Wet Coast Blues and Blessings

Living on the Westcoast (aka Wet Coast) of BC has its challenges and blessings. It is now November, so well into our rainy season, which sometimes seems to go from October to June, without much breaks. It is at times like this, I still occasionally muse about whether I should have migrated south, to California.

My 7-year-old son played soccer this morning, in what started as a light rain, and ended in a pretty heavy downpour. But despite the rain, the boys seemed to thoroughly enjoy the exercise, and the competition. I was advised at the start of soccer season, by a fellow worker and "soccer dad", to seek out some "Under Armour" gear for my son, which I bought just in time for their first rainy game back in October. It is one of these new-fangled synthetic materials which is moisture-wicking, and stays warm even when wet. I was warned that it was not cheap, like $40 for a shirt. Well, when I find it in one of the local sports stores, it was $60 for a long-sleeved shirt. But fortunately, they didn't have any kids sizes, so I bought him a Mens size Small, which is surprisingly snug-fitting, so even the extra length in the body and sleeves is fine. Hopefully it will fit him for a number of years. He has not complained or shown any sign of being cold ever since. If you look for it, note that Under Armour comes in two types, the "Cold Gear" (which keeps one warm in winter) and "Heat Gear" (which keeps one cool in summer). They are quite a different weight, although probably the same material composition. Amazing stuff, and worth investing in, if you are a "soccer mom" or "soccer dad". (Shop Under Armour online: in Canada here; in the US, here).

Anyhow, the weather here may be dreary, with long stretches of rain, but on the other hand, it is certainly mild. Which means that if I climbed to the back of the yard today, since it has stopped rainy, I would surely find a few more ripe gold raspberries (although some of them will also be mouldy). See my post about the gold raspberries in September.

Another blessing is flowers blooming late into the Fall. The fall asters have finally lost their colour, and I hope to trim them down for the winter soon, but today I was cheered by this bright yellow clump of chrysanthemums.

I brought a little cheer into the home, trying out my hand at a small arrangement into the beautiful handmade glass Ikebana vase by David New-Small which my husband bought for me recently on our trip to enchanting Granville Island.

Later today I hope to go back into the garden and do some more cleanup in preparation for winter. It is times like this that I am able to count our blessings for this wonderful, wet but mild climate we enjoy on the Westcoast of BC.