A Beautiful Blue Day

What a most beautiful day we had today in the Portland/Vancouver metro area! Blue skies coupled with crisp temperatures aren't necessarily what one would consider wintry weather in the pacific northwest. Usually, cold, gray, wet and muddy are more accurate descriptions, but this first day of February offered us what is hopefully a promising glimpse of the month to come: blue skies, crisp temperatures, and an unbelievable view of Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Hood, and even Mt. Adams! We should be so lucky.....

When I lived in a tropical climate I looked forward to a few gray days every now and then to "stay inside and get things done".  Fast forward a couple years and the gray days outnumber the sunny ones. Now, when the sun comes out I scrap all plans and clear the calendar so I can spend part of the day outdoors, a privilege I am so grateful for.  I couldn't resist this view of Mt. St. Helens on my way home today. With a few more days like today hopefully, this shortest month of the year won't feel like the longest!