Summer in the Tropics

To live summer in the tropics is to experience its accumulation of billowing clouds and release of powerful thunderstorms. Ominous clouds in graduating shades of purple knit together overhead. Spikey arrows of light bolt from the sky and thunder bellows in surround sound. Then it rains in hard streams, beautiful and serenely calming to watch. In the immediate aftermath, the air feels clean and cooler, and often colorful spectrums of light signal the end of the afternoon storm.

Every twilight is a new visual delight, unique paintings with sweeping purple, orange, yellow, red and pink. Over water the sunsets dazzle and reflect and the sun appears magnified against the cloudy skies.

Often winds blowing from as far as the Sahara carry colorful sands that tint the sky auburn and copper against a canvas of cerulean blue.

While the sun beats strong during the day, air-conditioning space is well done here and provides an immediate oasis, and evenings which can be muggy are more often than not cooled by daily rain and tropical breezes.

(Technically speaking Punta Gorda is in the subtropics nonetheless its weather would be generally classified as “tropical” so my use of “tropics” in this brief essay is in the broadest sense.)