Rainbows

I know for those of you buried under snow, or shivering in cold January weather, what I'm going to say next will be totally annoying.  Sorry.

The weather in southern Oregon today is absolutely amazing.  It's warm and sunny, and though the clouds are building over the mountains with rain expected later, you would never in your wildest dreams imagine it was January.  I was just outside with the dogs...in a thin tee shirt and jeans.  Alan and I were laughing about trying this in Edinburgh.  Now, you could do it, but only after hypothermia set in and you were too frozen to know the difference.

We've had torrential rains all weekend, and walking the dogs yesterday along the river was pretty exciting as the Umpqua was flooded and raging.  I took my camera, but with two dogs, an umbrella, a cup of coffee and strong winds...photos just weren't gonna happen.  Once the rains stopped, sometime last night, this warm tropical breeze kicked in, the temps rose, and wow, I think I can smell Hawaii in the air.  Which isn't a joke.  The warm weather system is coming from Hawaii..!!  A far cry from the systems which used to come from Norway and slam into Scotland's east coast, that's for sure.

Here are some pictures I took a few minutes ago.  You can see the next storm coming over the Coast Range, but behind me it's blue skies and sunshine...hence the rainbow, obviously.  It looks like a beam of color coming right out of a hole in the clouds, doesn't it..??

For most of the year we can't see the Umpqua River from the house because of the trees along its banks.  In the winter, it's a whole different scenario, with the river clearly visible.

I love this closer shot, particularly the way it seems like you're viewing the layered ridges as they climb into the mountains through colored air.

It's way too nice to stay indoors, so we're heading off with the dogs to the park.  Hopefully, with this unexpectedly glorious weather, the adventure won't be the usual Swamp Walk.  

Hey.  I can dream, can't I..??