Cold
Comfort—
Seeking
Warmth on a Rare Cold Day in Florida
Ice-crusted
windshields are rare in Vero Beach, Florida, even on December 23. Winter’s icy
grip holds fast in this part of the country for only a few days. Sunshine
beaming from these southern skies then warms the earth, melting the frost and
beckoning our return to the green outdoors.
An abundance of
meteorological data means we Central and Southern Floridians are warned in
advance of the cold air’s reach from northern climes. Thus advised, we prepare
to warm ourselves.
As part of that
preparation, I brought the down comforter from the garage and placed it on my
bed yesterday. Stepping from beneath its feathered layers early this morning,
the chill in the house stunned me awake. At 61, the thermostat announced that
it was far too cold inside for these Florida bones. On went the heat, and I
tapped the up arrow higher, to a reasonable 72.
Ice on the car was
no surprise at 5:30 when I walked the dogs. I was grateful for my wool overcoat,
which I buttoned up after retrieving it from its dusty closet perch.
Once back inside,
cocoa-enhanced coffee accompanied me on my journey toward warmth.
As the sun rose,
shooting swaths of pink against the blue skies, I had heat and warmth and light—cold
comfort, indeed.
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