"Welcome to New Home 2.0. It has been (0) days since we last had rain. Have a nice day."
Of the changes that happened when we relocated to New Home 2.0, one of the greatest that we were advised to prepare for was the weather.
New Home had a simple but standard weather pattern: two seasons (Hot and Cold) punctuated by two to three weeks of pleasant weather known as Spring and Autumn. New Home 2.0, we were told, had an actual seasonal spread.
And it has - which has overall been a pleasant thing. After years of no Spring and no Autumn, it is nice to be in a location where all four seasons is a reality. The leaves of Autumn and the flowers of Spring are wonderful. Even Summer, which can be a bit hot from July - through mid-September, is manageable.
We were warned, however, about Winter.
Like almost any other clime, one effectively makes a deal with one's conscience that sacrifices will have to be made -in this case. that sacrifice is Winter. Partially for the clouds, which seem to start in the middle of October and extend through the end of March, and partially for the rain, which can appear almost every day running if given the opportunity (of the coming 10 day forecast for example, only one day has no chance of rain).
Add in the darkness known as Daylight Savings Time, and, as one coworker told me last year, "It is just awful from November to February. That is just how it is."
Everything comes with a price; greenery and beauty pay the cost of weather and temperature shifts.
One simply buys the gear and carries on.
Who was that said "Variety is the spice of Life"? Enjoy TB......:)
ReplyDeleteSome wise person that apparently did not have live with only two effective seasons, Nylon12.
DeleteThe ability to adjust is a good one. If we cannot adapt, we will not survive.
4 seasons are great. Glad you're an outside walker as too many of my hospital peers are not winter walkers/skiers, and it shows.
ReplyDeleteSunshine folks or at least excellent lighting keeps the moods better.
Michael, the exercise thing is a real challenge. It is something that I am trying to actively think about instead of just hoping it happens.
DeleteI used to want to move back north because I missed having four seasons. But the older I get, the less I want to deal with the prolonged cold, lol.
ReplyDeleteLeigh, I can certainly understand not wanting to get back into the cold the older one gets. It does make me wonder if at some point, the people that stay in such regions are those that grew up in them and just expect that is the way the world works.
DeleteAs a child and young adult, November here was reliably a dreary month with frequent periods of drizzling rain. But I almost can't remember the last time we had such a November as it was one of the first things that seemed to go as our climate heats up. This month has been classic October like days of warm daytimes and cool evenings with plenty of sun and almost zero rain. Just like it was last year and the year before. I would enjoy it more if I knew it didn't mean we will likely start off our spring dry and needing rain.
ReplyDeleteEd, having only been in our second year here, it is hard for me to analyze if this is "normal", although to your point folks that have been here longer inform me that it is definitely warmer here that it was when they were growing up (although not to the warm daytimes you mention).
DeleteWinter is hunker down season. Hobbies, projects, wood stoves are your friends. A good pet is also of great comfort. Many years ago AKA pre internet, I was upon some Island on the Arctic Ocean- Barter Is. IIRC. Anyway, great effort had been made to have stuff to keep the occupants of the home I was in, sane in the winter. Books- and books. And more books. EVERY issue of national geographic - or at least back into the early 1900's.
ReplyDeleteRaven - Hobbies and projects and books and pets are on the menu for this Winter (sadly no wood stove yet).
DeleteWhat a fascinating way to spend the Winter. Some of those early National Geographics would be amazing to see.
The ones with early air travel are particularly fascinating to me.
DeleteIt was a completely new view of the world.
How odd that unless I live long enough to see interplanetary travel become an actual thing, we will never quite have that same new view of things.
DeleteAre your winters at least milder than the Cold of New Home? I actually love rainy days, but I imagine four or five months of rain would get to be a long stretch. ;^)
ReplyDeleteSadly no, Becki. Winters in New Home 2.0 are much colder and much longer. November to February is a pretty apt description.
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