gerisullivan | There's no cold outside

I just walked up to the mailbox. It's the first time since December 11th I've had reason to do so. But that's not the weird part about the experience.

I'm wearing a long-sleeved chenille sweater. It's not the soft, fuzzy plush one typically associates with chenille;it's more cotton-like than that. Anyway, I paused by the front door to see if I needed a coat. Nope.

I started walking up the driveway. It's windy out. But there's no cold in the wind, nothing that hints of winter, or any other season, really. I kept walking, trying to identify just what the air was telling me. A few nights ago, I thought the air felt like late March. Ben corrected me -- early March. Ah, right, it was late March Minnesota air, but winter in this area of the Northeast is a few weeks shorter on each end. For values of "this area" that encompass both New York and Massachusetts, anyway.

But there's no cold at all in this wind. No chilly undertones, like you usually get after the sun goes down, even during winter thaws. Nada.

As I walked back down the drive, it finally clicked. It was like being out on a moving boat -- the steady wind, the bit of coolness compared to being on land. The air held just that edge. None of the salt aroma and only a little of the water scent, the latter no doubt a result of last night's rains.

Even when there's no snow here, there's winter in the air. It's not there tonight.

I checked the thermometer on the back deck when I came in. It's 57. Far lower than the 70 degrees that several of my east coast friends reported today. No daffodils blooming, far as I know. Accuweather says winter will be here soon. But for right now, for tonight, it's just plain weird out. Outdoors, I have a hard time believing I'm actually home, or that I'm not time-traveling my way here. Indoors, I have only to look around at the piles o'stuff that need dealing with. Yep, I'm here alright.

It's still weird.