Windy?

I went out shopping on the Drive today and had trouble making my way against the extraordinary wind.  If you have ever been to Skagway, you’ll understand why I thought I was back there!

Weather In The Cold War

I am a devotee of linear history: I like to know the order in which things happened, what came first, what came next. Give me the timeline before giving me your explanation or analysis. In an earlier iteration of my blog, I tried to catalog some of these “cultural beginnings” and I have continued this here.

It will come as no surprise therefore that I just love the History of Science Timeline site.

Having been born in 1949, I decided to look at what happened in 1950 and the first thing I noticed was that in 1950 we have the first weather forecast by an electronic computer. The 24-hour forecast took 24 hours to compute. Of more interest to me was the purpose behind the work:

“As a committed opponent of Communism and a key member of the WWII-era national security establishment, [John] von Neumann hoped that weather modeling might lead to weather control, which might be used as a weapon of war. Soviet harvests, for example, might be ruined by a US-induced drought.”

Science for the greater good, eh?

After The Rain

For several weeks Vancouver has enjoyed high temperatures and sunny days. However, when the smoke from the Province’s hundreds of wild fires drifted across the city last week, the air quality deteriorated to the point where it was affecting me badly. Three days ago we finally got some rain, and it was warmly welcomed by me and our plants. The rains were never heavy but for many, by this morning, a third day of precipitation was too much to bear and Twitter was awash with complaints.

I went vegetable shopping along the Drive about noon today while the air was still moist with light raindrops — and it was a delight. The temperature was muted and the rain-cleaned air was wonderful. Just an hour later, as I was walking home and the rain had finished and the sun was breaking through the clouds, it had already begun to feel like a rain forest, with humidity as heavy as a Hudson’s Bay blanket.

Once again I began to dream of finding a place where there was only spring and fall. Where could that be?

Sun 1

This is as close as we will get to the sun in Vancouver this week!

Vancouver’s Fog

Over the last few days, we have experienced very heavy fog.  Sometimes it lasts all day.  It makes for treacherous driving, but …

… what an incredible view!

This was apparently taken at 6am today from Cypress Mountain on Vancouver’s North Shore, looking down onto the city.  I am actively seeking the name of the photographer so that I can give proper credit (it seems to be a friend of a friend of a friend); but I did want to share this as soon as possible.

Wow!

Update:   With heavy legwork by commenter Derek Miller, we can now suggest that this image is the work of Blair Kent.  It was taken about 7:30am on Sunday the 18th.  Great shot.

Feed A Cold

Vancouver is suffering the worst snow storms that I’ve seen in my thirty years here.  There has been snow on the ground since about the 15th of December, and yesterday’s storm must have dropped another foot or so on the city.  This is so unlike us.    While pretty to look at, the snow has severe disadvantages for old farts like us, making it almost impossible to get around.  I was out for a couple of hours  yesterday, but my best gal hasn’t left the house so far this year.

However there are advantages to such enforced isolation:  We’ve both taken the opportunity to cook our little hearts out, especially herself. Magnificent breakfasts have been created, fit for kings (including my first attempt at chilaquiles on New Year’s Day that I thought were pretty good); and we have both baked tasty breads.

My bride gave me a huge tagine dish for Christmas.   It turned out to be the perfect vehicle for my unkneaded bread, and I’ve used it twice already to that purpose.  I also used it to create a chicken tagine for dinner the other night that was quite successful (recipe at the end of this post).  On her side, the boss has cooked a wonderful chicken pot pie, and a batch of the very finest mince pies.

Let the snow keep piling — we have a larder full of goodies to keep us warm!

Recipe for Chicken Tagine

This is best made using a tagine dish but, as you will see, a casserole dish would be just fine too.

First make up the spice mixture:

1 tsp cayenne      2 tsp ground black pepper     1 1/2 tbsp paprika                          1 1/2 tbsp ground ginger       1 tbsp tumeric    2 tbsp cinnamon

Rub half the mixture into about 2lbs of chicken (thighs and breasts) cut into 1 inch pieces and let those marinate for a bit.

Pre-heat the oven to 300.  Prepare a dish, either a casserole or tagine and heat it on the stovetop.

Rough grate 2 medium onions and in the dish, slowly fry the onions, three crushed garlic cloves, and the rest of the spice mix in a couple of tbsp of olive oil.  You want the onions soft and translucent, about 10 minutes on low.

Open a large can of whole tomatoes and separate the tomatoes and the juice.

In a large pan, brown off the spiced meat.  Use a little oil and a little tomato juice to keep them moist while they brown.  As each batch is done, add the meat to the dish with the onions.

To the dish add the rest of the tomato juice, the tomatoes, crushed roughly, a pint of hot chicken stock, flaked almonds, a tablespoon of honey, and whatever dry fruit you have (a palmful of raisins, perhaps, another of sultanas, and a handful of chopped dried apricots).  Add some saffron if you have it.

Bring to the boil and then transfer the dish to the oven.  Cook covered for 90 minutes.   Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve immediately with couscous or rice.

Hope you like it!

Keep Me Warm In the Snow Series: Pirates!

This was the evening view from our hotel room in Puerto Vallarta last week.  I’d post a view from our house right now, but it is just too depressing.

Both of us have been suffering badly from colds since we got back — flat on our back suffering — and making this image is therapy, a step away from reality.

The Current View

From Puerto Vallarta to Poor Visibility!

After a full afternoon, evening, and morning’s work, Thomas the plumber finally managed to unfreeze the system — and we have a working kitchen again.

Ah, for those strolls along the Malecon.

Home Sweet Home

Back home!

A few hours ago we were at 31 degrees on the beach.  We have arrived at midnight to find Vancouver covered in snow, the temperature is about minus 10, the toilet seems to be frozen, the kitchen sinks are blocked, the cat hates us, and more snow is coming tomorrow night.

But that’s OK because we’re home!

Our Winter Wonderland

Sometime today, Vancouver will get its first dusting of snow this season — and this morning it sure is cold enough.   However, my gal and I are escaping to Mexico today for a week in the sun!

While our house-sitters can take care of our house and home, their ability to post here is more limited.  I have set up the Imperial Commander series to post once a day. Other than that, this is by way of saying “adieu” until the 20th.

Have fun!

Synchronizing the Details

A century or more ago when I was in my early teens at school, I recall going caving with my class on more than one occasion.  England’s West Country is riddled with wonderful nooks and crannies if you can get over the early stages of claustrophobia.   I remember not being too impressed with stalactites and stalagmites and such like.   Luckily, others had more sense.

Via Anthropology.net, I learn of work that has been done on a stalagmite in Wanxiang Cave, China, that allows researchers to figure out the detailed climatic conditions back more than a thousand years at intervals of just 2.5 years.  In particular, they can pick out the drought of the ninth century that seems to have contributed to the collapse both of the Tang Empire in China and of the Mayans in the Americas. The researchers have also found evidence of low rainfall at the times of the end of the Yuan and Ming dynasties.

In all cases it seems, the carrying capacities of their agricultural systems couldn’t handle the pressures caused by years of low rainfall, and the civilizations crashed.

We usually look at the histories of empires, their rise and fall, as a confluence of human emotions, power, technology, military advantage, economics.  We often forget that climate is a truly global player that can cause history-changing effects simultaneously on both sides of the globe; effects that no human power has yet figured out how to tame.

Global Warming and Bad Marketing

About three weeks ago I wrote a piece about how unusual it was to have snow in Vancouver at the end of March. Guess what? Three weeks into April and we have snow on the roofs again! It came down last night and survived the very cold night. I doubt it will last the day, but still! Just a week or so ago we were practising for summer in our shorts. Today, I have to iron a heavy winter shirt before I can go out to breakfast.

It is days like this that make a mockery of “global warming”. Most people will remember this snow more than they will recall the breaking up of the ice shelves reported last week. There was probably no marketing mastermind behind the unfortunate adoption of “global warming” as shorthand for the entire phenomenon of climate change, but marketing simply “climate change” would have been a better idea.

So, to cut a long debate short, we can blame Al Gore for the snow today.

It’s Snowing In Vancouver

I’m sure this isn’t the first time it has snowed here at the very end of March, but I sure wasn’t expecting it. Just the other day I was wandering around in a short-sleeved shirt. At least it will give the local mountains another good weekend before they close.  And it takes our minds off the dismal Canucks.