"Unusual"

Hubby and I have lived in quite a few different places. Every time we settle down somewhere, it is in a decidedly different environment than what we just emerged from.

But I've noticed a pattern wherever we go. It doesn't mater where we land, all the locals say the same thing. "This is unusual weather for our area this time of year."

We lived in Germany from 2001 until the tail end of 2005, so we were in Europe for the "unusual" heat during the summer of 2003. You remember...when all the French people died? It seems that every year, the summers get longer and hotter over there. It's all just compounded by the fact that so few people have air-conditioning in their homes. (Can you just imagine how enjoyable that hot hot hot summer was?!? All you could do was open your windows and pray for a breeze. If you were lucky enough to have bought fans for the limited time they were available in stores, all the better for you!!)

The recurring phrase would pop up time and time again. "This heat is unusual…you normally don't need air conditioning!" "My, but it's a dry season…this is very unusual." "That incredible storm last night was very unusual…we never get lightning or such strong winds!" "I hope the leaves change…we had such a dry summer that the trees may not have gotten enough water. Very unusual."

Now I read that the European alps (one of my favorite places to be!) is experiencing an "unusually" warm autumn/winter. The warmest in 1,300 years, so they say. People are canceling, moving or amending their planned ski holidays because of lack of snow on the mountains. Very unusual. Huh.

We followed the weather patterns in the States while we were gone. The Gulf Coast experienced the most freakish of hurricane seasons while we were gone. In all of my life living in Florida, I had never seen anything like it. And for once, I was glad to be out of the state. Up North, they got some crazy snow. Flooding in Europe as well as the States made the news.

Now we've settled in California. It was an "unusually wet" winter and spring this past year. Man, it seemed like the rains just wouldn't quit! The weekend that we closed on our house, Fresno was talking about the threat of flooding to low-lying neighborhoods because the systems were overwhelmed by all the water! Then there were a few weeks of 100+ temps this summer. Again characterized as "unusual" by the locals. Now, after a few cold weeks with freezing nights, we've slipped into a weekend with weather so nice that I've got my windows open. "Unusual" they say. The rains are a bit late this year, and it shouldn't be so warm right now. In fact, a record may have been broken this week.

Snow storms continue to bury sections of the States, cutting off power for days. Floods and wildfires and dry conditions abound. All considered "unusual."

What's up with all of this? Are my husband and I harbingers of unusual weather patterns wherever we go? No, I think that the answer is a bit more scientific than that. Global warming is a fact, despite what the nay-sayers think. It's here, and we need to do something about it. Quickly…before the "unusual" becomes widely accepted as the "new norm."