JulieLeung.com: a life told in tidepools

From amba’s post listing goodies she discovered on a logophile’s paradise the Phrontistery , I learned ombrophilous, defined as tolerant of large amounts of rainfall. While amba says this word describes those of us who live in Seattle, I beg to disagree. Maybe it was the move to California that spoiled me. I grew up in the Seattle area and moved back here five years ago. In total, I’ve lived in the Puget Sound region for a majority of my life. Enough to know that natives don’t need umbrellas. I never did. A raincoat suited me fine all my childhood years, including commuting miles on the bus to school. Maybe it’s my age. But I’m becoming less tolerant of rain and the lack of sunlight that accompanies it. Ombrophilous I am not. And Seattle is receiving less rain fall, preparing for the possibility of drought and less rain and snow, not only this year but on a regular basis. I like my blue sky. After all, the bluest skies are here. Perhaps I’m becoming heliophilous. This spring we’ve had alternating weeks of sun and rain. I don’t know whether it’s time to put the flannel sheets in the closet. Some days are warm enough for shorts and ice cream. We’ve moved our summer wardrobes into the drawers and bought cartons of frozen goodies. Other weeks like this one seem determined to restore our reputation, or perhaps in imitation of the groundhog seeing his shadow, indicate the weeks left until true summer arrives (after the fourth of July).

The girls and I have enjoyed the sunny weather by adding field trips onto our errand trips. Apple blossoms bloomed bright against the blue sky at Bellevue’s Kelsey Creek Park a couple weeks ago. More farm pictures are below and on the girls blog.

Philotherianism is a word that described me years ago as a child at this same park, and it still describes me now…and my kids too. My daughter is philhippic, and that’s Abigail, the horse lover, not Michaela the hippo adorer. Halophile, psychrophilic, thalassophilous , anthophilous and theophile are good ones too. Philocaly lover of beauty is a true adjective for me and perhaps even logophile might be one too.