We have had such a lovely winter this year. The temperature dropped earlier than usual and has remained cool.
Some years we get a cold snap where the night time temperatures drop into the 70’s. But this year has remained pleasantly cool and dry. Remarkably, we have also had a gardener’s share of rain, a good solid downpour about once a week. Last year it was so dry, we couldn’t mow the lawn for fear of losing it to the breeze. The cistern ran dry in March because we had to water the garden and grass so much. This year, the yard is much greener and the cistern is full. We like it like that.
The Sunshine Grill is one of our favorite places to eat. Interesting menu, good prices, lovely decor, very friendly staff, and free ice cream with each meal. It is a great restaurant. It may also be the only building on Grand Cayman that is not air conditioned. The restaurant is screened all around, so the breezes move through all year long. They also have a Big Ass fan (no profanity on our part, that is the name of the company). When we had lunch there recently, we noticed that the fan was on low. That’s how lovely our winter has been.
Our local newspaper, the Caymanian Compass, ran a poll last month asking residents what their favorite part about winter in Cayman was. Overwhelmingly, the response was the cooler temperatures. Little rainfall “and even the holidays” came a distance second and third to temperature. There is indeed something enchanting about tropical weather, especially in the winter months. The winter breeze is fresh and cool. It moves the palm fronds and stirs the oleander to rustles and whispers. The air is dry and ambient. Lying in a hammock or sitting on the porch letting time slip away seems the proper thing to do, it is calming, restorative, fortifying it is no wonder the tropics have such an enduring and romantic reputation for relaxation.