Winter Weather

Apparently it does get cold in Southern California. Who knew?! Yesterday my phone said it was 34 degrees in the morning. Brrrr!

I've noticed that people really dress for the weather here. When it rains, I see lots of folks in galoshes, both kids and adults. I am confused by this because it very rarely rains here. We've had maybe 10 days of rain that I can recall since we moved here 5 months ago. Why do so many people have galoshes? My theory is that splashing in puddles is fun, and you don't get to do it very often here, so when puddles abound, you should splash with gusto.

When the temperature drops below 70, people bundle up. I remember observing this phenomenon here over a decade ago when I came to visit my sister, who was living in the area. It was January or February. There was a light rain falling, but the temperature felt warm to me so I was shocked to see everyone wrapped in scarves and hats like a snowstorm was coming! It seems not much has changed as I witnessed a lady walking down the street cocooned in a coat with a fur-trimmed hood. The temperature was maybe 65 at that point, and the sun was shining. Shortly thereafter I noticed a guy in shorts and flip flops. I guess the fashion is still variable, depending on one's definition of "cold."

Last weekend, though, we all did get chilly at an outdoor birthday party. It was a clear, sunny day but the wind really picked up. I was glad we keep some emergency jackets in the van for the kids (and parents)! Maybe we are morphing into Californians already :)