It was a freezing night in Southern California. The coldest in recorded history to be exact.  I sat in the steaming jacuzzi while freezing rain poured down the drops heavy and cold drenching my head. My hair was plastered to my scalp and fresh raindrops poured down my face, I looked at my grandson and asked him how he was doing.  Through the steam and rain, he smiled with a huge grin and shouted through the sounds of water jets, wind, and pouring rain, “I’m good Grandma, this is fun”! 

Surprisingly, there were others in the hotel Jacuzzi too.  Everyone was enjoying the rare rainfall and enjoying the drenching. The wind whipped around the pool area, blowing over furniture, sweeping away towels and robes, and the palm trees swayed and danced.  The palm fronds above us were blowing madly to the music of winter wind and weather.  I thought that maybe we should go in and not risk getting chilled, but the steamy,  whirling water was keeping all of us warm and toasty.  We all had pink cheeks and steam rising from our drenched bodies.  People chatted as if nothing was unusual and life went on.  I sunk into the hot water and let the jet streams do their work on tired muscles and aching bones.  I asked him, “Do you want to sit in the bubbles?”  Slowly he inched his way around not wanting to fall off the ledge as he had many times before and receiving a rude dunking. He had obviously learned his lessons.  He lowered himself next to the bubbles. “This is great Grandma!”. 

I sat in the heat and bubbles and tried to figure out how we were going to get out and make it back to the hotel room.  Our towels were soaked and moving across the cement precariously toward the main pool.  The wind was icy and wet. I figured we would have to bite the bullet and just take the pain.  The sooner the better. The storm wasn’t letting up and as the hour got later, I knew that the temperature would continue to drop.  This vacation was spectacular and freezing, but one of the best I’ve ever had.  And it was only freezing because we’ve become so accustomed to the year-round warmth of the United States’ southern climate.  

We made it back and were thankful for the hot showers.  It was the end of a perfect night and time to get cozy and have more winter fun.