Portland, OR

So, I finally broke it to my family today, that I will not be returning home for the holidays this December. There are many reasons for this but number one is…I don’t want to deal with a Midwest winter, even for a week.

Other reasons…

1. I don’t like flying around the holidays. Way too many kids. Too much carry-on stuff to fight.

2. Flights are more expensive, and more likely to be delayed or canceled due to inclement weather. Not to mention, I really hate hanging out in an airport for more than thirty minutes, after an eight-hour delay from Midway (possibly the lamest of all airports — wait, Grand Rapids is the absolute worst, so I am not taking into consideration minor markets, so Midway is the lamest of the big market airports) to La Guardia.

3. I actually don’t enjoy Xmas or any of the holidays, except Fourth of July. What can I say, I like to light things on fire and then they go boom.

Not to mention, this is a busy time of the year for me and my video game addiction. It’s hard to explain to loved ones that sorry, I’d love to talk about that one time when I was little, but I am so close to finishing another level of Ninja Gaiden.

By the way, has anyone else noticed that commercials for video games have gotten pretty badass lately? Of course, you don’t watch television.

And again, my number one reason for not returning to the cold, continental winter season of the middle of the country is the cold, continental winter of the middle of the country. I hate to sound so callous and perhaps shallow, but seriously, winter can suck in those areas without mountains or something cool to ski down.

I remember everyone asking me, “How was your first Portland winter? Did it just rain the whole time?”

Myths dispelled…

1. It does not rain all of the time. Just most of the time, and even then it is a softer, constant rain, rather than hard, driving rain coupled with a windchill below freezing.

2. It is quite temperate here. For instance, last winter, I had calendula blooming throughout. It is November 17th, and I have zucchini coming in. It doesn’t freeze here, that often or for long.

3. If you dress appropriately, winter in Portland can be a lovely experience. The smaller streams are running high, and the light quality is reminiscent of Rivendell from the LOTR movies.

Portland, Midwest, winter, weather, rain, continent, holidays, Midway, La Guardia, Grand Rapids, family, Fourth of July, NInja Gaiden, mountains, calendula

Did you know that Portland’s drinking water is supplied by rain rather than snow melt?

You’d think living so closely to Mount Hood would mean that Portland’s water supply would come from the melting snows and glaciers of Mount Hood, but no, Portland’s water comes from our annual rains. And as there is a ridge between Mount Hood and the Bull Run Watershed, snows directly from Mt Hood cannot enter the system. Actually, a little bit of groundwater enters the system, but not much, maybe 5% of the total water.

Portland’s source for water is called the Bull Run Watershed. Portland first tapped this valuable source for clean water in 1895, and it has been providing the city with some high quality drinking water ever since that time. So high quality, in fact, that the city does not filter the water. The water may, however, take on a tint by late summer, as the reservoirs are at their lowest and running into the sediments of smaller creeks, according to the Portland Water Bureau.

The pale tint this year results from the first flush of organic material from vegetation that has been washed from the forest floor and stream channels into the reservoirs in the Bull Run watershed. Each summer the reservoirs levels diminish as the metropolitan area uses drinking water from this stored supply in the Mt. Hood National Forest. In the fall, rains return and refill the reservoirs. The Water Bureau anticipates that these rains will in turn flush the colored water from the reservoirs.

Typically, when the fall refill occurs, the reservoir levels are at their lowest. Streams flowing into the reservoirs travel farther along the creek beds to reach the reservoirs, running through sediments that are not exposed in other seasons. This can also add color to water.

And that is from a press release from 2005, so it is not clear whether this tinting happens every year. I’d suspect so. Especially now that water levels are down in general, you know, global warming and all. Then again, warmer air means more precipitation, so it could mean more water in the reservoirs at the beginning of the summer.

Now, what makes this particular watershed so clear as to not need filtration? A couple of things. First, the geology of the area is volcanic basalt that is 10 to 20 million years old and that basalt is not prone to erosion like other rock. The Bull Run River flows over this basalt from Bull Run Lake, a natural reservoir, to the City’s reservoirs. Basalt’s stability means less sediment in the water. Additionally, the area has not been over-logged. Old growth forest accounts for more than half the total area. Old growth and forestation in general hold down the soil on the hillsides, which means… less sediment in the water.

We are very lucky in Portland to have such quality in our drinking water. I can tell you, living in Chicago, after the clean waters of Michigan, Portland’s water is mighty nice. However, there are impending issues for Portland’s drinking water supply. The biggest issue for Portland, and most of the world, is of course growth.

Portland, Oregon, water supply, public, city, watershed, Bull Run, Mount Hood, Mt Hood, volcanic, basalt, growth, drinking water, reservoirs

Today was a lovely day for golfing — in November.

One of the many wonderful things about living in Portland, Oregon is that you can golf pretty much year-round. You may not be dry or warm, but technically, you can golf. I went out today and it was very pleasant. I wore a t-shirt, and rolled up the pants I was wearing, so if that tells you anything, it was quite warm. The rain held off for the afternoon, so rain gear was not necessary.

This picture has nothing to do with me or my day, I just thought it was funny.

I played 9 at Eastmoreland. The course is in good condition, not too muddy — actually not that muddy at all on the front nine. The course was wide open, with a single ahead of my twosome, and a single behind us. We played in an hour and a half if that tells you anything.

If I remember correctly, last year I played through the beginning of December, and then started up again in early February. I was in Florida for January, but my boyfriend said it was too cold to play in January.

If you golf, Portland is a dream. The city courses are cheap and kept in really nice condition. The golfers are nice and know their golf etiquette. The non-municipal courses are even better, and not much more expensive for the most part. You can find good deals online (golfnow.com) and a lot of the resort courses offer deals.

On another note, for anyone who plays golf on a gaming console, I have a bit of a bitch about Tiger Woods. Why is it that the last few years of Tiger Woods doesn’t allow for two players to play the PGA season in the game together? I finally got Tiger Woods 08 for the Xbox 360, and it won’t even let two player profiles to save in the system between sessions. It really pisses me off, and I am about the scrap the whole thing. It is so frustrating to have a game in which the only way I can play against someone sitting right next to me is to go out and buy two consoles, two televisions and two games so that we can play against each other online?!? WTF? Tiger Woods is lame. I haven’t liked the game since the 05 version.

That said, if anyone out there knows how to play it with two players, please let me know.

Portland, Oregon, golf, golfing, Eastmoreland, city courses, municipal courses, golfing conditions, Tiger Woods, Xbox 360, game, video games

If you live in Portland, chances are that you know someone who makes wine, or at least makes their living off of wine. Portland lies in the middle of two rather important wine regions, the Willamette Valley and the Columbia Valley. The Willamette Valley is known for top-drawer pinot noirs and the Columbia, being a bit hotter, produces some truly brilliant syrahs and cabernets, along with pinots. Please note I am generalizing for the purposes of not making this post a two-thousand word essay on Oregon and Washington wine. Both regions produce many other grapes, in addition to there being other regions within both Oregon and Washington that I am not intending to omit for any reason other than brevity.

I spent my Sunday sorting grapes at a winery out in Yamhill County. In the picture to the left, I would have been standing on the left side of the table from the point of view of the camera, but obviously, I am missing as I am taking the picture. The others in the picture include (from left) Bob, Chris, Mike and Andrew. Andrew, a Brit, is one of the interns working this harvest, or crush, as they call it in the wine-making biz, with the rest of the sorting crew being volunteers, working for the sheer pleasure of being involved in the process. Also, as the winemaker is our friend, it is also a pleasure to help out a friend. As the winery is a smallish one (producing approximatiely five to six thousand cases of wine a year, depending on the year and the amount of grapes coming in), the extra hands are usually only needed the days that the grapes come in.

This is the time of year that many of my friends are either paid employees of a winery or a particular winemaker working at a “studio” or winemaking facility, or day-volunteers working for wine and food. It really is a fun process, although getting up early in the morning on a Sunday may not sound like a whole lot of fun. And of course, it is actual work, but work in a very good, honest way. You know, getting back to our agrarian roots, becoming more acquainted with the land and its bounty, and any other cliche about farming you can think of.

We had a full day yesterday, processing about nine tons of grapes. The morning started with chardonnay grapes, and then we moved onto the pinot noir grapes that took up the rest of the day. Sorting grapes means picking out underripe and damaged grapes, leaves, stems, sticks, and stones. White wines are generally easier when it comes to the grapes, as the white grapes tend to be less finicky and fragile, whereas pinot noir grapes are very fragile due to their think skins, and they are more susceptible to water damage. And as it is the beginning of the rainy season, it is crucial to pick the grapes before too much water causes them to burst. Some years, rot plays more of a role in damaging grapes, but the “veterans” at the sorting table were happy to see so little rot, if any at all. Rain is a major factor in rot, but even with the rains we had in the last two weeks, a rainy day was usually followed by a dry day or two, thus allowing the grapes to dry out and avoid rotting on the vines.

We did have a longer-than-intended lunch break, as the last batch of grapes, about four or five of the nine tons, were late in arriving. This is what happens when the grapes are late. I love this picture. It’s Leonardo (another intern, from Argentina), Andrew, and Bob, catching a few z’s in the afternoon sun.

If you are interested in volunteering at a winery, you should contact a winery and offer your services. Obviously, this year is taken care of, and I would recommend contacting a winery during the summer, maybe in August. You can also check out craigslist. Not all wineries need the extra hands, as some of the larger wineries already employ pretty big staffs, but you never know unless you ask. It is a interesting process that can illuminate the winemaking process that perhaps many of us boozers take for granted.

Portland, Willamette Valley, Columbia Valley, wine, winemaking, Oregon, Washington, harvest, crush, sorting grapes, pinot noir, pinot, pinots, syrah, cabernet, white wine, red wine, chardonnay, intern, volunteer, Argentina, winery

A friend of mine, an almost recent transplant from Salt Lake City, told me an alarming tale. She had flipped her mattress found spots of mold on the side that had been on a floor. She scrubbed the spots with bleachy water, and decided to keep the mattress off the floor now. She’s 28, and finally bought her first bed frame when she found the mold. She joked that she’s finally an adult. No more college decor schemes using cinder blocks, either.

This isn’t my friend’s place. I just really dig this picture. Gross.

Anyway, it underscores the problem of mold, a spore-borne growth, in our homes. Some of us are quite sensitive to our little green, orange, and black friends, and my friend reported that she had been really lethargic lately and prone to sleeping all day, uncommon for her normally.

Personally, I cannot breathe out of my nose due to severe congestion, and I have totally lost my sense of smell since moving here to Portland. Also, when I moved here, I ended up in the hospital within ten days of my arrival due to a severe asthma attack (not having health insurance, the most awesome people at Legacy Good Samaritan took excellent and generous care of me — another post, another day). So yeah, I would think it is safe to say that Portland has it’s fair share of allergens.

My last summer in Chicago was also a tough time for me and my nose. I pretty much stayed inside an air-conditioned apartment for an entire summer. Lame. My doc there said that a mild winter failed to kill off the molds and the counts were astronomical that summer. Super.

Well, guess what? I moved to Portland, and it is always a mild winter that fails to kill off molds. If I am wrong about that, please correct me. I am simply using logic to develop this hypothesis.

When I look back on my life, I see a pattern. I lived in Southern California, twice, for a touch less than a year each time. I didn’t like it the first time, but thought maybe it was just my bad attitude, so tried it a second time — no, it just sucks. But one thing I never had a problem with while residing in that dry Mediterranean-like climate were allergies nor did I have any issues with my asthma. Even on the really smoggy days, but then I lived in the hills, close to the Pacific, and most of the smog seemed to settle inland in the valleys.

No matter. I am not moving back to SoCal. Ever. Ever.

I really love Portland, don’t get me wrong, but come on with the mold and fungi and lichen and moss everywhere. It is really, really lush here. Is that why my darn allergies are crazy here?

I did meet someone recently who told me that she had bad allergies for her first year here and then got over them…so maybe I just need to be patient. Or move closer to the ocean…

mold, spores, fungal growth, allergies, asthma, Portland, Oregon, Chicago, Southern California, Pacific

If the clouds do break tonight, you may be in for a treat. The last couple of nights the moon has been in “crescent” mode, that is, it looks like the famous cheshire cat grin.

This cool effect captured by Doug Zubenel in Kansas last month. The odd crescent and shadowed moon effect is called a “Da Vinci Glow.” It was Da Vinci that first explained “Earthshine” which is the cause of this neat-o effect. You can read more about it here, if you’d like. It’s actually an interesting little story.

The moon has been increasing it’s “crescenticity” or “crescentness” or “crescenture” — sorry, I am having a George W. moment — since Sunday night where it was at 2%. Tonight it will be at 12%, so a little bit bigger than a slight sliver that would be a 2% crescent. That last sentence courtesy of Captain Obvious.

In addition to the crescent moon just being kinda cool, tonight the moon moves into conjunction with the Pleiades, or the Seven Sisters. The Pleiades is a group of seven stars, that actually look like six because two of the stars are in rotation with each other. Here is a great picture of all seven (plus a whole lot more).

Photo by amateur astronomer Robert Gendler via NASA’s website.

If you need help finding the Pleiades –well, other than tonight, that is, as the Moon will be right there next to ‘em– the Belt of Orion kind of points to them. If you find the Belt, go right of the line that the Belt creates, and you will find them. Currently, Orion is in the western sky. I used to think that the Pleiades were the terminal point on the horn of Taurus, but this sky map shows otherwise.

So, at sunset, if you can get a clear view of the Western sky, enjoy the view!

Portland, Moon, astronomy, pleiades, seven sisters, Orion, Taurus, crescent moon, NASA, cheshire cat, science, stargazing

In the last couple of weeks, Portland has experienced some hail or sleet storms. Usually brief in duration, these “storms” contain small hail stones in the shape of, well, they look like Hershey kisses to me. Which I find interesting, because being from the Midwest (Michigan to be exact, and also four years in Chicago), hail stones to me have always appeared to be more round, or spherical.

The odd shape of our Portland hail stones made me wonder why the shape is different from other parts of the USA.

So today, I will pass along the information that I have gleaned from my research into the shape and formation of hail stones in a new feature I will call Science Friday, but not to be confused with NPR’s Talk of the Nation’s Science Friday. Wait, maybe I should call it something else…I know that NPR is brutal when it comes to copyright infringement, as I had a syndicated radio show called “Car Talk“, and boy, that Click and Clack surprisingly do not have a sense of humor when it comes to someone stealing their idea. My knees hurt just thinking about it.

So here is “Science Class Friday.” Yeah, that’ll work.

Hail is normally associated with thunderstorms, but as we have relatively few thunderstorms on the Pacific coastline, we can read that as hail being associated with cumulus and cumulonimbus clouds. Cumulus clouds are formed when moisture is forced upward, and when that cloud is forced even higher upward, then it becomes a cumulonimbus cloud, or a “thunderhead”. This is fairly basic meteorology, from junior high science class, so you are most likely already aware of clouds and their names.

The difference between Pacific Northwest cumulus clouds and Midwestern cumulus clouds is that the PNW has mountainous terrain that forces the air upward, whereas in the MW, clouds form when a warm front meets a cold front. And that warm front/cold front thing also occurs here in Oregon, but add mountains to the equation and you get yourself Portland’s odd weather.

Now, hail is basically rain that happens to freeze. The liquid precipitation becomes hail when it is forced back up into the cloud, rather than falling to Earth. Hail is distinguished from “sleet” or “ice pellets” by size. Hail starts out as an ice pellet, and when that pellet grows larger than a quarter of an inch or about 5 millimeters, it then becomes hail.

Round or spherical hail is mostly associated with small-sized hail. Irregular shapes tend to occur when the hail “pellet” is kept up in the cloud for an extended period of time. This is due to a strong updraft within the cloud or cloud system. Serious updrafts are the result of a serious difference in pressure, with is associated with temperature for the most part.

According to the National Weather Service’s JetStream Glossary, our “hail” may be correctly labeled as “ice pellets”. I failed to measure the hail or sleet or ice pellet when they fell, so I cannot say for certain whether or not we had hail or sleet. But there are some other critera that may come play when defining our icy hershey kisses.

Ice pellets are defined as:

Precipitation of transparent and translucent pellets of ice, which are round or irregular, rarely conical, and which have a diameter of 0.2″ (5 mm), or less. Ice Pellets bounce when they make contact with the ground. It is sometimes called “Sleet”. There are two main types:

1. Hard grains of ice consisting of frozen raindrops, or largely melted and refrozen snowflakes.
2. Pellets of snow encased in a thin layer of ice which have formed from the freezing, either of droplets intercepted by the pellets, or of water resulting from the partial melting of the pellets.

Our ice pellets were more opaque to me, but I guess they could have been defined as translucent, kind of. And the above definition seems to relegate “conical” ice pellets to a rarity. But our ice pellets did indeed bounce and the definition for hail does not include that little tidbit.

Precipitation in the form of balls or lumps usually consisting of concentric layers of ice. A thunderstorm is classified as severe when it produces hail 3/4″ or larger in diameter.

Both definitions come from the National Weather Service, which is part of the NOAA or for all you laymen out there, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Ah, our tax dollars at work.

I have found some other definitions for “sleet” that also mention the bounce, so I am now inclined to label our “hershey hail” as sleet.

But wait, I still haven’t figured out why our sleet is conical.

The American Meteorological Society clears all of this rather odd debate up.

graupel—Heavily rimed snow particles, often called snow pellets; often indistinguishable from very small soft hail except for the size convention that hail must have a diameter greater than 5 mm.
Sometimes distinguished by shape into conical, hexagonal, and lump (irregular) graupel.

I think we have a winner. Portland experienced not hail, nor sleet, but rather a graupel storm. When I crossreference the definition of graupel with the NWS, this is what they have to say about it.

Small pellets of ice created when supercooled water droplets coat, or rime, a snowflake. The pellets are cloudy or white, not clear like sleet, and often are mistaken for hail.

Yep, graupel it is. I grew up with hail, indeed, and now I get to experience graupel. Neat.

Portland, Oregon, ail, Sleset, precipitation, storms, clouds, rain, ice pellets, graupel