I wish somebody would have told me about "June Gloom" before I packed for my great nephew's wedding in Santa Barbara last month.
As a result, I packed shorts, sleeveless blouses and sundresses for my time in California. I did have enough presence of mind to wear jeans, short-sleeved shirt and jacket on the train. I took a lightweight blanket, as well, for Sweetheart and me, because I knew the train would be air conditioned.
We got to Santa Barbara in the evening. It was cold. By that I mean it was in the low 60s. That was not sundress weather. When we got to our motel room, the thermostat was set to 72 degrees and it was cold. We set the thermostat on 77 degrees and it was still cold. We turned the air conditioner off and left it off the four days we were there.
As we complained about the weather to clerks and other natives with whom we came in contact, they informed us about "June Gloom." It seems the sun is obscured by mist in the morning and comes out to shine about 1:00 in the afternoon. Then the mist comes back around 6:00 and the air cools off again--as if it was ever warm.
Well, I walked downtown and got a long-sleeved shirt and washed my jeans. That is what I wore all weekend, except for the welcome party and the wedding,
Fortunately, the wedding was outside--in the afternoon sun, where it was warm. It was on the lawn of a private club.
After the ceremony we went into the clubhouse for appetizers while we waited for the newlyweds and the bridal party to be photographed.It was not cold in that room--only chilly.
From there we went into the reception room, where the dining and dancing was to take place.It was like walking into a refrigerator! (Where's a hot flash when you need one?)
The coffee did not warm me up--nor did the dancing. I did not warm up until we got back to the motel and I was able to snuggle close to Sweetheart in bed.
The next day we went on a cruise around the harbor at Santa Barbara to celebrate the bride's mother's birthday. If I thought it would be warmer on the catamaran, I was mistaken.
In fact, every time I checked the weather on my smartphone, the temperature was 10 degrees warmer on Sunny Lane.
However, my heart was warmed by the friendliness and generosity of the bride's parents. The groom's parents (my niece and nephew) and their family gave me a warm welcome. Even the couple's friends were warm and friendly.
But the thing that made me forget my discomfort was the warm glow of love surrounding my great nephew and his wife everywhere they went. May it shine forever!
Dorothy is the author of two books—“Miles and Miracles” and “Getting It All Together “. You can purchase a book or make a comment by emailing her at dorothybutzknight@gmail.com.
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