WHAT A DIFFERENCE RAIN MAKES

 

Summers are very different where we grew up in Eastern Washington from those in Western Oregon where we moved with our children in the early 1970s.  (We lived there until  we retired and moved away.)   

 

 

 

We spent some time in both areas this summer so we experienced both the "wet side" and the "dry side" of the Pacific Northwest.     The contrasts are obvious in these pictures from both sides.

 

 

 

 

In Oregon, between Hood River and The Dalles along the Columbia Gorge, it appears as if an actual line has been drawn between West and East … you can see where the green ends and the brown begins.     We pass that "line" and continue traveling East to get to Clarkston (460 miles from where we've spent most of the summer).  

 

 

 

 This is one of many Willamette Valley Vineyards.     I love the green hills around here, but the price is lots of winter rain.   Nowadays, we are fortunate to be able to enjoy the green results of the rain when we visit  …. without actually having to be here for the rainy season.   These hills are quite different from the rolling brown hills (below) that we grew up looking at every day.

 

 

I guess because we did grow up in such a  dry climate,  neither of us really got entirely used to the rainy gray winters in Oregon, even though we always loved the green results.    

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Mother Nature's summer contrasts shared with  NATURE NOTES hosted by Michelle whose amazing blog is called RAMBLING WOODS (go visit!) .