Sunny January days and unseasonably warm weather.
Sunday, January 4, 2026
Gently pulled from my slumber by a purring Chibi cat, sparkling sunshine streaming in the window. It was only the night before that moonlight has been in its place. A clear day with bright blue skies. I have grown so accustomed to overcast weather that the sudden change feels almost foreign. A really nice day for January.
I’ve somehow managed to sleep in for the first time in ages! It’s quite late for me to be getting out of bed (after 9 am EST). Ah well, that’s what Sundays are for! The sun, as it set on the previous evening, put on a glorious show. Shifting from yellow to orange to pink, as the light sank out of sight. It was really beautiful to watch.
Monday, January 5, 2026
A host of sparrows on the feeder. The morning’s blue sky has been replaced with thin clouds and weak sunlight. There’s a bit of a breeze but it’s not too chilly (52°F). The cat concedes to go outside, but doesn’t like how the wind tickles her ears. She doesn’t understand why the weather outside is different from the weather inside.
The air quality has been pretty bad the past few days, finally showing some improvement today. As far as I am aware, there are no forest fires happening that would impact our area (thankfully). The only other explanation I could find via a brief Google search was something called a “temperature inversion,” which traps the air, causing pollutants to accumulate. Why is the air so dirty here?
According to the American Lung Association, “Cincinnati was named 14th worst in the country for year-round particle pollution,” in their 2025 report1. This is higher than the 2024 ranking of 22nd, with the city receiving a failing grade of F across several categories. These include particle pollution, ground-level ozone, and the year round average air quality. To view the full “State of the Air” report, click HERE.
Just had a random thought… what if the sunsets are so pretty and pink because of the air pollution? Would I still want it to go away if that were the case? I think, yes, and I will take my chances with the color of the sunset. Perhaps I am the only one who worries about such things?
Tuesday, January 6, 2026
Today, oddly enough, is my half-birthday. The only reason I even know that is because my phone told me. Time flies by so fast already. I’m not sure if that means we should celebrate half-birthdays or if we are better off pretending they don’t exist. I’d rather not think about it. But a very merry unbirthday to you anyway!
A misty, foggy morning after two days of blue sky and winter sunshine. It is warm again, with temperatures remaining in the 50’s. The road looks damp but I don’t think we got any actual rain, just a delicate mist. I have to say, “winter” here is often like this, warm-ish and rainy, instead of true cold weather. It makes me want to move north, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula looks nice, or maybe New Hampshire. Yes, I said north! I love snow and having four proper seasons.
January 7, 2026
It’s the first Wednesday of the month and the alien invasion is loudly making it’s presence known. What in the world am I talking about? The monthly tornado siren test, of course! I will never forget the first time I heard it and genuinely didn’t know what was going on (I only panicked a little bit). Let’s just say it was quite alarming (pun intended)!
The morning clouds have given way to clear skies. I went for a walk, slightly different route than usual, and spotted a robin on the hunt for food in a sunny front lawn. We are expecting more warm weather and rain. The cats take advantage of the sunshine and hang out on the deck for a while. It’s what I call, “appreciating apricity.”
The word ‘apricity’ is an archaic English word meaning, “warmth of the sun in winter”2. It is derived from the Latin word apricitas meaning “sunniness” or “basking warmth”. Though rarely used today, it beautifully captures the feeling of warm winter sunshine, which serves as a gentle reminder that the sun has not forsaken us and spring is just around the corner.
– Henry David Thoreau
“What fire could ever equal the sunshine of a winter’s day?”
- American Lung Association – https://www.lung.org/media/press-releases/2025-cincinnati-sota-(1) ↩︎
- Merriam-Webster – https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/winter-words ↩︎
Apricity is a new word for me! Now let’s see if I can retain it. I would definitely trade the color of sunsets for less air pollution, but having seen magnificent sunsets in places with less air pollution, I don’t think it would be an issue 🙂
It’s a beautiful word, and one I considered during the naming process for Seasonfold. I agree with you about the sunsets! 😀