Auntie Em, Auntie Em!

 You should hear the howling wind right now (place your ear against the computer and listen carefully).  There is quite a storm bearing down on us right now.  In California, this would be headline-type weather.  While rain and wind aren't new to any of us- experiencing it to this degree in September is unusual.  I have heard that you lucky folks in Sebastopol are enjoying 80 degree weather today. 

Here are a few local headlines from today, as well as pictures and a story about picking up the kids from school.

Yahoo News (UK/Ireland)

BBC News

This is us after walking home from school today.  Ainsley doesn't look too wet- but walked behind me most of the way so I could block the wind and rain.

No, it isn't a new style of denim- I'm soaked!  6 hours later and my jeans are still wet on the drying rack.  My coat actually goes near my knees, but the water crept up- ridiculous!

So, I leave the house at 2:30 to pick up the kids.  It's windy and misty but not rainy.  I stopped by the office to ask a few questions, among them, "how do people get their kids to school when the weather is really bad?"  I should back up.  Everyone here walks their kids to school.  There is not a line of cars dropping kids off in the morning, and there is one bus that brings kids in who live over 2.5 miles from the school.  So at 9am and 3pm it's like ants descending on a sugar cube.  Parents, grandparents, babies, dogs, strollers, bikes, scooters, etc. all come out of the woodwork and then vanish again as quickly as they came.  Only a few follow the path that we take.  There is no circular drop-off like at Apple Blossom and no parking area for parents dropping off- well there is small one, but it's mostly filled with staff cars.

So, back in the office, the lovely secretaries giggle politely and gently inform me that, "Well, Mrs. Forslund, there is really no such thing as bad weather.  Only inappropriate clothing".   I leave the office to find it is now raining in earnest.  You know the kind of rain I'm talking about, sideways, trees and grass blowing, wind howling.  Again, not shocking if it's winter- but it's SEPTEMBER!  I prefer Earth, Wind and Fire's September where there was never a cloudy day.

As I wait for the bell to ring, here are some things that I see.... strollers with rain shields and little rain boots sticking out at the bottom;  giant golf umbrellas inside out;  a man holding a puppy;  people in crocs and peep toe sandals;  some standing out in the weather rather than under an awning; many in very light weight rain jackets;  some without a jacket or coat and very few with hats or boots.  I overhear someone refer to the weather as "horrendous".  When I pick up the kids, Will is asking, "will our house still be there when we get there?"  And he says, "I wonder when the lightposts will blow off?".  Ainsley comments that her hair looks like she just got done washing her hair.  We found ourselves laughing on the way home just because the whole scenario was SO ridiculous.  All I can think is that, "it isn't even winter yet".

Once home, we have hot cocoa and chocolate chip cookies to warm up.  Tomorrow I'm shopping for water-proof pants!