The high today was 40°. That is 104° on the Fahrenheit scale. Someone asked me the question above. Well yes I have, I remember a family picnic 70 years ago when the temperature hit 105° F. I was shirtless much of the day and got quite a sunburn, but I survived that and other weather … Continue reading Have you ever seen it this hot?
weather
Leaving on a jet plane
I used to get butterflies at the thought of climbing into a pressurized metal tube and being blasted through the skies at 700 kph at an altitude of 12 km. Those butterflies didn’t show up last weekend as I flew to Montréal and back. Maybe I’m beginning to enjoy air travel. Four hours on a … Continue reading Leaving on a jet plane
False alarm?
The Arctic Ocean is warming up, icebergs are growing scarcer and in some places the seals are finding the water too hot, according to a report to the Commerce Department yesterday from Consultafft, at Bergen, Norway. Reports from fishermen, seal hunters and explorers, all point to a radical change in climate conditions and hitherto unheard-of … Continue reading False alarm?
Winter’s adventure lost
Seventy years ago, when our family wanted to go somewhere in winter we used a cutter much like the one illustrated. We dressed very warmly, heated a stone or two in the oven, placed them on the floor of the cutter and draped horsehide robes over our laps and feet. Nowadays, I push a button … Continue reading Winter’s adventure lost
Moving on, or pressing on
I really thought that spring would be here in just a day or two. The sun shone warmly on Saturday, the few patches of snow left were becoming smaller and smaller, we heard of birds coming back to a place just a few hours south of us. Alas, it was but a dream. We awoke … Continue reading Moving on, or pressing on
Reflections on turning 75
I remember the exact moment when I realized I was edging into the senior ranks. It was in 1992 and I was explaining to a younger friend how things had been when I was a boy. All of a sudden there was a little voice in my head saying, “Wait a minute! What’s going on … Continue reading Reflections on turning 75
Tips for newcomers to Canada – No. 1
Listen carefully when Canadians talk about the weather and you will discover there is a protocol that we all follow. For instance, here where I live, we just had an early snowstorm. When we get together with neighbours, the first thing one does is to complain about the weather: “It’s not fit for man nor … Continue reading Tips for newcomers to Canada – No. 1
My day so far
9:00 check weather - forecast of 10 -15 cm snow, winds 40 gusting to 60 km/h 9:30 wife leaves for city just as snow begins to fall 9:35 start work - day’s plan is to catch up on filing 9:45 cat #3 wants out - open door, watch as he assesses the situation and turns … Continue reading My day so far
The first day of winter
Today is the winter solstice, the day when winter officially begins. In real life, we've had a month of winter here already, with far too many days when the temperature went down to -30° Celsius at night and only went up by 5 or 10 degrees in the daytime. Our two youngest cats insist on … Continue reading The first day of winter
The pride of man
When I was a teenager, scientists were predicting that a new ice age was somewhere just over the horizon. Around the same time (these were the cold war days) the media was publishing speculations that severe weather conditions were the result of secret Russian experiments at weather control. The U.S. military was spending a lot … Continue reading The pride of man
Flatlander Faith 