all four seasons.

It's about 100 degrees in my apartment tonight. I took a nap earlier, the fan trained directly on me, and still awoke overheated and sweating. These are days I'm happy to be enveloped in temperature-controlled goodness during the day (whereas at other times of the year it makes me cold and grumpy).

I last relayed to you the general weather conditions in Santa Barbara (aka SBA, its airport code), and received my first comment for this particular blog, that summer year-round poses its own frustrations. I have to acknowledge that I do have some apprehension about moving to a geographical area that is homogenous weatherwise. I've done it before, you see. Well, sort of.

There was one year, or the span of something like 18 months, where I saw only temperate weather. It began in the Minnesota spring of 2002, continued into the Thai summer of 2002-3 (timewise, Thai summer = Minnesota winter), and concluded with the Minnesota autumn of 2003. It was strange. It was also a while ago, and I don't remember exactly how it affected me. I think by the end of Minnesota summer 2003 I was a bit tired of sunshine and heat. Perhaps I'll feel the same after a stretch of time in SBA. I can't say for certain.

I've grown to genuinely love the period from the end of summer into the fall. The temps begin to drop, and the nights become pleasantly cool. Flipflops are still ok to wear, and can be paired with lightweight sweaters and jeans. It's still warm enough to ride a bike, though the mornings are crisp. The beautiful light, the lengthening shadows, the turning of the leaves. I love all these things. BUT! They lead into something that I can't abide: WINTER!! Even summer in Minnesota some days is over-the-top ridiculous, with the temps and the humidity. It's the extremes that overwhelm me.

So, maybe summer year-round won't be so bad, so long as I can visit in autumn, and spring, and maybe even in the winter...