I was looking for my sun glasses this morning and couldn’t find them at the only place I keep them. Trying to recapitulate when I last wore them I realized it was exactly a month ago, at my little friend Dancy’s 5-year birthday party. And I found them in the bag where I keep the pillows I need when sitting on chairs not agreeing with my back. I had brought them to Dancy’s grandpa, my next door neighbor, where the party was.
We were so lucky that day, because the weather was unexpectedly nice. The sun was out all afternoon and I was wearing a summer dress. Although with leggings. The temperature wasn’t that high after all.
It was actually the one day this summer for a summer dress. Weather wise this summer has been really crappy. Crappy crappy crappy. And it’s not just a subjective negative opinion from my side. It’s facts.
The general Swedish summer on latitude 64° holds basic temperatures at 57°-68°F (14-20°C). Alternately rain and shine. Overcast and sun glimpses. Usually we have one good high pressure giving us temperatures around 73°F (23°C) for about a week. And if we are really lucky there might be two of them. In that case we are happy, that’s a good summer! And a normal summer I can ride my Le Baron convertible top down five days.
Nowadays I remember my summers by the people taking care of me. 2013 was the summer with Peter, a pretty normal summer. 2014, my summer with Audrey was historic. Warm winds from Africa found there way up here and after a record cold June, July and August were crazy hot, around 86°F (30°C) for weeks and weeks. I stopped counting the top down days, the only relief from the heat for Audrey and me that summer was the Le Baron!
Josephine and I shared summer 2015, a rainy and cold summer when the joke was: do you remember summer 2015, it was a Friday. Which was true, there was one Friday at 77°F (25°C).
2016 was my summer with Goran. It was a really nice one. A lot of every other day rain and shine, but the temperatures nice and two high pressures, one early on and one late July. Many top down days, more than average!
I can also tell you 2011 was really warm. This I know because the Le Baron gearbox crashed during the first hot week already in May, and I had to drive my winter Subaru through heat wave after heat wave all summer. 2012 was bad. One warm day early June and four late August. I remember this as it was the summer I built my carport. And I escaped to Seattle for five perfect September weeks.
We need summers which are summers in northern Sweden. We need the sun and we need the warmth. As we are struggling through the cold dark for the rest of the year. Long months in the wait.
For my part I am dependent on a good summer for my well being. Warmth and sun is the only medicine that can give my body a chance to relax, be more movable and thereby gain some strength. Although not even that is to trust, it’s still a hope.
So what about summer 2017? In one word, bad. Cold, a lot of rain, and not one single high pressure coming our way! 12 measly days spread out over three months at around 70°F (20°C). I, who take every opportunity to be in the sun, have only been seated in my sun chair 6 times this summer! And I know some of those I needed a blanket to cover me when the sun did hide behind a cloud.
It wasn’t until Mohammed started working here late July that we drove the Le Baron. And a couple of times we could push the top down button, but only when driving slow in the city. And to be honest it wasn’t really warm enough. But yet…
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