I’d lived all my life in the Northeast before we moved here and knew the pattern of those four seasons like I know the last digits of my Social Security Number. Now it’s all new and each season fills me with curiosity about what lies ahead.
We arrived here in early April, which was akin to a glorious June in the Northeast. Warm, lengthening days, bright sunshine, low humidity and the thrill of swimming in an outdoor pool and acquiring an early tan. I’d show up for Pickleball in the morning wearing a sweatshirt, which quickly came off. We actually missed the beginning of spring, which is February-March, and reportedly includes mass quantities of pollen. That experience awaits us.
Summer here in SC lived up to its reputation – hot, hot, hot and oh so humid. Mornings typically felt like stepping out into a hot compress. Pickleball produced copious perspiration – we’re talking about looking like I was doused with a firehose. Some days the pool temperature nudged up above 90 degrees and the water was only bearable if I laid in the sun and baked until I couldn’t bear it. But I learned that rainfall quickly cooled down the pool. And, boy, is there ever rainfall down here in the summer! Thunderstorms that continued for an hour were routine.
When the sky looked like rain was immanent, nothing happened. When it was clear, storms would erupt without warning. Our air conditioning is supremely effective (much more so than our unit in NJ was). I did my outdoor activities early and retreated indoors during the sultry afternoons. Honestly, it wasn’t so bad. If that’s the price of missing northern winters, I’m more than happy to pay it.
So now, by the calendar, it’s fall. Sunset comes later here, because we’re further west than NJ, but the dawns are later, too. Most days still feel like summer. We’ve only had our windows open once. But we’re getting the occasional preview of coming attractions in the form of mornings when I need that sweatshirt for my bike ride. I’m watching for signs of foliage turning, and can’t say I’ve seen any yet. We’ve visited this area in November, so I know I can expect days that are nippy and days that are summery – often in the course of the same day. It’s all about layering down here.
How will winter unfold? Will there be frosty mornings? Will I take off the sweatshirt during Pickleball? Lay out in the sun? Stay tuned. But it’s wonderful not to be sure what to expect, for a change.