Springlike Today

Today is one of those rare early January days when it feels very springlike outside. There has been a mix of sun and clouds all day once the early morning fog burned off. The temperature rose quickly once the sun came out.

Here in the middle of the afternoon, it was in the middle 50s with cumulus clouds contrasting the deep blue skies. It looks like one of those mild days in the spring out there. The sun felt great, although I did not get enough of it. I would have preferred to have gotten some more to make some vitamin D and possibly reduce the sunburn I might get in Florida early next month. We won’t have much time there, but the sun will be much higher in the sky if it is out. That trip is very important to me. We won’t be making it to Spring Training like we had hoped, but that was never the real reason I wanted to go in the first place.

The dew point was in the middle 40s to making it feel more springy with the humidity. The cold ground was getting damp with the moisture. That’s another thing you see so often in the spring.

The little I managed to sit out in the sun before the thicker clouds moved in and a breeze picked up felt great. There is something about sitting in the sun that just eases the mind. Even in the hot summer, I sit in the sun.

Our large old maple tree being gone is a big help with sun in the backyard this time of the year. It was just in the right area and just the right distance south of the patio that the huge trunk and large limbs used to block the sun. In winter, the sun’s low position in the southern sky frequently caused it to be blocked. I did love that tree, and it looked neat in the backyard. I appreciated the shade on the hottest summer days too.

December was a fairly cold month and persistently so. That makes this mild day feel all the much better.

I always say it, and I will repeat it now. The best things in life are free with no catch. They are provided by Mother Nature. Today is a prime example of that fact.