Adios February

Mornin'!  It's 42° in Wildwood NJ.  It's mostly clear (some milky clouds obscuring that almost full moon) with semi-starlit skies.  Breezes are light out of the S-SW at 8-12mph.  It's a lovely morning out there in the salty darkness.  Lot's of love in my heart today.  My feelings of happiness and appreciation for living here along the coast only intensifies after a 4+hour roundtrip drive to the hospital to spend the afternoon visiting our daughter and new granddaughter yesterday.  Everything good (including the salty brine in the early morning air) seems even more enjoyable today. Yesterday was a fulfillment of even more heartfelt love in my life.  My daughter and new granddaughter Lana Rose couldn't be any more precious and beautiful.  Then, my 4-year-old grandson whispering to me as he sat holding onto to Lana for the very first time, "I'm so lucky." Happiness overload which could stay in my heart forever.  Today...will match my mood and be beautiful with partly sunny / partly cloudy sky, temps tapping 50° and breezes out of the S-SW at 15-20mph.  Tonight...cloudy with temps in the mid-40s and breezes out of the SW at 14-17mph.
High tide:6:20a.m. and 6:53p.m. (tides will be much higher due to tomorrow's full-moon)
Low tide:12:33p.m.
Ocean temp:40°
Sunrise:6:31a.m.
Sunset:5:53p.m.
Moonrise:4:28p.m.
So...okay "au revoir February!" Most of you know I'm not thrilled about saying goodbye to February as it's the predecessor to that ol' month of March which is my least favorite month of the entire calendar year.  Strap in...March is about to have her way with us and it's never been easy living here along the coast during that month.  There are brief sneak peeks of Spring but if you weren't aware or perhaps are living here for your very first March, it may not be what you expect. It wasn't for me as growing up in the big city was different as March provided the beginning signs of Spring.  Birds were always chirping, bright, light, green was everywhere (lawns, trees, bushes), flowering trees and bushes were everywhere, flowering bulbs begin sprouting, the sun really began to warm you.  Throw all that away here along the coast in March.  It's all about that 40° ocean temperature and those blustery, very stiff winds blowing off that cold water non-stop over the island for which seems like the entire month.  We don't truly see the beginning signs of Spring until April when every last tangle is out of our hair.  Enjoy this last day of February as it'll be a good one.  As for March 1st...looks like rain is on the menu and March 2nd...The March Winds are wasting no time and are checking in along with rain.  Bring it!