Four Seasons

Living in the desert for almost 30 years of my life, I am used to 4 different temperatures, not seasons. Warm, hot, hotter, and 'Oh Dear God, please take me now". Winters would get fairly cold, 40's - 5o's (I can just hear the East Coasters snickering at that). We would have our occasional below 32 degree weather, but coats weren't needed. Light jackets and sweatshirts were all that were ever worn. We never even owned a winter coat until moving here last year. Spring and summer were thrown in together. We would have a month or two of 80-90 degrees, and were very happy for that, then we were smack dab in the middle of the heat. 120 degree days were common. You get used to it. It's not really that bad. (yeah right!)

Now that I am living in Philly I am experiencing, for the first time in my life, four seasons. One of the things that amazed me the first time I came here to visit Jon was the trees. Never have I seen so many trees in one place. The desert doesn't have trees like these. Trees, trees and more trees. No bill boards on the long stretches of freeway, just trees. I look out our sliding door and there is an huge amount of trees. I know, I keep repeating myself, but seriously there are trees everywhere! Let me show you where I grew up.....

Notice the large amounts of dirt? The lack of trees? Don't let the little bit of green full you! Those are what we on the West Coast believe are trees, until we see real ones. Then the fraud is revealed and we realize how wrong we were, anyway.....back to the weather...Winters here are ridiculously cold. People should not have to leave the house when the temperatures are in the teens!! It isn't right. It isn't normal, it is just plain cruel. My first taste of cold was in Jan. of '05 when Jon and I went out to dinner. We left to walk to the truck and it was easily 14 degrees outside. I was soooo cold that all I wanted to do was cry, and had Jon not told me that my tears would freeze to my cheeks if I did, I would have! At the time I didn't have a coat, only a zip up sweatshirt, which I swore that I would be fine in. Boy was I wrong!

I realize that I am rambling on and I am not really sure where I am going with this post anymore, I know that I started off with a point to make, but now I don't remember what it was. Oh well, that is pretty typical for me. I would just like to say that I love living here. Despite the cold, and the intense humidity, (I didn't even touch on that one!) I really do love it here. The change of seasons is wonderful, and when the leaves on the trees change colors, it is gorgeous. It absolutely amazes me how beautiful Mother Nature can be.