I was almost five years old when the great blizzard of 1947 hit southern Saskatchewan. After it was over my mother took a photo of me standing on top of what must have been an almost 10 metre snowdrift. Our driveway passed through multiple rows of trees and that snowdrift fully blocked it. A passenger … Continue reading Surviving the weather apocalypse
weather
Have you ever seen it this hot?
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?
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
Flatlander Faith 