“Weather means more when you have a garden. There’s nothing like listening to a shower and thinking how it is soaking in around your green beans.”    
~ Marcelene Cox, American writer

If only spring’s weather would continue through the summer months. The days have been warming up to almost hot and the nights have been cooling to almost cold. The only possible drawback, if this were to happen, is the heating expense of maintaining our pool to the desired South Seas temperature. But then again, air conditioning expenses would drop. So it could work out perfectly economically. “Dreamer, nothing but a dreamer …”      

Back to reality – summer is coming and, as usual, it is sure to be hot.

The above quote speaks of the life-giving rains of winter and spring and their ultimate bounty. A recent news story all but dashed this lovely image and my assumption of a rain-related bounty. It seems the price of lettuce and other produce is expected to skyrocket. It is all because of the rain; not our most recent or last month’s, but those rain three months ago made the biggest impact on the market price of produce. Three months ago crops should have been planted. If they had been, most would have been picked, shipped, displayed, purchased and even consumed. But this year, the harvest was “slim pickins” or sparse. You can’t pick what isn’t there! What happened?

Dams are full, the Sierra snowpack continues to melt and produce farmers are left in the mud. Too much moisture has wiped out their lettuce crops. First off, inclement weather delayed scheduled planting times. Crops that were already in the ground were damaged as they sat in puddled fields or attacked by moisture-loving pests. Rain comes with a price … expensive produce. Lettuce for now, celery and strawberries are upcoming.

The highlight of our current weather story is the ceaseless winds. These haven’t been our typical Santa Ana ones. Their direction is telltale; the gusts are coming from the north to northwest. For those allergy sufferers and pool owners, the pollen and other windblown particles are never-ending. Beyond those, the days are strikingly clear. More wind and above average temperatures – mid 90s – are expected through the weekend. Monday the winds transition, bringing cooler air off the ocean and dropping the temperature by 10 or more degrees. I’m already missing the rain. Would the neighbors notice if I sat under an umbrella with the sprinklers running?
Sue Kilpatrick is a
Crescenta Valley resident and
Official Skywarn Spotter for the
National Weather Service. Reach her at  suelkilpatrick@gmail.com.

  Sue Kilpatrick