112 Whatever the weather

Whatever the weather

As summer winds down, my thoughts turn to highlights of the warm, warm weather.

No heavy coats, no boots, no gloves, no scarves, no hats--therefore, the laundry is much lighter as many of those items are laundered on a weekly basis.

No slippery sidewalks, no snow banks, no car windshields to scrap, no ugly, dirty piles of ice that freeze and thaw and freeze and thaw --- therefore, mobility is easier and quicker so more time to relax in the summer months and celebrate birthdays outside.

No cold winds blowing, no sleet, no freezing rain, and no snow-- there were some fierce rains and storms but nothing that lingered

so beach trips were uninterrupted with sandy activities and more.

I only wish we could save some of the heat and store it up for those cold, cold days of winter when there is no break from the low temperatures.

Fall is approaching and hopefully it will be mild as last year’s season. We were enjoying tropical weather through the holiday season into New Year’s Day. It may seem strange not to have snow and cold for Christmas, but I will take it any day. I guess as I analyze my thoughts I have to call myself a fair weather addict. 

This summer has been called the warmest ever-- that really seems hard to believe but records have the figures to prove it. If this continues, we may have warmer and warmer summers thrust upon us in the near future. I only hope it will be comfortable and tolerable and ease the cold of winter. This year was extreme but definitely manageable with air conditioning and adjusting activities to certain times of the day.

Weather is always a popular topic of conversation. I remember as my mother got older she would talk about the weather whenever we called each other or even when we wrote letters. I find myself doing the same thing with my children especially when they live in another state. I often hear myself commenting on the weather and thinking how did I come to this--channeling my mother. Still not sure why, but I guess it is something we all have in common and endure.

It is something we all experience, every day, all our lives--a rather obvious observation. It determines what we wear (jackets, raincoats, etc.), what activities we can enjoy, how our hair behaves, how many layers we put on or take off, what we take with us (umbrellas, scarves, hats).

We listen to the forecasts, watch the weather channel, maps, and progress of storms more diligently than anything else in our lives. If it rains, we are often heard asking--was this in the forecast, was it supposed to rain today, is it going to rain tomorrow.

And heaven forbid if the forecast is wrong--we berate and denigrate the forecasters, who try as they may, can never be 100 percent correct.

My advice is enjoy the rest of the summer, hope for a mild winter, and keep an eye out for those blasted forecasts of the first snow of winter – hopefully there won’t be much!!

Frances