Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Stuck in the Middle of Bend

This priceless gem by Holly Hamilton deserves an encore. Strangely, it says nothing about the utterly sucktacular Bend climate, but it covers most of the other low spots.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Blackdog,

Thanks for Holly's wonderful rendition once more! But I think what's really in order here is a whole new metric? Just last night getting caught up on all the storms in the MW I couldn't help but think;

Just exactly how far EAST does one have to GO to escape The Drear..? Clearly you can run out of gas quite easily trying to accomplish this on Hwy 101. Noticing Boise will have SEASONALLY APPROPRIATE WEATHER 'today' but will do a role reversal w/ Portland before the weekend.

I offer: DFWLC! Daily Furthest West Livable CLIMATE! Right now I'm guessing it's Denver? Has it come time for sunseekers to not only measure a "Wallace Line" they wouldn't live 'North' of ( but also one you wouldn't want to live WEST of!? ) Remember, San Diego CALIFORNIA didn't have a Summer last year.

Further, when this country was settled, we were more energetic. It was assumed that every sq. INCH of her was worthy of settlement! First as outposts, then as territories culminating in full Statehood. Later we decided the Dakotas really weren't meant to be and were largely abandoned.

How much more inhospitable will our weather have to become before we seriously consider this for huge swaths of the PNW?

Anonymous said...

How much more inhospitable will our weather have to become before we seriously consider this for huge swaths of the PNW?

You're joking right?

Anonymous said...

"You're joking right?"

Fraid not. Unless you're from one of (4) States, Alaska, Montana, North or South Dakato can you consider OUR weather an 'improvement'!

To wit, ( look out yer' f@cking WINDOW! ) Here in the Salem area it was pure cr@p up until, well up until I started this post. Oh wait.., it's back to cr@p again?

The point being, we've -always- had soggy sodden weather. The problem 'I' had wasn't so much the weather 'itself' rather there'd be such a freaking PREMIUM to -live- here!?

When I first moved here, late 70's, the weather was infinitely more agreeable than it is today and the avg. home was in keeping w/ Nat'l avgs. Our first home purchased in 1989 was about $65k.

Be as dismissive as you'd prefer but people are talking, and it isn't GOOD. There's a REASON people get paid so well in Alaska. Are we being adequately compensated for carving out a living in a Region that's averaging less than 90 NON-rain soaked daze a year?

Perhaps 'that' is the yardstick we should begin to employ? Did we have at LEAST as nice a Summer as Anchorage? Then PAY accordingly!

Anonymous said...

Can someone PLEASE sound "Taps" for the -complete DISASTER- of a Memorial Day 'Weekend' already?

We had steady HAIL in Silverton yesterday, dark threatening skies, ZERO sunshine and an all-around DEBACLE! Unmitigated disaster.

If it 'broke' 60 it must have been along the order of minutes if not seconds. Thankfully, like a marriage held together "until the kids graduate" I have no expectations of Oregon...

Ya' know it's over, just a matter of scripting a graceful EXIT! For those w/ subdivisions to sell and businesses they're ramping UP, this had to be crushing. Life in Oregon gets so much less aggravating and disappointeing when your expectations = zero.

Anonymous said...

Great closing weekend for Bachelor. Powder and lots of it.

What's this about valley weather?

H. Bruce Miller said...

Go "powder" your stupid ass.

Anonymous said...

Go "powder" your stupid ass.

I did...slashed it to the left and then I slashed it to the right. Waited for my friends, got back on summit and did again...and again...and again. Judging from the number of people behind me waiting for summit to open, it was a very popular place to be this weekend.

Seems like having a winter hobby is the way to go when you live in the middle of nowhere and winter is 6 months long. Otherwise you end up bitching about the weather like something is gonna change.

That whole "definition of insanity" thing keeps popping in my head for some reason...

Had to go for a hike today since the mountain is over. Saw 2 elk and 5 deer while cruising around in the woods. I'm almost 20 years in and that sort of stuff still floats the boat. I'm simple like that I guess.

Anonymous said...

Those of us who moved to Central Oregon years ago understand what this area. However word got out about how beautiful it was and the 300 days of sunshine blaa blaa blaa. That has in turn brought the crime from Cali and people who shouldn't even be here. Sounds like you one who shouldn't be here, (we who do like Bend) gladly accept your resignation in living.

SIC Days @ MT Bachelor for end of season!

H. Bruce Miller said...

I moved to Bend 25 years ago -- how the fuck long do I have to be here before you deem me entitled to have an opinion? I knew what the climate was like but was willing to put up with it for the small-town charm and the relaxed pace of life. That's gone now, so why should I stay and suffer with the eternal fucking winters?

H. Bruce Miller said...

I moved to Bend 25 years ago -- how the fuck long do I have to be here before you deem me entitled to have an opinion? I knew what the climate was like but was willing to put up with it for the small-town charm and the relaxed pace of life. That's gone now, so why should I stay and suffer with the eternal fucking winters?

Anonymous said...

Waiting for a new post, Bruce....

H. Bruce Miller said...

Are you paying me by the hour? You can wait until I bloody well feel like writing one.