Monsoons

The monsoons are here!  The weather in Alaska changes rather quickly-----or so we thought in the summer.  Now it's fall, and rain has set in.  We've been experiencing several days of wall-to-wall sunshine followed by many more days of rain.  The ratio of rain to sun has been about 5 to 2.  This is completely unscientific, of course, but so it seems to me. Very often it will rain most of the day then stop during the late afternoon and evening, serving up a gorgeous sunset.  Next day, more of the same.

Please note that this is not a complaint.  The rain is usually soft and pleasant and makes a wonderful, comforting sound on our metal roof.  Yes, there's mud everywhere, especially considering only a few roads are paved!  A crucial part of every Alaskan's wardrobe is a pair of rubber boots coming half-way up the calf.  It's very messy here.  But we're all in the mess together and so somehow, it doesn't seem as bad.  It's the norm.  It's also the norm to remove shoes when entering a home.

Rain on this side of the bay with temperatures from the high 30's to the mid 50's means that a lot of times it's snowing at higher elevations on the other side of the bay!  Now that's exciting!  Those of you who know me know I love snow.  And now more snow is evident across the bay.  It was so amazing on a recent sunny day to see the clouds lift, exposing white peaks!

And then there's one more thing.  Rain means clouds.  Yes, the mountains are majestic, the water beautiful, the animals exciting, but the clouds here are completely amazing.  I love watching them.  I find myself constantly trying to capture what they look like with photos.  I've probably taken a hundred, but pictures don't do them justice.  I've talked about this many times, but I'm continually thrilled by them.  It's a worshipful experience looking at the sky here----truly.

With all that in mind I'm attaching some photos I've taken in the last week.  Many of them were taken right from our deck.  In a couple, the glaciers could be mistaken for clouds or vice versa.  Let me know what you think.