The weather....

Ok, so I know that talking about the weather is considered "small talk"...something you only do with people when attempting to start a conversation (or get out of one)...but come on now....we have something to talk about this year.

Growing up on the west coast, snow was a very rare sight to see. Sure, we had it, and there are pictures of me as a child playing in the snow...but honestly, it happened maybe once a year...or so my memory says! :)

I spent some Christmas' in Ontario (Ottawa and Toronto areas) as my mom's side of the family lived there. That is when I was truely exposed to real snowfall. I actually had to wear boots, and a snowsuit!!! There is a story that I remember faintly, about the day my grandfather took me out for a walk in the snow, and it was up to my chest (I was around 5 years old at the time). It was the first deep snow I'd seen, and I hated it...because I couldn't walk..understandable right? lol

So then I start going to university in Kingston Ontario, and I get my first "surprise" snow. I was at the movies with a good friend of mine. He was from Ontario, so nothing surprised him. Anyway, we went into the movie theater, and it was a nice clear evening, nothing happening outside, nothing supposed to happen outside. 2 hours later, when the movie was over, we walk outside to hail a cab, and to my surprise, the snow is up past my ankles...I didn't know what to think...I thought maybe the world was ending or something! lol My friend assured me that this was to be expected in the WINTER....duh! :P

Kingston, On. was also my first real exposure to frigid temperatures. I remember walking over this bridge...and the COLD COLD wind almost made me feel like curling up in a ball and dying right there. Hell with the pub...I couldn't believe that the world could get so cold (of course it was the wind chill off of the water, but still)....

And then I move to Nova Scotia. At this point I am totally used to winter and snow and cold temperatures. UNTIL THIS YEAR!!!! lol...I don't think I've ever witnessed such a bizzare change in temperature and weather in a single month ever. I bring this up because yesterday it was -17 with a wind chill of -23 or something...brrrrrr. Right now, there is snow falling like crazy out, at least 5 cm have fallen...but that's not the weird thing. The weird thing is that they are saying that by midnight the temperature will climb above freezing, and by tomorrow, it will be +8 outside. So this snow will soon turn to rain and make a hell of a mess! And this isn't even the first time, I think it's at least the 3rd time that we've gone from cold and snow, to a spring thaw in less than 12 hours. I don't remember this happening last year!

I think there is something weather-related in all of our experiences that are making us aware of the damage that has been done to this planet. Vancouver gets 10cm of snow in one day, while Nova Scotia's latest "nor-easter" is going to turn into gentle rain. Hmmm...makes me scratch my head and think...how long will this planet really last? Maybe next winter the palm trees will start to sprout in PEI and there will be Blizzards in Mexico....

I hope not!!!