I know, I know, global warming and all that, and I’m sure there will be consequences for the absolutely beautiful weather we’re having right now but I can’t say I’m not enjoying it. Who doesn’t like birds singing, sunshine, fresh air, and less constricting clothing? After a frigid January when our electric bill more than doubled to around $300 (despite very conservative thermostat settings), February has caused us all to prematurely wander the aisles of the garden center and think about what kind of flowers to plant this year. Our car windows are down and house windows are up. This very morning I wandered outside in shorts and a t-shirt. I’m thinking about grilling something outside for dinner. I’m determined to bring my YTD electric bill average down by not using the air conditioner, though this has led to more sweat than we’ve probably ever seen in the middle of winter. Yesterday hit at least 80 degrees and if our pool was ready I would have been tempted to dip my toes in it. Don’t get me wrong, these aren’t complaints. We’re enjoying every minute of it, even if we seem a little grumpy when moderate effort to do outside chores overheats us. Overall, we’re optimistic and happy. I feel like we can clearly see the light at the end of the winter tunnel. But I made the mistake of looking at the weather almanac to see how far off of average we are and discovered that these highs and lows are something we can’t expect to see regularly until May (these highs) or even June (these lows). You know…three or more months from now. That brought me back to reality, reminding me we shouldn’t pack out winter coats away just yet. Our neighbors are quick to remind us that it wasn’t that long ago (1993) that a surprise blizzard ground normal life to a halt here in east Tennessee in early March. The flowering trees that bloomed last night don’t seem to care but I worry about them. The wasps don’t seem to care but I don’t worry about them. I’m sure somewhere there are snakes waking up from hibernation but I’m trying to not to think of them, even as I keep a careful eye on the ground as I walk these days. At the very least, though, I’m happy to have missed a couple of weeks of winter. Now all we need is “longer days”, brought to us soon (March 11) by the start of daylight savings time.
As I struggle to finish a cup of hot coffee (cold brew is steeping), I’m keeping an eye on the Naples Pier Cam, where Earthcam tells me it’s 72. Brrr. Those poor Floridians.
