Deceptively delightful day

Except for a slight chill this morning (I put on my vest) it was a perfect day: bright sun, blue sky and warm but not hot. I was worried that we might not have a good turnout today, to meet the first of our candidates, but the parking lot was fairly filled by the time we got there, and all the seating in the Parish Hall for the luncheon was full.

We took some pains to make it clear it's not always like this (though July and August are usually pretty nice), and many at the table had some story to relate about seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Fr. McGrath had heard the same but was still very surprised at just how dark it gets in winter. No snow (usually) to begin with, and then add all the very tall trees to blot out the moon and stars, or any city light that might be reflected off the clouds, and it gets pitch black -- you cannot walk in the church parking lot without lights or a flashlight.

But that's six months away, so I'm going to enjoy this.

And suddenly I understand better the Finns in Helsinki last month. The temperatures peaked in the high 40s or low 50s (degrees F, up to about 11C) but anywhere there was sun and seating, they were out there soaking it in. Winter must be awful.