Feb 11: Sunseeker

Most of us crave sunshine, don't we? I know that I do. And sometimes that surprises me. You'd think that living in sunny South Florida would make sunlight into something I take for granted. But the sun doesn't ever seem to get old somehow. This sunseeking assumes many forms in my life. Throwing open blinds to welcome afternoon sun at home, choosing sun-warmed tables at cafes - even picking an automobile in part for its ability to bring the sun and me together. I just bought a new car, actually, after the lease on my PT Cruiser expired. The Cruiser was a jazzy convertible and I loved it. Now I have an even jazzier, more earth-friendly car that I already love more than the Chrysler. And it has, yep, a sunroof.

This time around I was able to buy a new Mini Cooper. The car is a lovely sky blue with racing stripes. I got a very good deal, which included the sunroof that I insisted upon. I'd thought about another convertible but decided that this particular model worked better for me with a big sunroof instead. So far, all I can say is that it's great!

Just this morning I took a long drive by the ocean, parking to watch the waves through my windows and the brilliant blue sky and palm fronds through my sunroof. The sea was brilliant too, about the same color as both the sky and my car. I turned off my satellite radio so I could listen to the waves break and roll onto the sand. Then I drove to a pretty café and sat with a cup of coffee at an outside table - a table directly in the sunshine. The morning air was crisp by Fort Lauderdale standards, so the coffee and the sun helped to warm me. Other folks sat outside as well, finding their own patches of sun and soaking up the beautiful day. This season of the year is prime time for all of us sunseekers in Florida, the perfect period for doing all the ray-catching we want. Not that I like the sun any less during our hot summers, mind you. If we go a rare three days in a row without it, I find myself wishing for its return despite the heat. But in the summertime, we tend to look for shady spots much more often, something to protect us in between our sweaty outings along the beach or wherever. Not now. Now we can sit for an hour at a sunny table or throw open the sunroof and just let South Florida shine on us. That's why we came here after all. Even after living in Fort Lauderdale for many years, we still crave sunshine.