Dog Days (of winter)

No matter what you may think, we Southern Californians do not bask in endless summer. Winters here are damp and chilly, with cold nights and a colder ocean. Spring and early summer is surprisingly cool, with fog and clouds lingering for days. Even summer brings a moist chill each night as the air off the coast blows in. And yet....I cannot deny that this weekend we are experiencing one of those picture-perfect California days that the local Chamber of Commerce fantasises about. This morning, I set off for some errands with a light jacket, but by 8:30, stepping outside of North Park's coffee shop Filter, I had peeled off the layers and started running the car's air conditioning. By noon, I had switched to shorts and a t-shirt and pulled out the bike for a ride around Ocean Beach and the cliffs of Point Loma. As of right now, I can see our window thermometer holding steady at 69.8, while the weather report confirms the downtown area is sizzling under an 80 degree haze. Jane has spent her post-yoga morning out in the garden, ripping out the old and dried weeds of last year (leaving the tomato plant, however, as it's still producing gorgeous red fruit) and actually getting to dig into my homemade compost pile to supplement our garden soil. From my window, I see shirtless skateboarders, bikini-clad teen gaggles, and barefoot surfers rushing off to catch the (a) mighty wave. I can smell the familiar whiff of propane and charcoal. We've propped up all the windows and swung the doors open. It's a gorgeous day for the end of February, and it would be a gorgeous day even if it was the middle of July.