goldilocks days

Our enjoyment of life is subjective.

Mine certainly is.

Whenever I start planning for a trip to some land I have not visited, I rely on the advice of others who have been there. Unfortunately, that advice too often is filtered through so many personal filters that it is not very helpful.

Several years ago, I asked a friend, who had spent a good deal of time in Croatia, if I should pack a coat for a visit in late March. Her response was: "Yes! It is freezing that time of year."

I should have inquired further. I took her advice and packed a light jacket in my suitcase -- where it remained for the entire trip. I failed to tell her my ideal day is 55 degrees and overcast with a light drizzle. Jackets are not required until the temperature drops below 40. And the weather during my visit never dipped below 58 degrees.

I recalled that conversation last evening at dinner. Gary, Joyce, Nicole, and I were talking about how pleasant the last month here has been. The temperatures have been warm (in the 80s), but not hot, and the humidity (hovering in the 70%s, though climbing) has been tamed by breezes off of the ocean. They are what I call Goldilocks Days -- just right. And they show up from about mid-May to mid-June. And then we shift into our summer wet season.

Best of all, the pool has reached its "just right" temperature of 90 degrees. I can now walk around in the water's embrace for as long as it takes me to finish my Spanish lesson. And I often extend the lesson simply because the walk is so pleasant.

The bad thing about "just right" days is that they pass quickly. (Or, that may be the best thing about them --that way we learn to treasure them.) By the time we get to the end of the month, the temperature and humidity will begin spiking until they reach their maximum impact in September.

The days of air-conditioning are a month or two in the future. Instead, we can now sleep through the nights with the accompaniment of the rest-inducing thrum of ceiling fans. Hoping that we are not going to be awakened with a cry of --

"Someone's been sleeping in my bed and she's still there!"