It seems to me that deborah is saying you can't have a good vent on this forum for the sake of venting. I've noticed the same.
Personally I find it boring to hear about mainland weather. I haven't been there for a long time and it has nothing to do with my life here. When I did live there, I mostly lived in places with decent weather ... not everyone who moves here is escaping depressing weather.
I just like to look at the situation in the here and now. Perspective is good, but too much "count your blessings" gets old. I do count my blessings, every day, and I suspect most of us do -- so it irritates me to hear people say count your blessings all the time as it is an unnecessary reminder and sounds like preaching. OK, that is my vent. [
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It's funny, after reading this whole debate, I was in town talking to various locals who were born and raised here and listening to the conversations around me. Everyone talking about the crazy weather and how they had to cancel this and not do that. None of them talking about doing staycations Kona side. They don't have the money, and they have obligations that prevent them from running off to the sun. None of them saying it's worse in Pick Your Place Mainland, because that's not their frame of reference, being born here.
They just deal, and vent a little because venting is how people release pressure.
Of course it is part of living on the east side to accept periodic months where the gloom-sun ratio gets to our spirits. For me that happens maybe one or two months a year, but I can remember three winters here at least where the whole winter was a hassle.
Have definitely gotten spoiled with the recent cycle. I do agree that this wet is not as wet as Hilo used to be. I know people who remember Hilo from 20 years ago. One from UHHilo. She said it rained day after day continuously, and all she remembers is the sound of rain on the roof all day, making her want to sleep. She graduated and never wanted to live over here again. Other friend says, "I lived in Hilo when it used to rain all the time." Referring back 20 years. Considers the weather pattern very different now.
I do think the climate is changing. Some places are drying up, and the east side has been more like a place with just enough rain to be nice, but plenty of sun. Even back in the early part of this decade, I remember that my impression of Puna was that it was always drizzling. Every single time I came through, nothing but gray and rain. So I figured that if I chose Puna, that would be the situation. Clearly my impression was not accurate, and the sun comes out regularly, but it is a wet area, as is Hilo. Especially if you go up to Waiakea Uka or the Pi'ihonua. Or up Kai'i'e Rd. in my area.
One way to tell an area is go look at a lot of older houses. Certain areas, the houses all smell like mold and mulching. They never completely dry out. Kaloli Point is not like that. It really has a wonderful climate for Puna, although hot in the summer. Oops, deborah, I was that close to telling you to count your blessing. [
] Instead I will say, "this rain is enough already, but hang in there, we almost always have a super nice patch of weather in January if it doesn't come at Christmas." [
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"And I'm sure it wouldn't interest anybody, outside of a small circle of friends ~ Phil Ochs
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