It's a good time of the year to be a 'California Girl'! I know about the mudslides and earthquakes you all go through, and know that even my buddy in Palm Springs gets flooded out from the downpours, so it's always something to deal with!
I lived in San Mateo for 2 years and the weather was wonderful until you got into the monsoon season! It rained so much there was always standing water somewhere. It was very difficult to keep the lawn mowed. A few times my husband had to go out in shorts and waders with a sickle to get the grass under control! I have pictures somewhere! But we were young and strong and laughed it off!
Where I live it's FIRES, big ones in 03 and 07. In 07 the entire San Diego county was burning from the mountains to the beaches. Took 'em 5+ weeks to put out all the fires.30-40 mph Santa Ana winds whipped the fires. If it does so happen to rain, there are mudslide due to denuded earth--not so often because of draught conditions. Sad part was that half-burned trees in the forests were falling down all over.
The issue here is the heat. With Raynauds I find the heat most intolerable. Was 112 F this past summer (an extreme). Before Raynauds I used to survive it with passive cooling and fans. Now I can barely stand it running from my car to inside (anything).
This winter has been cold for here, around 32 F at night, November thru mid January. Had some serious foot and leg cramps. I guess it was caused by vaso-constriction from the cold weather. Had to get used to the fact that I couldn't wear sandals. Tee Hee.
"Here come those Santa Anna winds again..." Steely Dan
Yes, I do know about the Santa Anna's, have felt them passing through on my way to Mexico. Mother nature makes sure there's something everywhere, huh?
I've actually seen a stainless steel home built for either So Cal of AZ, can't remember which, but they were concerned about fires, so I guess it was So Cal. Couldn't live in it without lots of a/c, I'm sure!
The wind is blowing so hard it sounds like an endless train, and something just went rolling up the driveway and smashed into my car, think it was the grill! Can't seem to make my husband understand that everything that is not secured is like a missile when the winds kick up. I guess it will take something destroying his new truck to get that across!
purplebutterfly, I'm sure that snow shuts down the 'crimson tide' too! If you get winds like the ones ripping through here now, you'd better pick up anything that will blow, and hold onto your hair!
Usagurl, I’m from SD, too. I also have lupus, sjogen’s and reynauds. And my tolerance to heat is worse than cold weather is, I robs me of all my energy now. I went through those fires too, and I have an upstairs apartment that I can’t cool even tonight without ac. (My niece moved to Boston in July, and I feel guilty about this weeks July weather while she has so much snow) i also get leg cramps)
Got caught hours later in an amazing whiteout, with the wind and snow. Missed 2 exits, did 2 loops, which doubled the trip. Was extremely harrowing. Shoveling snow would’ve been easier &safer. Great reads …thanks for the topic and the sharings
Whoa! Glad you got through all of that! I agree, shoveling it would have been easier!
One of us usually go pick up at least one grand kid for the weekend, but we told them that if they wanted to come this weekend they’d need to find a ride!
YIKES…. we just got a lot of winds and maybe an inch or two of snow. So thankful to live out on the Island. We get very little usually while the east end and CT (just across the Sound) gets buried in 6+ inches of snow at a time. We are supposed to get more snow overnight into tomorrow again though. Its been a month straight of very cold, wintery weather so I am just trying to hold on until Spring.
Its rained all day the grandkids go in 3 hours late to school tomorrow because it is supposed to turn into ice and snow during the night we usually dont get much and it will be gone by lunch tomorrow but it is playing havoc on my arthritis.
My son just went through the pipes bursting in some of his properties...Not what he needed! Hope you were able to take care of that in time. My husband just purchased some type of instant heater to put in his truck, said if it worked, he would get me one for the car.
We have a fresh 4" of snow so far, the plows are going by regularly, but I'm glad I don't have to go out!
You're right about the whipping winds. In the fall and early winter, its nice here because the water is still warm which holds off the cold for awhile. But once the water gets cold its brutal and it holds the cold making spring very chilly for longer than elsewhere. Makes me feel overall stiff and achy. The cold goes right through me as it is and the Raynaud's doesn't help. I was out for about 15 mins today (in the sun) to shovel some of the snow and it took me a couple hours to warm back up.
I'm wishing I was in Bama now. Its warmer than here and WAY more peaceful. Summer there is amazing…I go out on my parents porch with my coffee early in the morning and watch the mist rise out of the hollow. AAHHH…. now there is the antidote to this frigid weather. I feel warmer already.