Tulip Tree

This blooming tree, Magnolia  x Soulangeana, seemed like the perfect image for the Spring Equinox today. It is growing on a street corner not too far away, and I had to do some gymnastics and cropping to take the picture and eliminate the stop sign, fire hydrant and parked car from the scene. I feel that spring by it's very nature is color so I decided to use the full color version to celebrate its arrival. 

We are having some sunshine and blue sky today but it is too soon to celebrate too much as more rain in the form of an atmospheric river is on its way. Atmospheric Rivers do not say spring to me.   Atmospheric Rivers are now being graded in intensity from 1 to 5 and tomorrow is supposed to be a 2. It used to be simply 'rain' and the most anyone was likely to do was measure the amount of inches that fell. John still has a crude system called leaving a bucket out in the rain, measuring the amount of water in the bottom of it the next day and doing some math involving circumference and volume. 

The term 'Pineapple Express' eventually came into vogue with the weather gurus because of the origins of the rain in Hawaii. Atmospheric River has most recently been used to describe rain that is 'like a fire hose that carries saturated air from the tropics to higher latitudes, dumping relentless rain and snow'.

I wouldn't call it relentless as we have had breaks from time to time, but now the reservoirs are full, the ground is saturated and the mountains are buried in record amounts of snow, so  I would call it time to stop. Whatever is falling now is going straight to the sea as there is no place left to store it. We're being told that we now have three years' worth of stored water. Official drought designations for the state are being revised and downgraded, but this condition is only temporary and I think the state should be considering ways of storing more water....

Blake went home this morning after spending the entire night at the bottom of my side of the bed, with Spike stretched out in the middle. I assumed that he would get up and go somewhere else but he never moved all night. I, however, had my work cut out for me to get under the covers, easing my legs through the little slot left considerately left for me by the dogs between them. My bed will feel quite roomy tonight.