A Little Rain, A Little Sun. And Then Next Week, Perhaps a Major Change.

The mountains are continuing to get snow a few inches at a time.  Another four or so fell last night above 7000 feet, with mostly rain below 6000.  Over the past week, the crest has seen from one to two feet of new snow.  And a few days with minor breaks.  Up in the hills, there will be little break in the clouds and light precip until next week.  Down here on the coast, we are seeing patches of blue already.  Friday looks like a decent day as well.

Rain drops on daisies.  Another week and these guys should pop

It is kind of hard to plan your outside projects on weeks like this one.  Especially this time of year, when accurate forecast are hard to come by.  I know I have missed the timing of rain quite a bit this week.  Yesterday, I had planned my day and was expecting to start some garden work just before noon.  After coffer, an egg and some inside work, I stepped outside to find a heavy drizzle.  Just strong enough to really get you wet.  I guess those tomatoes will get taken care of today.  Or tomorrow, if this sky is jusy playing tricks on me.

Down here on the coast, we should see a fair amount of sun today and tomorrow.  Well, to be honest, it looks like the marine layer will make a push inland tonight and need to clear out on Friday before we see much sun.  Low lying areas like Pleasure Point and Aptos should expect some heavy fog through mid day. Looking like a typical summer time pattern with afternoon winds whipping up out of the northwest.  And warm, once that sun comes out.  But not that warm.  As another system is moving through this weekend.

Clouds move in Friday night and we return to chances for drizzle and showers through the weekend.  And a slight bit of cooling.  Right now it looks like the majority of the moisture will stay to our north, but after having the models fool me last week, I think we have a good chance for some rain over the weekend.  Saturday night looks like when the strongest wave will come through.  As Sunday progresses, the showers (if any) should lighten and become more sporadic by evening.  Monday remains dreary with the threat of showers.  As Tuesday rolls in, we should see increasing sun, and perhaps our long awaited stretch of warmth and clear skies.  High will be in the 70s by mid week.  A touch cooler in the city.

Not the prettiest of plants, but the Fava Beans are getting there.

I've been enjoying this change of the seasons, even if it has messed up a few of my plans.  While I am very fond of the local produce we are able to get all winter long here in the Bay Area, I am always excited to see the spring arrivals.  We have pretty much lost all traces of apples, but strawberries have come in to replace them.  Asparagus has been around for a few weeks.  Choy Blossoms and Fava Leaves are the new hit this year.  Even Fava Beans showed up at the market this week.  But what really excited me was the arrival of a few hot housed cucumbers.  Not because I love the hot house thing (which is, actually, pretty cool), but because it add a new twist to one of my winter favorites.

All that you need is a beet, a grapefruit, an avocado, a cucumber and some greens.  Sweet greens, I think, work a little better.  While working around the house, roast the beet.  Just wash it, wrap it in foil and roast it at 350F.  About an hour for a fist sized beet; it will be done when tender for a fork.  Then you can just cool it and save it for a week.  To make the salad, spread enough greens for a serving out in salad bowls.  Peel the beet (the skin should just rub off with your fingers), and cut into slices or cubes.  Add to the greens.  Do the same with the avocado and cucumber.  Then, section the grape fruit above the salads, allowing the juices to drip in.  Squeeze juice from the rind and pulp - this will be your dressing.  All ready to serve.  Miss the meat?  Grill a piece and serve it on the side for an easy and awesome late winter - early spring salad.


So it will be off and on dreary for a few more days, with Saturday night looking like the peak.  Sometime next week we shift gears, and it really looks like we have a chance of a nice dry spell.  Still, we are seeing storms continuing to move into our north, and a small shift will bring up rain.  We are still a few weeks away from high and dry - but it is on the way.