Climate is Relative

Just a month ago I was poking fun at a group of graduate students from Mahidol University in   Bangkok who were shivering in the cold high in a hill resort on the Burma border.These students were adapted to the subtropical lowland climate of Bangkok, and, although the temperature on the nearby thermometer registered 69 degrees Fahrenheit, this was beyond their daily experience anytime in the year.  For them, yes, it was cold.

 

But really, now.  They talked about the coming cold all the way during the five hour drive in the minivan that was taking us on our weekend fieldtrip. On our first morning, eating breakfast on outdoor picnic tables overlooking the hills, the students were all dressed up in long sleeved shirts, jackets and scarves wrapped around their necks. And they weren’t the only ones worried about the cold.  The owner of the resort had dressed his two prize Persian cats in thick sweaters too.  Surely these long haired pets were cold in the 69 degree weather too!

But then I got back to Fernandina Beach and I found more sympathy for those shivering Thai grad students. To my sub-tropically adapted body north Florida was cold too, really cold.  And to give me credit for my new wimpiness, there were even a few snowflakes in the air, albeit only for a few minutes, but hey, snow is snow.

So, with the “cold” and dismal drippiness and stark trees outside my windows, and with twelve times zones different besides I spent much of my first week indoors.  Yes, I did jump into the pool for water aerobics twice during that time, but that only reinforced my notion about the coldness of the air.  I wore my heavy terrycloth bathrobe straight from the house, reached the pool, with its steam rising above the warm water, tossed my robe off and jumped in. The water was great, but my feet were still cold at first and my nose never warmed up.  Afterwards I jumped out and into my warm bathrobe and headed home, to hibernate in my house once again.

Finally, though I readapted, just like those Thai students over that long weekend.  One morning the sun actually came out, and Bucko and I decided to brave the “cold”, put on jackets, and hike the Egans Creek Greenway.  

We weren’t the only ones on the Greenway enjoying the return of sunshine. When we entered at the Residence Inn parking lot and headed north towards the retention pond, the first thing we noticed were the birds on the opposite bank facing the sun.  A white egret, a great blue heron and a wood stork were all lined up side by side taking in the sun.  And the great blue heron was really getting into it, with its huge wings cupped in front of its body, the better to soak up the rays.  These birds didn’t even change their postures as we walked nearby to them--the warming sun felt that good.

The turtles were also enjoying the sun.  We tried to quietly pass them without disturbing them back into the water from the creek logs that they had climbed up on to bask in the sun. It was a bit too cold for snakes, but we were careful to watch our feet as we walked along the grassy trail.  Snakes also like to warm up in the sun after a series of overcast and colder days, so we were on the lookout just in case.

We didn’t see snakes, or alligators or much other wildlife this sunny winter day, but we did see others enjoying the sunny day too. Further into the south end of the Greenway we started meeting other people, also out enjoying the day.  Far down the path a photographer had his lens trained on a rare little blue heron.  Two groups of bike-riders passed us by, and a handful of dog walkers were on the trail too.  But everyone was cheerful, greeted one another, and remarked on the good weather at last.

And now I am readapted to our north Florida winter. It’s all coming back to me now.  This time of year is the very best time here to walk the beach any time of day, not just at dawn, without fear of heat stroke.  It’s the best time to walk the trails of the Greenway, Fort Clinch State Park, Little Talbot Island, the Okefenokee Swamp and other nearby natural areas without fear of biting insects. 

Now that I’m out of the house, I’m staying out.   

It’s good to be home!