I think that most people would agree that the weather in the populated areas of California is quite desireable. Here in Northern California, we do actually have seasons. In the Sacramento Area, we have hot dry summers (100+ degrees in July/August) and mild fall weather when the leaves start turning on the trees. By the end of December, we might see some winter rain and most trees are now bear of all their leaves. "Jack Frost" generally visits us in January a number of nights in between winter rain storms. It can rain anywhere from October to the beginning of June. It is cold rain generally.
Sometimes, we only have rain from February to April. You just never can tell. Springtime in Northern California is definitely a mixed batch of weather effects. Generally, the weather is mild compared to the rest of the country and we don't really have humidty with the heat. There is legendary fog in the Sacramento Valley during the wintertime. It is known as Tule Fog. There are times where the fog is so thick at ground level that I can't see the houses down the street. The San Francisco Bay Area (and the Napa Valley) contends with fog but mostly in the summer months. The wind in certain areas can kind of drive you crazy, especially the "North Wind". It blows summer in and out during the change in the seasons.
What struck me as very interesting recently is the remark that my aunt made about the "North Wind". I asked her what made our Borchers ancestors leave Minnesota and North Dakota. They, in fact, had spent many, many years living in Aurora, Minnesota. My great great grandparents, Hans Henrich "Henry" Conrad Borchers and Anna Marie Jackel (J pronounced as a Y), met and married in Minnesota in 1878. By the early 1900s, I have them living in Morton, North Dakota. For both of these locations, all I can think of is "burrrrr".
Aurora and Morton appear to be about 60 miles from each other. I can only imagine the reason for the move was to follow other family members. They went from cold to cold. Were they escaping the "North Wind"? My aunt is a living grandchild of Henry and Anna. She believes that they were escaping the "North Wind". Apparently, there could and can be quite a gale blowing in this part of the country. The wind can make you crazy. Trust me, I lived in it for years right near Travis AFB in Fairfield, CA.
Even today when I search for "weather north wind minnesota", if find an explanation of the winds that come out of the north and northwest in that state. As no surprise to me, I also find that power companies harness the wind for power in parts of Minnesota.
While several of Henry and Anna Borchers' children made their way to Napa and Sonoma Counties of California, it would appear that they thought it was a good idea too after having visited. Henry and Anna ended up living in Santa Rosa, CA and ultimately with their youngest son in Napa, CA when they were quite elderly. I have a photo of Anna with my own grandma (her granddaughter), Dorothy.
I do have more relatives who moved to Napa.
To be continued............................................
No comments:
Post a Comment