Rain Follows Me

I was hoping for sunshine; I got rain. All 1,500 miles from Seattle to Scottsdale – rain, wind, grey clouds. And cold. We drove all that way just to get more of the same weather. So far, not the greatest decision in the world. Driving down I-5 to Red Bluff, CA was fairly routine with the expected early Spring showers followed by the unpredictable downpours in the Siskiyous. From our turnoff to CA highway 99, though, things got a bit more interesting passing through California central farmland. Lots of standing water in fields; flooded roadways; even the Sacramento River overflowing its banks in certain sections.

One of the biggest differences, however, was seeing the normally golden brown foothills covered with a Kelly green blanket more familiar to St. Paddy’s Day than California. It was a carpet uninterrupted by trees or landmarks; just green everywhere. It seems this year the state will be celebrating the Saint’s day of feasting and colored beer with more than just a passing flash of green.

Irrigation canals are filled with rushing water. Reservoirs are clouded with runoff and looking like they might have a shot at regaining much of their lost capacity. And the rain keeps coming. One Cali DJ said he never wanted to hear the term ‘atmospheric river’ ever again. I had to laugh. Being a Pacific Northwesterner we hear that phrase at least once a month for the majority of the year. We used to call it the Pineapple Express – I don’t know what happened to that expression. I guess it wasn’t smart sounding enough for today’s techno groupies. Between the Pineapple Express and the Fraser Artic Blast, we get more than our share of ‘atmospheric rivers.’

While it’s been something all PNWers know, I continue to be fascinated by how few south coast drivers understand driving in wind and rain. To put it bluntly, they’re mostly idiots. They never change their driving habits no matter the conditions. It looks like a bunch of arrogant dopes who somehow think Mother Nature should bow to their wants and desires – that is, to drive fast, tailgate obscenely close, abruptly pass and dive in front of a car that must now take evasive action to avoid a collision. That’s normal highway driving in SoCal, but it’s stupid and extra dangerous in the rain. And as the decades have gone by, drivers down here have never learned it. Sigh.

Don’t get me wrong – I drive just as fast as conditions typically allow. But being a veteran of blinding rainstorms, river-like runoff, snowstorms, black ice and whiteouts, I know what driving to the conditions actually means. These people have no clue. Many of them act as if this is a video game where the goal is to see how many cars you can pass before time (or maybe your time) expires.

Okay, so much for my digression. We’re here in Scottsdale now, and guess what? The rain has even followed us here. We have a tee time for later this morning and it promises to be raining. Not sure how much of that we’re going to tolerate, but damn it, we’re here and we’re going to golf! Tomorrow is a spring training game between the Ms and the Giants. I hope it gets warm enough to wear shorts and a tee shirt…