When a bowl of warm water tossed on the car windshield only
melts the ice away temporarily, you know it’s cold in Gilroy.
What’s really unusual is how cold it’s been for so many days in a
row, and how long it’s taken for the days to warm up
– 35 degrees at 11am – those are Chicago numbers, not California
coastal readings.
When a bowl of warm water tossed on the car windshield only melts the ice away temporarily, you know it’s cold in Gilroy.
What’s really unusual is how cold it’s been for so many days in a row, and how long it’s taken for the days to warm up – 35 degrees at 11am – those are Chicago numbers, not California coastal readings.
For those who lament that “there are no seasons in California” this month provides ample evidence to the contrary. Show us five days of
20-degree mornings in July. Our seasons may be more subtle – at least in normal years – but they certainly exist.
As we huddle under extra blankets, turn up the thermostat and wonder when this spell is going to break, there is a bright, if not warm, side to consider.
The stone fruit crop could be amazingly sweet. Our fruit trees have been smothered with the blanket of dormancy for a long while. That good rest, combined with some steady February rain and a gradually warming spring, could yield a bountiful crop of cherries, for example.
And all the plumbers in South County will be able to pay their Christmas bills without delay. Broken pipes abound. Normally this might be a slow time, but the work is backed up for a week or more.
An inventive and courageous few have taken fanciful advantage of Mother Nature. Tyrus Kline, pictured in Tuesday’s paper, rode an ice slide in his backyard courtesy of his grandpa who rigged up a water nozzle that froze the water going down the slide. Perfect for all-day sled rides. How often do kids get to do that in Gilroy?
As long as it warms up pretty soon, we’ll all survive to talk about the coldest winter in South County at the start of ’07. In a few years, the farmers down at the Sunrise Cafe on south Monterey will turn it into a local legend over a few cups of early-morning coffee.
Meanwhile, the local nurseries can start padding their spring orders. There will be many a plant to replace.
And lastly, we’d be remiss not to thank all those who have helped the homeless during this cold stretch, making sure there is a warm blanket and food awaiting their arrival at the armory. Staying warm is a matter for the heart as well.
Soon spring will arrive in all it’s glory, and perhaps because it’s been so darn cold, we will welcome it all the more and rejoice in what’s happily “normal” for us – the warm California sun.
