Where's the sunshine?

The weather this winter has been unbelievably warm.  It's late January and there is still no snow on the mountains and the garden is still green and producing kale and parsley.  That is unbelievable.

And I'm normally a sceptic of 'warmest', 'snowiest', 'coldest' whatever 'ist' winters.  Over the years I've noticed that Kodiak's weather cycles back and forth between  warm/wet and cold/dry weather regimes. Even snowy bright winters usually have a 6-8 week period where the weather is wet and bleak.  I've also noticed that near the end of one of these weather regimes everyone in Kodiak inevitably talks about how this has to be the 'warmest', 'coldest' or whatever - people seem to have short memories when it comes to weather.

That's why when it comes to comparing the weather from different years I like to check the actual records, our blog, my journal etc.  And in my 20 years on Kodiak this is the worst winter so far in terms of time on snow and life in the garden.

I have also noticed that the weather is beginning to get everybody down.  The kids are antsy cooped up inside the house, and adults are getting grumpy and short-tempered.  It's getting to the point were all I want to do is nap and read books.  Normally I have no problems with getting out in the rain to exercise, but I'll admit it's getting old.

And I would also like to remind the people who during normal years complain about how Kodiak 'is too cold and snowy' that this is what you get during a warm winter.  Cold winters are always brighter than warm winters.  So be careful what you wish for, or you might get what we got.  Patrick