Sunny Delight : Weather: After more than two weeks of back-to-back storms, spirits rise as residents return to outdoor activities.

Debbie Wroblewski woke up Tuesday morning, saw the sun shining and heaved a sigh of relief.

She could stop trying to pacify her restless 1-year-old daughter, Robyn, who was tired of being inside for the last two weeks.

“We were both getting cranky,” said Wroblewski, who was playing with Robyn in the sandbox at Thousand Oaks Community Park. “We haven’t been able to get outside because of the rain. Normally we try to go out every day.”

After more than two weeks of back-to-back storms, Ventura County residents basked in the sunshine Tuesday at parks, beaches and playgrounds.

They washed their muddy cars in Thousand Oaks, hit golf balls in Camarillo and played tennis in Simi Valley. Schoolchildren in Oxnard swarmed the playgrounds after being cooped up for so long. At Ventura Harbor, couples ate lunch outside while fishermen cast their lines.

During the long rainy spell, “we felt gypped,” said Evelyn Brand, who has been visiting the area from Connecticut.

She and her husband, Emil, were eating lunch at an outdoor cafe at Ventura Harbor Village, enjoying the sun on their faces while celebrating their 47th wedding anniversary.

“The nice weather couldn’t have come on a better day,” Emil Brand said.

Alfonso Flores, 35, of Santa Paula took advantage of the sunshine to do some long-awaited fishing off the harbor’s south jetty. He caught two sand sharks in two hours before deciding to head home.

“I’m glad I checked the forecast,” Flores said.

At Sierra Linda Elementary School in Oxnard, teachers were relieved to let their pupils out for recess after trying to entertain them inside for two weeks. “They’ve just got plenty of energy,” said playground monitor Ida Hanusovski.

In Camarillo, golfers were not able to play on the still-flooded Camarillo Springs Golf Course, but they settled for hitting balls on the practice range. Nine holes of the course are expected to be open today, officials said.

“I was very antsy,” said John Davis, who was driving balls on the practice range. “I sat around the house and didn’t have anything to do.”

Scott Armstrong, who also has been suffering from cabin fever, was elated to return to work Tuesday. Armstrong manages the Janss Mall Car Wash, which has been open only seven days this month.

“I watch the weather forecasts, I watch every station, I read every forecast. This has been the worst month we’ve ever had,” Armstrong said. “People who work in carwashes usually have a good tan. We’re all starting to turn white.”

Al Watson, district manager for General Motors, said he was in a better mood Tuesday morning after getting his new black Buick Le Sabre washed. He normally brings it to the carwash weekly, Watson said.

“It’s been three weeks now, there was no point in it,” he said.

In Simi Valley, Jean Oteri had a simple goal when she headed for the tennis courts at Rancho Simi Community Park.

She swung her racket and worked up a sweat “to lose the 10 pounds I gained while sitting inside, eating chocolate and watching videos.”

“I like rain,” Oteri said. “But this was a little too much. It was very depressing.”

Although the park’s grassy areas were still damp, the clear weather gave Brady Blanusa, 32, of Simi Valley a chance to let Norm, a German short-haired pointer, take his first long run in many days.

During the past two weeks, Blanusa said, “we took him out between the showers.”

Blanusa was grateful to see some warm sunshine again. “My heating bill is the highest I’ve had in seven years in California,” he said.

Forecasters say they expect sunny weather to continue all week.

Times staff writer Phil Sneiderman contributed to this story.

County Rainfall

Back-to-back storms have pounded Ventura County since the new year began. Here are figures from the Ventura County Flood Control District showing rainfall so far this month.

Rainfall Rainfall Normal rainfall Location since Jan. 1 since Oct. 1 to date Camarillo 8.93 14.11 6.15 Casitas Dam 14.23 22.65 10.37 El Rio N/A 12.93 6.60 Fillmore 11.71 19.17 8.50 Moorpark 10.75 15.12 6.56 Ojai 17.30 24.59 9.21 Upper Ojai N/A 24.24 9.83 Oxnard 7.61 12.57 6.34 Piru 13.36 19.54 7.55 Santa Paula 10.66 17.19 7.85 Simi Valley 10.16 15.66 6.26 Thousand Oaks N/A 12.40* 6.72 Ventura Govt. Center 9.21 14.32 7.03

* Seasonal rainfall as of 8 a.m. Jan. 15. Later figures were not available.