Image by Nobis from Pixabay Have you noticed how apocalyptic weather reports have become? "Unprecedented Siberian cold blankets the prairies!" "High risk of frostbite and hypothermia." Those of us who are native to the prairies love to complain about our weather extremes. I used to tell people that when I was a boy we had days every winter … Continue reading Weather complaints
snow
White winter morning
This morning our world looks somewhat like this. Oh well, at least the days are getting longer. Not so you'd notice it yet, though. Image by Pixaline from Pixabay It is -32° C outside, there is a fresh layer of pure white snow on the ground, 15cm of it. I have cleared the steps and walkways, plugged the … Continue reading White winter morning
Shelley didn’t live in Saskatchewan
Image by Richard Duijnstee from Pixabay If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind? That line comes from Ode to the West Wind by Percy Bysshe Shelley. This morning, here in Saskatchewan, spring seems far away. It'll be five months until this snow is gone.
More signs of spring
Ever since I was a little boy I have had this urge to get outside and do something on these sunny spring days: dig a little trench to drain a puddle of water or clear snow and ice off walkways. It probably speeds things up by about a day. Today I cleared our front walk, … Continue reading More signs of spring
Winter grumbles
It was -36° when I got up this morning, wind chill -47°. Those numbers are on the Celsius scale, but the Fahrenheit numbers don't look any better: -33° and -52° wind chill. This is the depth of winter, the whole week is supposed to be like this. There can be advantages to days like this. … Continue reading Winter grumbles
Why wait for spring – Do it now!
I first posted this five years ago. Readers enjoyed it, and nothing much has changed. So here it is again. A few days ago my wife and I got to talking about a catchy advertising jingle of fifty years ago that was heard incessantly at this time of year. My wife even remembered all the … Continue reading Why wait for spring – Do it now!
Snow
Snow – snow – fast falling snow! Snow on the house-tops – snow in the street – Snow overhead, and snow under feet – Snow in the country – snow in the town, Silently, silently sinking down; Everywhere, everywhere fast falling snow, Dazzling the eyes with its crystalline glow! Snow, snow – beautiful snow! Hear … Continue reading Snow
Ten beautiful things about winter in Saskatchewan
1. Sparkling landscapes. The timing is unpredictable, but every once in a while every tree, bush and weed is turned into a dazzling crystalline structure by hoar frost. 2. The purity of the snow. All that is ugly is buried under a white blanket. 3. The absence of flies, ants and beetles. They will return … Continue reading Ten beautiful things about winter in Saskatchewan
Snow, beautiful snow
It's springtime in Saskatchewan and our yard has begun to emerge from the winter's accumulation of snow. We were greeted this morning by more of the white stuff falling from the sky; by dinner time about 10 cm has accumulated. Beautiful, glittering, pristine white snow. I had planned to go to the city this morning, … Continue reading Snow, beautiful snow
Winter – month five
Snow is such beautiful stuff, so sparkly bright and clean, a symbol of purity. We just got another 30 cm of it over the weekend to mark the beginning of month 5 of winter. Perhaps you can tell that my enthusiasm is somewhat less than it would have been when I was a seven year … Continue reading Winter – month five
Flatlander Faith 