Then, something changed. Or, maybe nothing changed, and I just figured out the way things actually were. Whatever the case, I realized that summer actually sucks. It’s hot, there’s bugs, and everywhere is crowded. It doesn’t help that I feel ill when the temperature gets above 80º, either.

It’s easier to get warm when it’s cold than cool down when it’s hot. I sleep better in winter than I do in summertime. The air is cleaner in winter than in summer, too.

The weather in February alternates between a few days of rain followed by a few days of sunshine and scattered clouds. It’s those sunshiny days that I look forward to, particularly in the afternoon. Today, I walked to the grocery store. I took the long way home and walked through the park. Everything is more vivid in winter. The plants that aren’t deciduous are vibrantly green, the sky is bluer, and even the asphalt on the road is blacker after the rain.

I love walking in winter on days like today, especially walking west into the cold onshore breeze. The air is cool and clean. It feels exhilarating on my skin and revitalizing when I draw a breath deep into my lungs. Bonnie thinks I’m nuts when we go out walking, and I want to slow down and take in the winter air. She just thinks it’s cold.

It comes and goes so quickly. January is usually unseasonably warm. Well, I guess it’s not unseasonable if it happens every year. When I was a kid, we always had a week of minimum days in the middle of January as one term ended and another began. It was always in the 70s that week, which made for the perfect weather for hiking and playing outdoors. Now we have wildfires. That’s new.

It’s not until February that winter really arrives. Before March is out, though, it will all be over. The chill in the air will be gone. The puffy marshmallow clouds will disperse into the thin streaks of white that accompany the Santa Ana winds, and the temperature will begin its slow, inevitable climb.

So, I’ll just enjoy it while I can, like I do every year, and hope that when the ice caps have melted, the sea levels rise, and the climate finally settles, I’ll get to keep my February weather and maybe even get a couple more weeks of it. That seems less and less likely every year, though.

The post I Love, Love, Love This February Weather appeared first on Retro Active Lifestyle.

I sat down on my front porch to drink a cup of tea this morning, and the neighborhood was dead silent save for the mariachi music coming from the house across the street. It was a reasonable volume, though, so it didn’t detract from the morning’s ambiance.

That’s Enough With The Ambiance, Get To Work

There are two types of weather during which I most enjoy puttering in the garage: When it’s pouring rain outside and on beautiful, mild days like today. So, I spent the day cleaning up the mess out there. Apart from a few larger items, everything has a home now. I even came up with a clever spot for my roll of butcher paper that keeps it out of the way while still being accessible. In the process, I busted my thumb.

I was trimming a piece of plywood when the table saw kicked the wood back at me. I thought maybe it was broken at first, but I don’t think so now. The worst part about a hand injury is the days of not being able to fully use your hand afterward. I’m just glad this time it wasn’t an open wound. Those always make working harder when you’re trying not to get dirt and sawdust in it while trying not to bleed on everything.

Where Did That Scar Come From?

I will likely forget about my injury before long, but I know I will remember how beautiful today was for a long time to come. I hurt myself all the time, but days like today are few and very far between. I know that’s what makes them so special, but I refuse to believe I need a month of hurricane-force wind, wildfire, cold, heat, or rain to appreciate a day like today. Days like today stand on their own.

We capped this beautiful day with a delectable dinner of chicken piccata that Bonnie made. We ate al fresco to savor as much of this glorious day as we could. In a few days, the weather will turn to rain. In a few months, it will warm up, and the goddamned fucking mosquitos will besiege the yard and force us to sequester ourselves indoors until November. Then, the wind will return. Bad weather is as reliable as a good friend, but fair weather is no-nonsense shylock. You fuck with him, and he’ll break your fuckin’ thumb.

The post I’ll Be Able To Predict The Weather With My Thumb, Now appeared first on Retro Active Lifestyle.

To add another layer of confusion to this whole thing, I thought to myself while I was watching the sunset that I should take a picture of this sunset so I’ll at least have one picture for the first day of the new year and then, I did nothing. I just watched the sun sink into the ocean.

After the last little spark of sunlight disappeared behind the waves, Bonnie suggested we go for a ride along the beach. As we began our ride, I thought about how it was too late now to get a good picture. That bummed me out. It would have been so easy to snap a picture of that beautiful sunset, but I let the opportunity pass me by.

But then, the horizon turned the most vibrant scarlet-orange gradient, and a crescent moon sat just above it. It was even more stunning than the sunset 30 minutes earlier.

So, that’s one down, 364 to go. Thank the lord for that L.A. smog.

The post More Of This Please, 2025, Less Of Those 2024 Vibes appeared first on Retro Active Lifestyle.