Freaky Friday

Woke up this morning to fog.  We have been having fog many mornings.  Winter fog is sometimes bad if the weather has been exceptionally cold and the fog moisture freezes on the trees and roads.  But this isn't freezing fog today.  It is just some fog.

My daughter-in-law loves fog.  She loves pictures of trees through the fog.  She loves the idea of getting lost in a fog.  When I was in grade school, my friends and I would go way out into the back of the playground and draw a house in the dirt.  We'd draw in beds and toilets and stoves.  We'd have a front path to the door.  We were very creative in our house-building.  There were times when there would be a heavy ground fog.  It was the best!  We would run out to our houses and could feel like we were the only ones out playing. The fog would soften the other kids playing noises and we were the only ones in the world.  Once we actually were...the fog had soften the bell so we couldn't hear it and so we didn't return to class.  The teacher and the office people became worried and came out to find us.  We did finally hear them calling us but until then, we were happily playing house.

Tule fog in Central California

I used to drive south during winter to visit my folks.  I would have to drive through the San Joaquin Valley--through Central California--on I-5 to get there.  They have a Tule Fog that is so thick you can't see the cars on the road.  I had to get behind a semi and follow closely so I could stay on the road.  I couldn't get off the freeway because I couldn't see the exits until I was beside them.  If it was night, it would be visually worse.  I remember my mom telling of a time when she was working an election.  Our elementary school was a voter place.  At that time they had to count ballots by hand, so she would finish very late at night.  She said the fog was so bad she couldn't see the center line.  She had to drive with her door open and her eyes both on the line and the road ahead.

There were times I drove my speech team home from a tournament--heading down I-5 through Washington--and fingers of fog came creeping around the van.  The night would get darker and my heart would jump a little.  I would slow down a bit.  The students would continue singing and complaining about how the "judges not smart enough to understand" and other things.  Never let them see me sweat...  But the fog never got as bad as it is through Central California.

So this morning I woke up to a bit of fog.  My daughter-in-law will be happy.  In Southern California they said it will "burn off;" in Portland we say it will lighten up to simply another overcast day.  Perfect weather for piecing a new quilt.

peace~~~