Emmy, agreed, though I did make allowances in my post for scheduling and the lack of daylight hours during the Winter. I do have a different understanding of available Winter light at this latitude. The University of Washington has done a fair amount of study on this subject (naturally), and I recall reading an article a few years ago addressing that subject.
Ultimately, you need to keep doing what works for you. More than anything, I was trying to debunk (according to my understanding) the popular misconception that SAD is inevitable because of our geographic location. This, of course doesn't apply to persons with darker complexion, whose ancestors for the most part didn't evolve at these latitudes.

we moved to california from west seattle just over a year ago. needless to say, even with the rain, we miss it more than words can say. we live in sunshine and warmth everyday, but we miss the people. real people. people who say hi. people who look you in the eye when you walk past them. people who remember what coffee you drink at your local coffee shop. people who genuinely care about their neighbors. we just can't find that down here. i would rather carry an umbrella than a bottle of suntan lotion! we miss you west seattle. we'll be back soon!

Over the weekend at Bumbershoot I witnessed bouts of simultaneous sunshine and rain. Amazing and beautiful.

To hell with heat.

Dawson@35- During the winter I don't have an hour to spend outside. All daylight hours are spent at work so the lightbox is a blessing.

On another note, my understanding is that at this lattitude, there's NO WAY we can get enough sunlight to produce the amount of vitamin D we need.

I still HEART Seattle.

oh, dawson, ok, we'll be nice every other day ;-)

No, no NO! We MUST stop being nice or polite or respectful or empathetic with our fellow citizens! That type of behavior feeds into the stereotype that Seattleites are passive/aggressive!

Along those lines, I'm particularly pleased when I stop to let people cross the road (at an unmarked-crosswalk type of intersection) and those behind me do NOT honk, try to pass on the right, etc. Honestly, you can wait a minute. Maybe two.

another thing that I love about where we live...it's OK to be NICE..like the people on here. I will never ever figure out when , in some circles, it became "de rigeur" to not be nice to the people in one's community. We are, as a whole, exemplary people :), especially here in West Seattle, don't you think?

A person can get as much or more benefit from spending an hour outdoors during daylight hours, at a MUCH lower cost, than they would get from a light box. Even on the darkest midwinter day you will absorb more light outdoors than you do from an artificial source. The greatest issue for many, of course, is scheduling that outside time. That can be a problem when it is daylight for only 8 hours.
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Interesting you should mention Pittsburgh, elisabethf, it is #2 ahead of Seattle among the nation's cloudiest cities, behind only.... Portland!
You got us on ONE thing, Rose City!
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Well, (grumble) there IS the whole well-established and quickly expanding light-rail system.
We're catching up, though!(?)

I hear you, JoB.
I'm going to make a HUUUUGE pot of Beef Stew, that I can divide then freeze into dinner-size portions.
Yummmm!

As a 16-year-old transplant from Spokane many years ago, I knew I'd found my home. I spent a very wretched 7 months in Pittsburgh in the 90s, January to July, and felt like I'd landed on some inhospitable planet. Prior to the big Seahawks-Steelers game, I got into a heated e-mail exchange with a Post-Gazette sports columnist who'd visited Seattle to reconnoiter the environs and then reported that he'd spotted no Seahawks banners anywhere and that Seattle is seriously flawed. (Pittsburgh hangs Stillers banners on its art museums.) After a couple a vitriolic riposts back and forth, this guy said "Sports is all we have." I then felt very bad and apologized to him. He was right. We are so very lucky with what we have here.

days like today beg for a slow roast in the oven...
filling the day with anticipation.

the pups tell me when it is done:)

Everything mentioned above, and PEOPLE LIKE YOU! Living in a place that welcomes rain and wind chilly weather, and appreciates the beginning of Autumn. Ahhh it's a good feeling.

Ah, Seattle is sooo beautiful! It amazed me every day when I moved here after living in Southern Idaho and Eastern Washington, but now I take it a bit for granted.

I think the only downfall (yes, only, well besides traffic) is the long dreary dark winters, but even that can be offset by a good light box of sunshiney happiness.

I don't mind days like today - Sturm und Drang. Sun, rain, mix, rinse, repeat. But the gradual warm fronts and drip drip drip for 2+ weeks straight come January (assuming it doesn't snow) are wearing. But then, I am a transplant like most Seattlites.
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However when I go back to my birthplace the weather is so boring, and the tide of humanity (particularly on the Freeway) is just unfathomable, the dirt in the air, and the vegetation looks gratuitous, tortured, and brown.
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My favorite time here is late summer (which this still is in my book), with the fog coming and going, the fog horns sounding, the sun up and a hint of fall in the air is really nice. Like I say, the best days in Seattle beat the best days anywhere else.

SEASONS...clear, distinct seasons...I wouldn't trade it for the world. I loved every minute of being snowed in, I enjoyed the summer (okay, 100+ was a bit much) and I can't wait for Fall. I welcome the rain - the sound, the smell, the clean slate.

I remember about 10 years ago I was on a boat in Austria traveling to a small island. I was with some midwest US tourists- all in awe of the blue sky, the mountains, the water, the greenery...and I remember thinking..."wow, just like home" :)

...because I love rain!

no more anxiety about my dogs overheating - in the car, on a walk, even in the house. we went for a gorgeous walk in camp long this afternoon. wearing a knit cap and a light fleece, breezy sprinkles amidst dappled sunlight. no more dusty trails, fresh clean smell of green. love it!

just a little drizzle and the fish are already wet.

because my brother can call and tell me they are downtown and will be dropping by for a short visit and i can get a cake from the salvadoran bakery before they arrive:) even in the rain:)

I love it - and in a minute I am going to strap on my rubber boots and take my 2-year-old out to jump in puddles and then come back in and enjoy the boeuf bourguignon my husband was inspired to make because of the weather and Anthony Bordain..it smells like heaven!

Weather like this lets you know you are alive! As long as you are sporting a REI water/wind proof jacket with a nice warm cup of chai tea in your hand, I don't think it is half bad. Yeah Seattle!

I love rain. Good thing I was born here in Seattle, right? Oh, and that I haven't chosen to leave. I'd happily trade Summer for an extra Fall. :-) This weather made for a perfect holiday weekend, in my opinion!

Mr. JT..whatcha makin'? and are you gonna share with us?

About to take that advice.

I was fishing on the Duwamish all morning, it was awesome. Nature in all it's glory in the industrial heart of the city.

I say "stop typing and go outdoors".

Days like today inspire me to bake !

My water bill will now go down... And I live here because when I go out in West Seattle, the nicest community I could ever ask for greets me every day. Not to mention, we have a wonderful blog to vent and express ourselves to our neighbors. I love it here... early winters not withstanding...

another thing about here...sun is shining, rain drops are falling...at the same time - lol...

You know how when you are absolutely parched and thirsty and how good water can taste and how essential it feels then? That is kind of how I imagine these rains are to every bit of flora and fauna surrounding us. I can almost hear the relief. Or how good a shower feels after having extended oneself physically to the point of grime, dust or sweat? How good it is to be newly cleansed?

The leaves will transpire and the roots will plumpen and
we shall have our green renewed. And, that renews us too, I do believe. Those who study color say green is the most "serene" of colors...,that is perhaps the icing on our cake (but DON'T leave cake out in the rain, please).

May we all have good drainage!!! ;)

TR, when my sister came to visit from New York the first thing she said (and continually said) was "OMG it's so GREEN!" I love that about here too. With the exception with some of the heavier rain that is pretty rare here, I really don't mind the rain. Besides, I start to get a little crazy when the sun shines too many days in a row, and beggin for it to stop. Guess I should've been a vampire. :)

I love the green also. I lived in and loved the sun in Southern Oregon for years but was happily stunned by the green upon moving back.

Fires are another reason!

I love going to the beach when it's stormy and rainy after all the summer people have left.

Knitting! It's soooo nice to be knitting again.

Knitting group attendance.

Hot coffee drinks again.

Excuse to be pessimistic. I call it 'realism' though. ;)

The smell after it rains

Sweaters and boots.

That feeling of getting home after being out in the rain.

Baked apples and cinnamon

Pumpkin pie.

Hot cider with cinnamon sticks...and rum

The cleaning action of rain...

fish jumping.

I could go on :)

...when the sun shines from here until June 20th, it is amazing.

Good reminder, WSB -- it's not Las Vegas; it also isn't Oklahoma or Nebraska -- two other places I've lived and I'm glad I'm not. I'm now bundled up in sweaters and lovingly hand knit (mis matched) scarves and I'm going off to find ice cream and fall veggie plants.

franklin, just noticed your avatar (I'm a little slow this morning) -- fabuloso.

I'm surprised nobody else has said this.

One of the main reasons I fell in love with Seattle and stay here is that it's GREEN. The only other place I have ever loved living was Honolulu, and believe it or not, Seattle reminds me of Honolulu almost every day - because it is lushly green.

Probably related to the fact that when I first laid eyes on Seattle, I came here as a tourist from the place I most HATED living ... Las Vegas ... to which I was uprooted as a teenager from ... Hawaii.

With one exception, you're coming through beautifully! Don't stop now :-)

and no black ice

OK...I'll give you that...snow ONE time - lol...

honestly the kids had so much fun in the snow last year i would like to see it again

and right now it's getting brighter over towards the west, so the rain may let up...something for everyone. Warmer weather is going to return for a bit, but this is kind of refreshing. And my windows are still partially open...love the sound of it...

I will miss the long daylight hours of spring/summer, and I will get cranky at times because of it, but, hopefully, it'll return in a few months without having gone through a winter season like last years :) Thinking "NO SNOW, NO SNOW !! - lol

My advice for this afternoon? Make some soup, watch a movie, take a nap...hehehe

My my how quickly we forget! It was just a month ago we had record temperatures and people were having a hard time because of heat. Face it we had a great run this summer from the weather. It hasn't rained sustantially in months! This is just a typical holiday as opposed to the un-typical weather we had over Memorial Day or the 4th of July. I spent two and half weeks this past summer on my boat in the islands and not one cloud the whole time. Not to mention my water bill was getting rediculous and and am happy to see some relief there. My point is don't complain so much! It ain't that bad!

OK, I'll start -- I can wear my sweaters (again) and I can wear some of the 14 long scarves I've knitted this summer. Damn, it's annoying to be perky. And no they aren't 14 feet long -- I made 14 of 'em.

LOLOL. yeah.. exactly.

Just look outdoors. If you must, GO outdoors. Then start typing.