There's no cold outside

[gerisullivan]

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.

Comments

[lauriemann.livejournal.com]

I'll agree, though it's getting colder in Pittsburgh. It was 55 early this morning, and had gone down to about 50 with cold wind by the early afternoon. We may have snow by Monday night.

We're having the same winter in KC

[dragonet2.livejournal.com]

even though we've had some good, long, soaking rains.

Today I had one of my bedroom windows and the bathroom window open to air it it (it was 57!!!).

And last night a moth came in, much to Badb Caths's delight (I think she ate it, she=kitty). And I noticed Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal in our cherry tree, there are BUDS on it already!!!

Yes, weird. moving forward with winter housecleaning though, goal is civilizing my large closet and bedroom/office space altogether.

[pnh.livejournal.com]

The world we grew up in is gone.

[voidampersand.livejournal.com]

You really should be more careful about your time travelling, Geri. It even seems to be affecting the climate.

[asimovberlioz.livejournal.com]

High of 74°F forecast today for my part of the San Fernando Valley. Tomorrow, the forecast high is 78°F.

[merlinpole.livejournal.com]

There is a bush in my yard which I bought at an Arnold Arboretum sale back when Harvard wasn't seriously trying to convert the Case Estate (donated to Harvard for educational purposes....) in Weston innto More Damned Money-with-No-Taste Stinking McMansions (or rather, into big bucks for Harvard's wealth by selling to high-profit developers) and Arnold Arboretum still had a public plant sale there, which has been -blossoming-, months ahead of the normal schedule.

Elizabeth Moon noted in Susan Shwarts' SFF.NET newsgroup, that the climate map for the USA has been revised with various parts of the USA increasing at least one and in some cases two, climate zone values... Areas of Massachusetts that used to be Zone 5 or borderline Zone 6, are now firmly within Zone 6...

[mjlayman.livejournal.com]

The DC area has moved from Zone 6 to Zone 7. It will be harder to grow lilacs here, which are my favorite flower.