I have been tricked

One of the factors that weighed on our Savannah move in 2006 (wow) was the weather. We figured we would adapt to the endless summers with their hot, humid brutality - but the winters are mild, short, and most days it still makes it into the 50’s or 60’s. We moved in November and I clearly remember lying out at the apartment pool after unpacking our apartment. Granted we were alone, but to us it was plenty warm.

As we stood last winter on our deck in January watching wet snow flakes come down, we realized that something had changed. The snow only lasted a couple minutes and nothing accumulated, but the freezing temperatures persisted. It had not snowed in Savannah since the 80’s, and in other areas of the city they were making snowmen? This year, beginning in early December, we have had consistent nights in the low 20’s and highs in the 30-40’s. A month ago we were enjoying warm nights on the porch, and now I am wearing tights, scarves, hats and wool to work.

This morning as I cracked the frozen chicken water and surveyed the sheet of ice that had accumulated in the bird bath, I realized that we had been tricked – but maybe in a good way – at least for the holidays. Christmas in California growing up never felt quite right in short sleeves with a fire in the fireplace at 70 outside. It was great to be able to try out that new bicycle at the beach Christmas afternoon, but that was never the Norman Rockwell Christmas that I envisioned. See, to Dave’s dismay, I am a sucker for ambiance – the crackling fire, hats and gloves and coats on Christmas Day, icicles, colds, parades, wreaths with bows, lights, carols, slipping when you walk, holiday parties, Christmas wishes at the dinner table, the whole thing. I seem to be getting worse as I get older; I think it is a suppressed gene that surfaces as you near 30. Watch out neighbors, next year I am thinking of organizing you all into providing Christmas luminary bags down the street – and a Christmas house lighting contest.

So anyways, maybe the lesson in this is that things don’t always go as expected, and maybe that’s for the best – but for us warm blooded Southern folk – wow it’s cold outside!

This morning's paper:

How the fountain usually looks: