Image by paolafrangella from Pixabay Two weeks ago there was no snow on the ground. The next week we had two dumps of snow, totalling 50 cm or more. Several times this week overnight temperatures have fallen to -30° C. No doubt about it, this is winter, even if it isn’t even December yet. Thursday this week I … Continue reading Learning to love winter in Canada
winter
It’s about time!
Image by Bruno from Pixabay A week ago today the ground was still brown and the daytime temperatures were usually a degree or two above zero (freezing point on the Celsius scale). The next day it snowed, not much, just enough to make the ground white. Then the temperatures started to fall. Monday morning it was -28°. Yesterday … Continue reading It’s about time!
Five things that cheered me on a frosty morning
It was -28 Celsius this morning, but 1. The house was warm. Our heating system has had problems the past couple of weeks, but they seem to be resolved. 2. Our internet is working again. It was down for four days. 3. We didn't use enough data on our phones to incur extra charges. 4. … Continue reading Five things that cheered me on a frosty morning
March
This month is named after Mars, the Roman god of war, an apt choice for a month in which we experience repeated skirmishes between winter and spring. So far this year, winter seems to be winning. We know that spring will eventually vanquish winter, but we are now in the fifth month of winter and … Continue reading March
Weather complaints
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
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.
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!
Too close for comfort
The days are getting short, the nights cold. These are the days when folks used to gather around the Quebec heater to visit. Stoves like the one in the picture below were found in most Saskatchewan farm homes, and in most stores. Most wood stoves still come from Quebec, for the same reason that most … Continue reading Too close for comfort
Flatlander Faith 