Friday Findings – St. Patrick’s Day in Charleston, SC

As I write this in February we’ve had a very mild winter by Wisconsin standards.  Right now it’s rain and sleet mix out there, or sludging making an Icee like slurry on the ground that’s salt and petrol flavored I’d be guessing.  For February in Wisconsin, that’s practically Spring-like.  However I shall always judge the season by Charleston’s St. Patty’s day.  Here’s why I think that’s the best weather ever.

Yes the day we once again could always wear shorts even in the evening.  The season of roses and twice a week grass mowing starting building to the four times a week.  The time when your early crops started rolling in and man the roses you pruned on New Year’s Day were in riotous bloom.  The weather was nice, not too hot, not yet humid and defiantly warm.  It was out of hurricane season and the tourists were yet swarming the place.  It was weather, history, gardens at their best.  And has become the measuring stick of all places for me when it comes to weather.

Now we have been in Wisconsin going on – seventeen years I think – not once, not once have we not had ice and snow on the ground for St. Patrick’s day.  That day I hate this place so much.  I want to be Charleston in shorts revealing in centuries of history, warm air, and blooming gardens.  I’m usually in the house making grumpy faces at the snow and longing for sunlight.

Hey, Tennessee didn’t cut it then either.  Now, it wasn’t as bad as SNOW but it wasn’t shorts weather and the stuff was just greening.  So I grumbled and groused and whined for decent weather to hurry up.

Tampa, oh Tampa, hit the St. Patrick’s day mark.  Shorts, warm breezes, blooming flowers, flowing green beer….  it was grand.  It was how all St Parick’s days should be not too wild (sorry Savannah you have the weather but not the relaxation on that day) pleasant and the marking of warmth.

So this St. Patty’s day don’t ask me if I’m happy.  I won’t be unless global warming does me a favor making it in the mid 70s here with an ocean breeze and glorious blooming gardens.  Given the best I can hope for is lots of mud, no snow, and no rain and temps might touch 40F, I expect I’ll be sighing for Tampa or Charleston again and ponder why any human in their right mind would want to live here at this time when they could be there…