Students at the University of Oregon LOVE the OMbrella!

Other testimonials come to me daily through satisfied retailers’ re-orders, and of course FaceBook! If you haven’t yet ‘Liked’ the OMbrella on Facebook, please do so. It helps my business grow, so I really appreciate it.

Speaking of growing, the warm spring rains, mitigated by occasional sunny days, has brought so much color, birdsong, and optimism for those garden projects here in Oregon.

After months of rain, Eugeneans revel in the sunny spring days. For myself, I felt so confident, so ‘gung ho’, I started a massive landscape project in my front yard – a plan for that space I have had in mind for a couple of years now.

The 'Dr. Seuss' tree that leaned too far toward the house just had to come down

Tree getting topped in advance of being pulled out by rope with truck

The truck and rope trick worked! Tree down. Let the new landscape begin!

After removing tree and previous plantings, back retainer wall is finally placed! Those stones weigh 60 lbs. each! Whew!

I also started in on my vegetable garden – leveling the area, creating beds, and yes, even buying starts….

Garden area leveled and soil being carted in on planks

I was not alone in chuckling at myself for getting started on large garden projects so ‘early’. The first hint of sun, and Eugeneans are out in their yards, unleashing all the pent up energy from those lengthy in-door days of interminable cold hard winter rain. And once again remind ourselves that the soft warmish spring sprinkles are actually fun to work in. And to kick around town in with our funky OMbrellas!

The 'Penguin' in Newport, Oregon

So, 10 OMbrella sitings. A few of which were on those sunny days. The OMbrella is a great parasol too! Speaking of statistics, here are some more facts about rain:

1. The umbrella was originally invented to protect people from the hot sun.

2. Rain drops can fall at speeds of about 22 miles an hour.

3. Rain starts off as ice or snow crystals at cloud level.

4. Light rain is classified as being no more than 0.10 inches of rain an hour.

5. Heavy rain is classified as being more then 0.30 inches of rain an hour.

6. Louisiana is the wettest state in the U.S, which received an annual rainfall of 56 inches.

7. Rain drops range in size from 0.02 inches to about .031 inches.

8. Rain drops do not fall in a tear drop shape, they originally fall in the shape of a flat oval.

9. Rain that freezes before it hits the ground is known as frozen rain.

10. Rain is recycled water that evaporated from our worlds’ large bodies of water.

Welcome to the OMbrella blog! I intend to post interesting poems, articles, photos here from time to time. I welcome your feedback. If you have something you would like to share here, feel free to email it to me, with your permission to post, and I will be happy to do so. There is so much to be enjoyed and shared about weather, sports; and colorful playful fun!

I came across a poem (more accurately perhaps described as a bit of doggerel) recently – actually my Dad sent it to me (He is an attorney in Colorado). It’s quirky silly. I don’t know who the author is unfortunately:

The rain, it raineth every day
Upon the just and unjust fella
But more upon the just, because
The unjust has the just’s umbrella.

 So, that little ditty inspired me to write a limerick:

Know ye the man with the designer umbrella
Whom everyone agrees is a unique kind of fella.
Through the rain and the sleet
He smiles to all he doth meet
Calls out ‘Ciao’, and ‘Face Bella’!

The ‘fella’ in the limerick is Italian, obviously! And, since I’ve been receiving orders off the website from Italy, France, and Spain lately, I thought it apropos.

As the spring rain and sun blesses us with colorful flowers and blooming trees, stay dry and playful under your OMbrella!

Kate
March 21, 2012