Chilly, wonderful days

We've had an extraordinary number of cold, clear, dry days lately. I have loved every minute of it. It really feels like Christmas to me when it is cold but sunny. Some of my favorite Christmas memories are of riding in the open Model T on a sunny Christmas day with chilly air blasting my face and whipping my hair around.  

For the past few weeks our nighttime lows have been in the mid-thirties with highs ranging from mid-fifties up to even upper sixties over the past weekend. We sometimes get some really thick, icy fog in the early mornings that seems to penetrate through any and all clothing, but the daytimes are beautifully sunny with hardly a wisp of cloud. Besides, everything is just so much easier when it's not raining. Battling holiday traffic would be much worse in the rain.

This morning, the day after the shortest of the year, was our coldest morning yet. It was 28 degrees when I left for the BART station at 6:30am. Luckily, I heard the freeze warning on the radio last night and actually covered our lime tree for once. It has a number of fruit that I hope will survive the cold.

On my drive to the BART station, I was surprised by one of the most beautiful skies I have ever seen. It was just before dawn and, as I drove over a hill, I had a wonderful view of Mt. Diablo. The sun was not up yet, but the sky was very clear and the horizon was just beginning to show beautiful hues of orange, red, and purple. Hanging over Mt. Diablo were the moon and a few still-bright stars. It was one of those moons where you see not only the lit crescent, but also the clear outline of the dark portion of the moon. The moon, stars, and line of the horizon were so incredibly crisp and clear. It was one of the most beautiful skies I've ever witnessed, and I wished I could stay and admire the view instead of heading to work.

A friend posted the following poem by Aileen Fisher on her fantastic blog (http://our-little-library.blogspot.com/) and I instantly fell in love with it. Even if we don't have snow, the poem seems very appropriate for this beautiful, crisp, winter day just before Christmas. 

December

I like days
with a snow-white collar,
and nights when the moon
is a silver dollar,
and hills are filled
with eiderdown stuffing
and your breath makes smoke
like an engine puffing.

I like days
when feathers are snowing,
and all the eaves
have petticoats showing,
and the air is cold
and the wires are humming,
but you feel all warm...
with Christmas coming.

The wonderful weather is expected to continue through the holiday weekend, which makes me very happy. I'm looking forward to hosting Christmas at our house for the first time. In case I don't get a chance to post again before Sunday, Merry Christmas to all and best wishes for 2012!