“I bring fresh showers for the thirsting flowers,

From the seas and the streams;

I bear light shade for the leaves when laid

In their noonday dreams …”

~Percy Bysshe Shelley, “The Cloud”

Recently, not a single day was without clouds. Last Sunday was such a time. We were visiting with our neighbors down the street. To be truthful, our intention was to take Brighton – our British Cream Golden Retriever – out for a walk. As you may recall, we rescued her from a breeder. Unable to produce puppies, she was no longer needed or wanted. During the past six months, she has settled nicely into the lifestyle of a La Crescenta dog. Without the competition for food with 10 other dogs, she has filled out … hence the need for some rough-and-tumble time with neighbor dogs and an extra trip around the block.

While out walking, a single ominous and dark cloud settled over the foothills. After a brief shower it moved on and the sun returned once again. Such is spring weather. Charles Dickens got it right when he wrote, “It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold; when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.” Presently, the U.S. and other parts of the Northern Hemisphere are transitioning into summer.

With the ongoing spread of the coronavirus many experts believe that, similar to the flu, higher outdoor temperatures could usher in a seasonal downturn for its spread. The Centers for Disease Control maintains that it’s still too early to know if the warm weather will have a seasonal effect on the spread of coronavirus.

For the next couple of days warm and dry conditions are predicted; by Sunday a Pacific storm system is in the forecast. There’s a good chance for rain through mid-week.

Come rain or shine, most dogs welcome a walk … and for their people a breath of fresh air.

Sue Kilpatrick is a Crescenta Valley resident and
Official Skywarn Spotter for the National Weather Service.
Reach her at suelkilpatrick@gmail.com.

  Sue Kilpatrick