a warm day

I never understood when my friend living in Chicago, or when my sister living in New York, tells me "It was a warm day in the 40s". It only gets that cold in LA maybe once or twice a year. That would call for pulling out my warmest sweaters, putting on some thick socks, drinking warm coffee, and eating nice chocolate, curled up on my couch with a blanket and a book.
A couple of days ago, for the first time, I understood the mean a warm day in the 40s. On the previous night, the rain came down and melted most of the snow. In the morning, I woke up to see that the grass was still green underneath all that whiteness! Although the lake remained frozen, the ducks came out to hang out on the ice. The sun was out and when couragously stepped out of the door, it was nice and crisp and quit warm. This is in comparison to the 20s and the teens the temperature has been since we arrived.
I immediately bundled up my little Terran, put him in his carrier, and went for a nice stroll. We both needed that exposure to fresh air. We have both been craving it. The sun was bright and warm, outdoor air was the best in days, and we just had a nice warm day.