When it comes to the weather, there are a few things any PNW dweller can count on: Expect rain anytime from October to June, and expect it to be bone dry for much of July through September.

Of course, there are no guarantees in life, especially when it comes to weather forecasting. Even so, when I saw those little blue raindrops coming up in my favorite weather app, I was a little dubious: It’s summer, in the PNW. Just two weeks ago, we were roasting on the boat! It never rains here in July!!

Nevertheless, we woke up to the sound of raindrops on the deck above today, Monday, July 29. In our defense, we have every reason to be a little surprised. Historically, today is the most dependably dry day of the year in Seattle. We are in the San Juan Islands right now, of course, but usually we can count on it being dry this time of year, too.

It’s supposed to rain off-and-on most of the day. I may have to pull out some of my foul weather gear if I want to get a kayak or hike today.

That’s OK. The West needs moisture badly. While on the boat, we are far away from the many wildfires burning in Oregon, Washington and British Columbia, we’ve been reading the headlines and have had some pretty hazy skies from time to time out here.

So we are taking advantage of the cooler, wetter weather to warm up the galley with some cooking and baking. The weather report promises this moisture will leave our area by Wednesday morning.

I sure hope it does, if only because I took all of my cool-weather sailing gear off the boat for the summer!