Delight or dismay? North Bay residents weigh in on wet weather
PETALUMA -- Reacting to forecasts of an approaching atmospheric river, Sonoma County residents braced for lots of rain on Saturday. Through most of the afternoon there was just a light drizzle in Petaluma yet it was enough to separate those who like the wet stuff from fair-weather fans.
When it comes to rain -- even light rain -- there are those who love it and those who don't, with not many in between. In Petaluma, a place that sees a lot of the Bay Area's rainfall, most have made their peace with it.
"None of our people really complain because it's what we do -- we're used to it, right?" said Carin Grove from Novato. "I mean, if we lived in L.A. maybe we wouldn't like it and be so scared and freak out. But it's fine for us."
Joseph Kinyon lives Petaluma and was out Saturday with his dog Star. He viewed the rain philosophically as he looked out on the swollen Petaluma River.
"You know, whenever it rains and it starts to fill our creeks and rivers, it's a promise of salmon spawning and agriculture going and most of the time it's the promise of spring and summer to come," Kinyon said. "Hopefully it will be a lot of steady rain from now until May and we'll come back with blossoms ahead."
But not everybody felt as warm and fuzzy about the wet and dreary. There was a reason Brian Hagan and Kimi Schiefer both had umbrellas.
"It's just sad. It's depressing," Hagan said. "I lived in Oregon for a little bit and they have a saying there that you're not a true Oregonian if you own an umbrella so I had to get out of there because I don't like being wet."
"It's nice when it's a little cool," Schiefer said. "But not stuff falling from the sky."
In fact, carrying an umbrella seemed like a litmus test for whether people liked the rain or not.
"I went to college in Oregon, so this is, like, nothing," said Caley Berg. "So, when we see people with umbrellas here, we're kind of like, it's funny," she said, laughing.
That stereotype didn't apply to Gage Woods. His umbrella was more the result of his fashion choice of only a knit shirt, rather than an indictment of the wet weather.
"I actually love it," he said. "It's just, I don't want to get the jacket wet because it's, you know, it's not actually a jacket. I'm also in shorts."
For married couple Diane and Ernie Garcia, there was a difference of opinion. Diane doesn't like any part of being cold and wet. For her, it's all one problem.
"They call it winter," she said, laughing. "So, you know, if you want summer, you've got to live through winter."
"I like the wet weather," Ernie said. "I kind of grew up kinda like in the fog in Daly City so we're always wet there. You had to learn how to live with it and deal with it. So, this is nice."
For some, winter is best avoided altogether. Harold Jones traveled from the Central Valley town of Linden to visit the beach but ended up in a bar in Petaluma watching football. He seemed pretty happy about the decision.
"I don't want to be wet and cold! So, I'd rather be in the sun or in a warm environment," he said, as he dug into a warm cookie sundae. "I found a TV in a bar and I'd rather be in here. I'm not getting wet."
And even philosophers like Joseph Kinyon had to admit there was a reason he and Star didn't have a lot of company on their dog walk.
"No, I think they stay indoors," he said. "Trying to avoid doing anything!"