Final February Sunday Sunny Warm Sikes Lake Nature Communing

What you are looking at here is the final Sunday of February, noon view of Sikes Lake.

Sikes Lake was my nature communing location today, along with throngs of other nature communers, enjoying the return of warm air, a blue sky, and no wind, rendering Sikes Lake into mirror-like calm.

35 degrees above freezing, as measured by the Fahrenheit method. 

35 degrees above freezing is 67 degrees, which felt relatively balmy after shivering near zero and below only a couple days ago.

Shorts and a short-sleeved t-shirt were all the outwear needed today. 

Looking at the long-range weather forecast, well into March, again showing no more days where the temperature dips below freezing.

But, we have been lulled into relief previously by the long-range forecast, as recently as a couple weeks ago, showing no more freezing days.

And then that un-predicted Polar Vortex descended from the far north, chilling most of continental America.

So, I won't be too shocked if such happens again, before we get to the point where this year's revolve around the Sun gets to its reliably heating location.

I read this morning my old home zone of Western Washington is getting drenched with an Atmospheric River, the first major drenching of the year.

When I lived in Washington, what is now called an Atmospheric River, was known as a Pineapple Express.

I like the Pineapple Express name better than Atmospheric River...