The Many Shades of Gray..

I reflected on many things this afternoon.  Was fortunate to be able to spend a couple of hours in one of my favorite places.  Powell's Books in Portland, Oregon.  Spent my time in that book lover's paradise poring over the shelves with a fine toothed comb.  What a treasure trove!  Brought home quite a few used books to fill many dark winter hours with reading happiness.  While i was in dreamland looking at books; it also occurred to me how much i've come to love these gray Northwest winter days.  The many, subtle.. matte shades of gray have grown on me.  lol.. Both emotionally and physically.  And here.. i'm speaking of the gray in the sky AND the gray hairs growing in on my head.  The gray on my head is no surprise.  And neither is the gray weather.  I am an Oregonian after all.  Though if only temporarily.  (S and i want to move back to Maine one these days after he retires!)  But i will admit that those 'things' growing on my noggin give me a bigger jolt.  Like tasting a piece of sour grapefruit that needs to be sweetened with a little sugar.  I'm trying to decide if i'm 'okay' with the gray up there.  Not the kind in the sky.  Would I rather be a Summer Blonde?  An Autumn Red, perhaps?  Or am i fine with the Winter Gris?  :)  Guess i have some pondering to do.  Going 'that color' is not the end of the world, I know.  And it might grow on me more.. hah!  if you know what i mean!  I'll just say i'm going to take my sweet time making up my mind.  No rush to make a salon appointment.  I'm still more dirty blond than grayish right now.

Lately.. i've been loving the gray, rainy, foggy skies!  I've checked for webbed feet.. and no.  Don't have those.  And i've not grown moldy.  The dark skies are beautiful.  Quiet and kind of cozy.  Of course.. come mid March, i might feel differently.  I'll be grateful by the time Spring comes.  And i adore the intense sunshine of a dry Oregon summer.  The late daylight.  Wait!  I'm getting ahead of myself.  This post is about clouds.. not sun!  I've come a long way baby since S and i moved out this way sixteen years ago.  Since the days i whined a lot.. (and i mean a lot) about the amount of rain we get in Oregon between late October and early April.  I've done a lot of growing up.  I'm an optimist.  Gray is good.  Beautiful in its own way.  The seasons are perfect.  By the time the hot summer is over; i'm anxious for the rains to come.  Hah!  And come they certainly do.  I want to post a picture of some Winter sky i took just this afternoon.  Lovely, i think...



And no.. :).. i won't post a photo of my head with its blossoming grays!  Anyway, i think the matte gray sky to the left is pretty.. in a dark kind of way.. Probably a good thing i think so.. considering we have this weather for about four to five months a year!  :)  The reading material i brought home today will come in handy for these dark, cold, rainy afternoons and evenings!  And when Springtime 'finally' comes; i'll be extra ecstatic to see and feel it.  But, until then, this gray isn't bad.  Not bad at all.  I also realized, today, that you've not yet been introduced to two of our four cats.. Tortie and Otis!  I believe i made a post one day about our magnificent Otis.. part Maine Coon Kitty with the banner tail.  But you've yet to meet Tortie.. our gorgeous Calico girl!  Shall post a picture of our handsome boy, (the older of the two brothers, Tennessee being the younger, ) and our gorgeous girl, (the older sister,) right this minute!

Our sweet Otis!  Isn't he wonderful?  I try to do justice to his emerald eyes when i take a photo, but most of the time.. he closes his eyes on me.  This time, i managed to catch him with eyes open.  I think of him as my Familiar.  He works especially hard Halloween Day and Night finessing his magic tricks!

And below is our wonderful Tortie.  She and her sibling would love to wish you all a belated Happy New Year!

Well.. here it is 8:48 pm here on the lovely (gray) Left Coast, and i've yet to eat dinner.  Quite hungry i am.  Time for a little repast!  And time to slip a classic film into the DVD player.  Tonight's feature is 'The 39 Steps'.. (1935.)  One of my very favorite of Mr. Alfred Hitchcock's greats!


So.. finally.. my brevity seems to have left me again.. i'll let you go for this Tuesday, January Third, Twenty Twelve!  Enjoy what's left of your evening!  Just about January Fourth on the Right Coast.  And.. must feed my hungry furry little kitty bears.  They've become quite vocal while i've been here on the box not being brief.  Tonight, it's F,for Fabulous Winter Gray & Fantastic Kitties!