Writer’s Block: Sweater Weather

By DINA ARÉVALO
Port Isabel-South Padre Press
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com

It’s here! The first cold front of the season is here! I was simultaneously excited to go outside to feel the cool air, and reticent to get out of bed since cold days are the best days for snuggling beneath the blankets with a good book.

And the gentle, low rumbles of distant thunder were like Mother Nature herself had set a master symphony as both lullaby and alarm clock.

Now, it wasn’t really that cold of a cold front, but Wednesday sure was nice in its rainy gloominess. And the breeze was just cool enough to make one pause to reconsider whether or not a light sweater was necessary.

I chose “not” so I could savor the front as much as possible. I have to admit, I enjoy the bite of a cold wind and the resulting glow of warmth that lingers like subtle lightning on your skin once you get indoors. It’s invigorating.

So, yes, I’m excited that our first cold front is here. And it arrived with such perfect timing, too. We had several outdoor-friendly events which all took place last week — Sandcastle Days, Walk for Women, SPLASH — that all benefited from one last weekend of sunshine. The summerlike weather undoubtedly aided them in their well-attended success, but, I can’t help but be glad that now it finally feels like fall!

Fall means it’s time for caldo and chili and stew. And yes, even a simmering pot of frijoles a la charra. It’s time for all the hearty foods that stick with you all day, keeping you pleasantly full and warm.

I hope we’ll have a few more cold fronts this year than we did last. I can still vividly remember those 90 degree days at the beginning of the year, in January. Now, I’ve written plenty of times before about the different seasons and the things I love about each. While I do love days filled with toasty warmth, they just don’t feel right when my wall calendar still shows snowy landscapes above the days of the month.

My sister jokes that Texas only has two seasons: summer and hotter summer. There’s definitely more and more truth to that, nowadays. I think we’ll have a few more days to enjoy cooler weather this year, though. Across the southern Rockies, for instance, temperatures have already dipped into the 30s several times. I’m hoping some of that will continue to make its way down here.

But, Mother Nature, if you’re reading: not too much of it. Just enough to wear that winter clothes we’ve all got at the back of our closets. Just enough so that Thanksgiving and Christmas are sweater weather days.

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