For most of my life, I have been an athlete who exercises outdoors, whether it be as a skiier, horseback-rider, swimmer or runner. And for the past 14 years, I have run outside most days in many cities and many different climates. With this kind of exposure, one becomes finely attuned to the weather and the change in seasons, also to the rhythm of a city and how it awakens itself everyday. I’ve said before here how I expected to notice little difference in the change in seasons. This was wrong. Things are turning here in a major way. There are new flowers and different creatures flying around. It is very windy, hazy and hot. Even the Jamaicans are complaining that all of a sudden, it is hot earlier than usual. So people are wary of what this hurricane season will bring. The official season kicked off June 1. The government is all about warning people here and they held a major press conference with the Prime Minister and today there is a substantial supplement in the Gleaner about disaster preparedness. But people are wary because they are saying if it is this hot now, it means an extra-active hurricane season. I am mostly prepared. I live on the third floor, have water, canned foods, candles, matches, etc. And I will keep running outside, except in a hurricane, of course.

Mini-coaster update: The coaster has been relatively placid recently. Not sure why. But today, I took it downtown after a meeting of the Canadian Women’s Club executive committee. It was mostly deserted. When the coaster careened up to my stop, I got up a bit early, as most people do. Bad move. A rogue coaster pulled out in front of us suddenly and it was all I could do to hold on and not be shot through the windshield. I really had to hold on tight to remain upright and I was shaken afterwards. In general, I have adopted the policy of simply not looking out the window when I am in a coaster. It is just too scary.