Tag: Weather

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Weather or Not

Weather front moves in from the Columbia River, near Biggs, Oregon

The topic of weather is covered in this blog nearly as much as fishing.

Both are important, though when you’re mostly outside, conditions and changes in weather are important facts.

Cursing the rain is pointless, so mentioning what it’s like outside is observation rather than rant.

Low hanging clouds drift along the Deschutes River Canyon

One of the main reasons we moved to the east side of the Cascade range was to get away from gray wet winters.

Salt flats near Summer Lake, Oregon

From December to March, on average, Portland has a 25% chance of clear skies. In Bend it’s more like 40%. In that same period, Bend gets half as much rainfall.

Portland skies can stay gray for weeks on end. However, here the snow may pile up. but it’s usually only a day before the sun is back.

Frost glazes the ground cover along Hwy 97 near Shinako

Living under that blanket of grey wasn’t helping our mental health  .  .  .  more fishing has helped as well.

Salt Creek Falls, Oregon’s second highest single drop waterfall

Nearly forty years ago we migrated to Oregon, drawn by the Pacific Northwest climate.

For a while the lush green was enchanting, but the precipitation that growth required wore thin.

Sun breaks through forest at Sherwood CG on Hwy 35, north of Hood River

We’re in our high desert mode these days. Sage steppe and Ponderosa pine forests are our preferred environment.

These Central Oregon winters aren’t as harsh as what we grew up with in Montana and are tempered with continued assurance of clear skies to come.

Layers of weather over high desert

Another positive aspect of high desert weather is you can see it before it get’s here and long after it’s moved past.

Near the base of Winter Ridge, Lane County, Oregon

The weather app is nearly as important as our bundle of USFS maps. Weather can’t be avoided, but knowing what’s out there is the goal.

And often, it’s a weather front that has us setting up the tripod.

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A High Desert Fall Day

Thistle in it’s fall colors

The mornings are getting frosty with a chill that warms up about noon. We’re enjoying these fall days.

In July and August we have to work hard to avoid the heat of the day by seeking out shaded spaces.

Headed to the stream

After what seemed like a solid week of rain  .  .  .  actually it was just a couple of afternoons  .  .  .  we’re enjoying a string of cloudless days. Good time to get back on the river.

“… we’ll see if they like that pattern.”

The Crooked River has way fewer people as the season shifts. The fishing is still good. We’re on the stream a bit later in the morning mostly to avoid the frost.

By noon the sun requires we push our chairs into the shade. However, it’s still a pleasant temperature.

Praying Mantis

Fall sees a shift in bird activity . Some days are filled with flocks on migration and other’s near void of any wildlife activity.

This day we encountered a unique species  .  .  .  a Praying Mantis. It landed on JQ’s arm as if asking for its picture to be taken.

Don’t remember ever seeing one of those on the river.

Back for some lunch and a cold drink

Typical with fall in the high desert,  this clear weather will be interrupted by another few days of rain before the skies clear again.

Relaxin’ on the stream

This week that storm front will move in on the weekend leaving mid-week open for us to wander about. It’s hard to beat fall in Central Oregon.

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Rainy Days

This week was a change. We went from “Red Flag” warnings and heat waves, to weather reminiscent of winter. It’s not unlike any late summer day in Central Oregon.

As this is getting written, the sun is beaming in my window and it’s around 70 degrees outside. But for most of this week we’ve been watching storm clouds roll in from the Southwest bringing down pouring rain.

We didn’t do any long trips, but we did get out a couple of times  .  .  .  driving through the storms. In the high desert you can see weather coming and watch thunderheads bring rain to you.

Clouds are broken by blue sky drifting in behind the storm  .  .  .  then, it all starts again.

This probably marks the end of summer. The forecast for next week has clear skies and much lower daytime temperatures.

We’ll likely get out on the river and do some road trips. There are plenty planned, and fall is a great time to be out in the woods.

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It’s about weather . . . Again

Winter driving in Oregon

Our week was a deluge of endless ‘black friday’ ads and rain. Not sure when this Black Friday exploded out of control, but it can stop any time, as can the rain.

There was also a winter storm advisory from the weather service. A ‘Snowmageddon’ was supposed to blanket the Pacific Northwest.

For us it was a no-show-mageddon, though some nasty weather hit coastal areas. By week’s end, rain had obliterated any snow accumulation and we were left with cold, wet and gray days.

That is not a complaint. Really.

Soup is the best remedy for a gray day

While we didn’t get out much this week, we weren’t totally dormant.

This pre-winter weather is a perfect time to enjoy soup or stew. And really, what is the difference  .  .  .  tomayto, tomahto.

… wine helps as well

This week we ladled bowls full of steamy French Onion soup. A classic topped with slices of toasted baguette and melty Gruyere cheese. We’ll share the recipe. It’s not a quick cook, but well worth the extra steps.

A great soup cook book is invaluable, especially in winter months.

A couple of years ago JQ picked up a copy of Cook’s Illustrated “All Time Best Soups” and with that began Soup Sunday at the Schommer house.

In the process many of the book’s pages were stained and it’s margins filled with hand scribbled notes  .  .  .  signs of a good cook book.

Skies and the ground have cleared and the weatherman is calling for slightly warmer and much sunnier days ahead. So next week we’ll return to our favorite streams and backroads  .  .  .  though we are still braced for winter.

Print Recipe

French Onion Soup

Ingredients

SOUP

  • 4 lbs onions sliced through root end into ¼ inch pieces
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter cut into 3 pieces
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 cups water plus extra for deglazing as needed
  • 1/2 cup dry sherry
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme tied with twine
  • 1 bay leaf

CROUTONS & CHEESE

  • 1 small baguette cut into ½ inch slices
  • 8 oz Gruyere cheese shredded (2 cups)

Instructions

For the soup

  • Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Generously spray inside of Dutch oven with vegetable oil spray. Add onions, butter, and 1 tsp salt.
  • Cover and bake until onions wilt slightly and look moist, about 1 hour.
  • Stir onions thoroughly, scraping bottom and sides of pot. Partially cover pot and continue to cook in oven until onions are very soft and golden brown, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours longer, stirring onions thoroughly after 1 hour.
  • Carefully remove pot from oven and place over medium-high heat. Using oven mitts to handle pot, continue to cook onions, stirring and scraping pot often, until liquid evaporates, onions brown, and bottom of pot is coated with dark crust, 20 to 25 minutes. If onions begin to brown too quickly, reduce heat to medium. Also, be sure to scrape any browned bits that collect on the spoon back into the onions.
  • Stir in 1/4 cup water, thoroughly scraping up browned crust. Continue to cook until water evaporates and pot bottom has formed another dark crust, 6-8 minutes. Repeat deglazing 2 or 3 more times, until onions are a very dark brown.
  • Stir in sherry and cook until evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir in chicken broth, beef broth, 2 cups more water, thyme bundle, bay leaf, and 1/2 tsp salt, scraping up any remaining brown bits. Bring to simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Discard thyme bundle and bay leaf and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Soup can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, return to simmer before proceeding.

Croutons and soup prep

  • Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Lay baguette slices on rimmed baking sheet and bake until dry, crisp, and lightly golden, about 10 minutes, flipping slices over halfway through baking.
  • Position oven rack 8 inches from broiler element and heat broiler. Set broiler-safe bowls on baking sheet and fill each with hot soup. Top each bowl with 1 to 2 baguette slices (do not overlap slices) and sprinkle evenly with grated Gruyère cheese.
  • Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly around the edges, 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle lightly with chopped parsley and serve.
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Gray Skies

Winter’s approach stripped the Aspen of leaves

The pall of rain moved in this week  .  .  .  literally. But then clear skies returned. That’s a given in Central Oregon. 

For the most part, we kept busy this week with indoor activities.

We managed to make it to an interesting lecture on misinformation at the local library.

Plus, we spent a few hours walking around the High Desert Museum  .  .  .  both brightened the rainy days that made up most of the week.

We never get tired of watching the otters play.

There’s a space of time as we wait for winter to come on full snow  .  .  .  a seasonal shift.

This image is from a multi-media display on water  .  .  .  it was fascinating.

Sheltered under gray sky and surrounded by puddles, the period is brief but still dampens one’s spirit.

A water feature runs throughout the grounds surrounding the High Desert Museum.

Fall’s brilliant color displays are dulled with the arrival of winter’s rain.

The sky did clear, but only after depositing a layer of snow. Winter seems early this year, but as with any seasonal shift, we’ll adapt.