For residents of South Florida, the months of winter and early spring offer relief from the heat, humidity and tropical storms that characterize this region. However, those escaping the frigid weather of a northern winter are hoping to find the intense sunshine and sultry conditions that they associate with Florida and are not thrilled to encounter cool, breezy weather; this week, while pleasant, has certainly been far from balmy.
Walking Lido Beach this morning, we were enveloped in thick, cool fog; only the beach, the crashing waves and the first line of dunes were visible and all was silent except for the roar of the surf and the occasional shriek of a gull. If it were not for a mixed flock of royal and sandwich terns, resting on the beach, we could easily have been at Cape Cod on a summer morning; indeed, the Theme from Summer of 42 popped into my head as we strolled along.
Such weather is certainly not unusual for South Florida at this time of year. As experienced naturalists know, one cannot fully appreciate an ecosystem without visiting it during all seasons; a subtropical latitude does not guarantee the hot, humid weather that many snowbirds seek.
