Weather

One of the first things I do each morning is check the weather forecast.

How should I dress? Can I get away with wearing shorts one last time? Will it be an Indian summer kind of a day or do I need to don long pants, socks (!!!) and a warm sweater versus a light hoodie?

A question: Where’s the term Indian summer come from? I can’t find a solid this-is-a-stone-fact source but a bunch of sites speculate that this autumn resurgence of warm temps was a time when Native Americans gathered a last round of supplies before winter’s chill moved in. Hence the name, I guess.

As long as I’m at weather.com I look at the reports for Berlin (where Della and Martin live), Edinburgh (one of my favorite cities for their art galleries and museums alone), San Francisco (home of Craig, Sara and my pal Kevin), Phoenix (Jenny and John), Reykjavik, Amsterdam and the Isle of Skye.

Why? I guess I miss my loved ones and, in lieu of a quick how ya doin’ phone chat (which I can’t do because *ahem* deaf here), I look at their atmospheric conditions and imagine the day they might have planned. Will it be nice enough out for Della and Martin to take a stroll around Schlossgarten Charlottenburg? Will Craig and Sara take in the textile exhibit at the deYoung? Will Kevin and his girlfriend see what’s new at Heron Arts? Are Jenny and John adjusting to the blistering Phoenix heat after their New England-in-autumn holiday?

Inquiring minds and shit.

For Reykjavik, Amsterdam and Skye, I wish I could be there—just *POOF* and I’m floating in the Silica lagoon. *POOF* and I’m toking up at the reggae coffee shop on the Prinsengracht. *POOF* I’m riding my trike (which I haven’t been on since The Amazing Bob died) from Portree down to the Black Cuillen.

Sure I’d love to see more of Iceland. I wanna tour the whole damn island. The Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon and Diamond Beach, Snæfellsnes Peninsula, Mývatn and more.

It’d be awesome to visit the Shetland islands, wander the streets of Barcelona and check out the Lascaux and  Chauvet caves in France. BUT, with my continually messy health AND that goddamned COVID, who knows when I’ll be able to travel again.

Maybe Amsterdam, Edinburgh and Barcelona are nothing more than fantasies. At this point I know myself well enough to get that I don’t want to be in crowds. Cities are known for their burgeoning clots of people, don’cha know. Also, while my walking continues to improve, I’m not exactly up for an exciting day of exploring Barcelona on foot.

It’s 52º, windy and rainy in Shetland right now.
62º and sunny in Amsterdam.
It’s snowing in Reykjavik at the mo.
Overcast 61º in Berlin.
And a cloudy 55º in San Francisco.

It’s 47º and brilliantly sunny here in Valhalla. Clearly, I gotta haul my keister outta bed and go for a walk.