While the rest of the country seems to worrying about having enough water this year, here in the Pacific Northwest we have been drowning! So I wonder what does record breaking rain mean for you? What does it mean for an EMT, what about a farmer or a business man? Well we have had this experience here in Oregon this past march and either way you slice it there is good, bad and the ugly for everyone.
As a farmer it has been frustrating to say the least. We have fields that are so underwater I know that not one pound of fertilizer is getting on them, it’s just going into a huge puddle and dissolving. But I also know that our spring irrigation costs are going to be way down again this year. Water and more importantly power, are a huge cost to our operation. Also while we’re sitting in the shop wishing something would break so we had something to fix, all we can think about is how much work we’ll have once the weather turns. And when it does, the first day you have a sort of Splash Mountain experience as you cross creeks to get to your fields. I’m serious I had water go over the windshield of my fertilizer buggy this year and soak me! I did not have my hands in the air however the look on my face would have been classic as I cringed and saw creek scum dousing my face! Unfortunately no one was there to take my picture!
As an EMT, usually it means that I’m around to respond to calls, and not too busy. We run an all volunteer fire district and ambulance service, so having people available is key to running a reliable program. Weather brings out all sorts of calls, for instance if it’s hot motorcycles riders are always out in full force and joy riding isn’t fun if you go slow! The rain usually makes people a bit more cautious but hydroplaning and slick roads make for some ditches to find cars fairly easily.
To a business person record breaking rain would mean slower commutes or maybe throwing in a raincoat to get to work. Side note, Oregonians don’t use umbrellas nearly as much as other places. I learned this when I was down in LA for school, I was walking around in my rain coat dodging the unruly umbrellas people insisted on using. The only other girl in a raincoat…a fellow Oregonian!
Well enough talk of rain…more importantly we finally got some sun here in OR last week!! And wow it was beautiful! I think that is one thing I have come to love about the northwest, we like the rain for all the green that it gives us, but we also love it because it makes us appreciate those warm sunny days when they finally do arrive. As I write this I see the forecast of rain is in the near future again, but at least we had a few days of break to get some wheat planted, ground worked and grass fertilized! Not to mention a good start to our farmer tans!!
NuttyGrass 