Sunday, December 14, 2008
SEASONAL
We really have two seasons in the desert. Summer and Winter.
We distinguish the two very simply.
Winter begins, as it did today, with the unconscious decision to walk on the sunny side of the street.
Summer begins when we find ourselves walking in the shade.
I first became aware of this, early in our residence, when I was at a car wash. I found that I was not standing in the shade as I did on our arrival here (summer) but was leaning on a wall basking in the sun (winter).
As it happens, we are also pretty close to the solstices when this happens. But why look at the calendar when you can just sort of naturally find the right sun position.
Another dependable sign is when you meet someone in the summer and stop to talk you both automatically head to shade. Any shade. Even if it is just a telephone pole.
In winter, the opposite.
This may sound sort of "duhhh" but the reality is that we live in extremes here.
The air is so dry there is no heat in it. At night, the desert is cold. During the day it is hot.
How cold and how hot are the things that define the season. And all of it is around the sun.
Because it is dry, we do not feel the heat as much if we stay out of the sun. We really really feel the cold when there are no solar rays.
I am laboring the obvious but it is not obvious until you get it first hand.
I can assure you, from our ground observation of our sun-behavior, that winter started today in Palm Springs. Gloves. Hooded sweat shirt. Fast walking. Moving into the sun as soon as it was up.
