciate the good things we have taken for granted around here. I hope everyone stays healthy and well and look forward to a fun summer ahead.

Ah the ‘Couv; life; it is still good, even with the stay home order from the ‘Guv’

 

The U-Turn Weather Week, the definition of Spring

Saturday, March 14th I was watching 3 inches of snow fall on a day that failed to reach 40° and saw snowfall all day long. Then, in but a matter of just a couple of days, we saw glorious sunshine beaming down vitamin D enhancing rays of joy and temps playing in the middle sixties. That my friends is springtime in the ‘Couv’.

We will gradually get more and more sunshine as the spring rolls on, with less clouds and longer days. Temps will get warmer and warmer. Spring time in the Northwest tends to be a roller coaster ride as winter takes a few swipes from the grave, and spring fights back with the power of ‘El Sol’.

With all this social distancing and virus precautions, one might enjoy some time to just soak up the glory of spring in Clark County. Take a drive, rain or shine and marvel at all the spring blossoms on trees in the city and the countryside. Enjoy the majesty of the mighty Cascades and the Columbia River Gorge. This spectacle of nature is all less than an hour round trip. Fret not the restaurants are closed and such, a little take out works just as well.

I was down at the waterfront on Friday and despite the lack of open restaurants and businesses, many people were walking and jogging along that beautiful promenade under gorgeous skies and warm weather. Follow the advice of health officials and wash-up often, keep your distance and all of that, but you don’t need to hide under the bed. Get out and soak up the early days of spring even if it is just your own backyard.

Ah the ‘Couv’ life; it is good. 

Winter’s Last At Bat

For the “real” weather guys, winter ended on Mar 1st but by the astronomical seasons, winter still has a few more days and in these waning hours the old man finally woke up. This past winter season was mild by all measures. At my location in East Vancouver I had only accumulated a total of about 2.0 inches of snow and that came in a three little dusting events that melted almost as fast as they fell. Saturday was a more “winter like” snow event with a solid 3 inches on the ground at my house and at least 1-3 inches all over the city. The mountains got pounded with a legit winter storm event.

Temps remained chilly on Sunday and most of the snow that didn’t get hit by the angry sun, remained on the ground where it still lies this morning. Even with the 3 inches Saturday, I remained well under my 19 year average of 8.81 inches with just 5 inches for season. That 5 will likely stand as the final number for this warm 2019-2020 winter season.

The snowfall didn’t keep the hoarding masses from invading the supermarkets over the weekend. Toilet paper, medicines, canned goods, and other “must haves” for the zombie apocalypse were stripped bare from store shelves. The Corona virus is a real threat, but it is almost exclusively a threat to the elderly and people with significant health issues.

This behavior is a bit unwarranted. But I suppose it doesn’t help that many businesses have closed, so people may be wondering if supermarkets will close too. Probably not. If you are an at risk individual then you should stay inside, but the rest of us ought to continue our lives and support local businesses. Yes wash those hands often and if you are coughing, stay away from other peeps especially Grandma and Grandpa.

I do hope we can keep the virus as well controlled as possible to minimize the suffering of our vulnerable population. This will go away, just as other novel virus events have in the past. Then we can get back to enjoying our great city and the surrounding area for a fantastic spring here in America’s Vancouver.

Ah the ‘Couv’ life; it is good.