Summer in February

Laurie Cohn Rosenthal
Mirror contributing writer

   As I write this, Santa Monica is experiencing something of a heatwave and I hear birds happily chirping outside. The Pacific is glistening as the strong late-morning sun is bouncing its rays on the water. The marine layer is a distant memory. As you read this, the temperature may have dropped nearly 20 degrees from the week’s high, and the skies might be cloudy, but that’s life in a coastal town. I took Dylan for a stroll in Palisades Park yesterday and it was HOT! I was in shorts and still too warm. He was in shorts, his four-month-old legs covered with a light blanket to protect him from the strong sun, probably the warmest day he’s yet experienced. At home, he played on the bed, clad only in a diaper, free to feel the breeze on his skin, instead of being covered up from his 50 percentile head to his itty-bitty toes.
   I love sunny, warm days. If I didn’t, I probably wouldn’t live in the Los Angeles area. I know rain is important, but give me sunny days in the 70s with a slight breeze and I won’t ask for much else. Maybe these beautiful February days are an indication that we won’t have as many overcast days as we did last year. Maybe, maybe not. For that we’ll have to ask Mr. George Plavec, the Mirror’s esteemed weatherman. I think people smile more on sunny days, and are just a wee bit happier in general. If the weather isn’t the primary reason many Angelenos live here (okay, maybe showbiz is first), I’m sure it’s pretty high up on most peoples’ lists. My own husband’s uncle, once a mailman in Chicago, moved here decades ago when he realized he could just as easily deliver mail here, in warmth, than in minus-zero weather.
   I love living here because “weather permitting” is rarely uttered. Outdoor events are held year-round and hardly ever cancelled. Even the construction around our seaside town (will it ever end?) seems more bearable when the palm trees are swaying to a light, tropical-feeling breeze. So what if some jerk just cut you off -– you’ve got greenery and blooming flowers to look at. So what if your commute is lengthened 20 minutes each way on PCH. At least you can gaze out at those lucky enough to be on the water – surfing, kayaking, sailing – and know that if your script sells, that could very well be you. It would certainly make a great postcard for the folks back home, driving to work on icy streets, dressed in five layers to keep warm.
   In case these magnificent warm, sunny days don’t really rock your world, let me give you a sampling (in Fahrenheit) of where else on this grand planet you could be at this very moment. Different weather is fun to experience occasionally, but would you really want to live in a climate where snow, rain, and humidity are what you have to look forward to?
   You could be in New York, with a high in the mid-40s.
   You could be enjoying the Olympics in Salt Lake City, which I’m sure would be fun. But be sure to take your gloves and mufflers, as the lowest low of the week will be 14.
   You could be in Ottawa, Canada, where it will be snowing three times this week.
   You could be in Kahdahar, Afghanistan, like so many of our troops, shivering as the Mercury dips to the low 20’s in the evening.
   You could be in Bangor, Maine, where Wednesday’s low is -5.
   You could be in Cleveland, Ohio, where snow flurries are expected.
   Get new sunglasses. Wear your sunscreen. Take long walks. Sit poolside, or oceanside. Enjoy the sunshine. Even here in paradise the weather won’t be sunny forever. You owe it to yourself and to your fellow countrymen, many of whom would gladly trade in their thermal underwear for board shorts and a straw hat.