Still Raining......but there is hope on the horizon!

One thing that everyone knows about Seattle is that it rains here. It rains alot! We have just endured the coldest and wettest April on record. Yay. Now it is May and those April showers are doing their job and the May flowers are coming right along.  It is tulip time in Washington.

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

What alot of you don't know is that we have 4 seasons here in Washington! Almost Winter, Winter, Still Winter and Road Construction. When you see the first dafodils and tulips breaking through the cold, soggy earth, you know that the season of road construction is right around the corner. Or as we will refer to it for brevity as RC. RC is our most warm and dry season. We are starting to have what is called in the weather forecast- a "sun break". That is a term I had never heard prior to moving to the northwest. Defined as "when the sun appears for a short time in a cloudy sky and is then covered again". It can last for just a minute, but it is glorious!  In almost every part of the region you can spot the formerly elusive orange vested flagger, with his throaty call of "SLOW DOWN". In our area we have a bridge coming down on one end and a water main replacement on the other, with pot hole work in between.
And we do have some pot holes! At least in the winter they are full of ice and snow, so that evens out the roadways and smooths out your ride. RC is also the start of the B-Town social season. People emerge from their winter hibernation and take to the streets and beaches, strolling around in town, attending all of the local events. We have some sort of event every week during RC. My favorite is the weekly farmers market!
Every small town has a weekly farmers market during RC. The rain has one other great effect, food. The produce and dairy products from the local farms can't be beat!

Since I had to work until 6 on Mothers Day, Roger went to the West Seattle farmers market and picked up some of our favorites to make me dinner. We had fresh smoked salmon from the LOKI FISH CO. Samish Bay Cheddar, a delicious mild and creamy young white cheddar. Roger prefers the sharper aged cheeses, but it was Mothers day, so I win!

Fabulous cheeses!

He also picked up some lobster tails and fresh pears for our little feast. It was awesome with a glass of Snoqualmie Chardonay. What most folks don't know is that Washington is the second leading producer of wines in the U.S. next to California. Theire are some fabulous wines from here and I will do a separate blog on the wine country and our favorites. However, the Snoqualmie chardonay is our pick for the cheese and salmon plate. The perfect sweetness to balance the smoky fish and creamy cheese. Inexpensive and delicious!

So if you make it to Seattle, you are sure to visit the world famous Pike Place Market and it is worth the trip. I do recommend that you find a local farmers market as well. Support our local farmers and fisherman. You will also save some cash at local markets, they are not priced so much for the tourists. Eat local, shop local and support your community! We do!

FUN FACTS FROM THE NORTHWEST:
UMBRELLAS ARE CALLED "BUMBERSHOOTS" IN WASHINGTON. HOWEVER, NO ONE USES THEM HERE. IF YOU SEE SOMEBODY WALKING IN THE RAIN WITH AN UMBRELLA, YOU KNOW THAT THEY ARE EITHER A TOURIST OR A DWEEB!

Til next time,
Lots of love,
Denise