By Kelley Ashford
November 17, 2008
 
I have recently decided that fall is my second favorite season. (First is and always will be summer.) I made this decision after a realization of how beautiful the colors are in the Rogue Valley. The sunlight during this time of year is at such an angle that gives everything a soft, golden glow. And the cooler weather allows for a needed change up in wardrobe options. (I'm a coat fanatic!)
 
The one thing that I'm not incredibly fond of is the rain business. You'd think I would have gotten used to it by now, having lived in the Northwest since I was 8. But I think having my roots stem from California has prevented me from ever truly enjoying the rain the way some lifetime Northwesterners do.
 
Of the many issues I have with rain, one of the biggest is that it's not so nice for my hair. On Veterans Day, we had the brilliant idea of putting me outside from 5:30 to 6:30 a.m. for morning show live hits at the newly dedicated Oregon Fallen War Heroes Memorial. It's a beautiful memorial and well worth showing people, but that particular day the weather decided to downpour. By my last live hit, I probably looked like a wet rat. And, afterwards, what had been a straight hair day (half hours worth of straightening) became a curly hair day (my hair naturally curls when it gets wet).
 
It's nice that Southern Oregon is not quite as wet as other areas around Oregon and Washington. And, don't get me wrong, I appreciate that it's the temperate climate that gives this area its beauty. So, bring on the rain... just as long as I'm watching from a window, inside with a hot cup of coffee.
 
--Kelley
kashford@kdrv.com