This weekend was the first in a while that was warm enough to feel like Spring in California. Some may say we have no seasons, but if you live here long enough and are attentive to nature, you will come to love the subtle changes of our seasons. The weather this weekend was such that the temperature was absolutely perfect if you sat in the shade. The gentle breeze was neither slightly warm nor slightly cool. Take a deep breath in, and you can smell the subtle scents of blossoms everywhere. For some, this may cause incessant sneezing due to all the pollen; however, I am blessed with no allergies. It was so lovely I was filling more than just my lungs of fresh air. It was the scent of new life.

We were in a coastal farm region north of Los Angeles to look for fresh vegetables and especially strawberries. We’re about a month away from the peak of strawberry season. Still, the ones that have ripened early are already so deliciously sweet. The taste of freshly picked strawberry that has fully ripened on the field is quite extraordinary. Soft and sweet, unlike the sometimes crunchy and tart ones during the off-season.

No restaurant decor will ever match eating outside with the sky as your ceiling. I kept hearing the endless chirping and twitter above me. There were so many little birds in a pine tree that was shading our table. I imagined them having something like an Ewok Village on the forest moon of Endor. The deciduous trees nearby were starting to leave their dormant state and sprouting new bright green leaves. The opportunity to see it as an optimistic symbol of a better future for our world was not lost upon me.

Finally, with all of this springtime weather and sunshine throughout the weekend, I think even the weather app was in disbelief. On Sunday evening, my phone briefly showed it as drizzling and a thirty percent chance of precipitation later that evening. There was not a single cloud in sight for as far as the eye could see: only a bright blue sky as far as the eye could see.