On My Front Porch--in Shirt Sleeves--in December:

Yeah, that's part of what I like about living in the Deep South.  It was about 70 degrees this afternoon here in Jackson, Alabama.  I was out on my front porch in my shirt sleeves--on December 11!  What's not to like about that?  It certainly deserves at least one comment on my blog! 

 

I don't really mind cold weather.  Last Friday morning, it was about 12 degrees outside my parents' home in Nashville, according to their thermometer.  In Maine, winter temperatures were frequently in the single digits--and we didn't leave there because of the cold weather!  Cold weather can be invigorating, energizing.

 

But there's something about being able to go outside on any number of days in December or January without a heavy coat that's so soothing, so pleasant, so relaxing.  Of course, in Maine, you can go out on your front porch in the summer--something I rarely can do here unless I'm in the mood for some serious perspiration.  But then, we have air conditioning.  I love that, too!  I don't like southern or coastal humidity; but I love to hear the sounds of spring and summer in the South at dusk and at nighttime. 

 

I guess I just love Southern weather.  What better day to reflect on that topic than a day in December when it's 70 degrees? On another day and another time and place, I can enjoy the bracing cold of New England or the Mid-West, or even the Mid-South; but I like knowing that there's always the possibility of 70 degrees on an afternoon in December!  That's real hope.  Show me somebody in Maine sitting out on their front porch this afternoon in December in shirt sleeves--and I'll show you a person who either has some severe medical problems or who needs to see a psychiatrist!