A Cold Day for an Iguana Hunt

The front finally arrived.  We got cold.  Ok, it was cold for us. 

Shush.

Shivering in the 53F Degree chill, I woke a number of times.  Covering my head to conserve the last bit of warmth one too many times, it was enough.  Get out of bed and begin the morning rituals early.

Sunrise would not be for two hours yet.  The dog was snoring on her mat.  The yellow light of the street lamps were creating dancing patterns of Bougainvillea stems on the wall.

Grabbing the long pants and the leather jacket, it was time for what will probably be the last cold snap of the year.  It was also time to brave that "cold" with the dog.

Funny thing about getting up "early", things change.

The train whistle that was coming through on its morning run out of Miami to points North was much louder.  There were fewer people out and as a result, you found yourself trusting them less.  The stars were bright, the wind was strong, and the noises were different.

Knowing that the weather was cold, for us, was a change.  When you are used to room temperature outdoors on a cool day, and air conditioning can be needed at any time, wind chill warnings would come up when the temperature was a frigid 45 degrees.

We weren't quite there yet, and probably would not get there until next winter.   We do get winter, it is all of two weeks long statistically.  My zone won't freeze but 10 miles North will get frost. 

One of the reasons why it felt so different was that the exotics and invasives were hiding from the weather.  Many of the pets you keep in your home are strictly tropical.  This wasn't tropical weather, and they'd be stunned by the cold. 

These thoughts went through my mind as I concentrated on keeping the hand that the leash wasn't held in as warm as possible, and reminding me that I have to put needle and thread to that particular pocket liner.

Walking home, seeing the police cruiser glide back with the officer smoking a cigarette through an open window I realized I wouldn't find what I was looking for.  No iguanas had rained down from the sky in a stunned stupor.  The incongruousness of a cold day in Florida continued.  

Standing over the sink, eating a curried chicken cutlet on a biscuit, I realized that the excitement of the day wasn't the death of a reptile, but that my orchids were still in bloom unharmed by the cold.

We will know who you are, gentle visitors, and you will know us.   While we are shivering in dark and heavy clothes, you are enjoying your hard earned time in the sun in shorts and a T Shirt, even if it is too cold for it.