Winter Weather

A snowy reminder of summer lounging

(I'm back. Computer problems too late at night kept me from posting for a couple of days. I've added three posts tonight.)

It is another crazy winter that we are having. The dump of snow in September disoriented all of us and destroyed so many trees in our city. And then it all melted away and we enjoyed fall temperatures a short time only to have the temperatures plunge 30 degrees in November. For those of us who have lived in Calgary, we know there is no such thing as 'normal'.  Last year, the cold and snow began and we didn't seem to get a break for months on end. But here we are December 11th and the temperature is +11!

I get the immense pleasure of interviewing the new students as we prepare to start each term of study in our English as a Second Language program at Mount Royal University. I warn the new students in September to prepare right away for winter weather, knowing that one day they might wake up for class and find a blizzard happening. It came true much earlier than I expected for them this year, but I also tell them about the relief that a chinook can bring. I tell them to watch the western sky for the tell-tale cloud formations that form the chinook arch. I tell the Korean students to listen to the snow as it crunches underfoot. One of my favourite sounds. During the years I lived in Korea, it was a sound I missed. That along with the sound of leaves crunching. The humidity is so different there that those sounds don't really exist. At least, not where I spent my time.

I'm not a skier. I don't ice-skate. I really don't take advantage of the winter weather like my brother-in-law and nephew do. Like so many Calgarians do. But if I had to choose between winter and summer, I'd take winter every time.

Photo by John Brosz on Flickr (CC by

A fresh blanket of snow is beautiful. The winter light hitting the ice crystals can look magical. And I can stay indoors with a cup of cocoa and a book and a blanket and enjoy the winter weather. This chinook is great and I don't mind if it stays a while longer so we can enjoy the Nativity Pageant and visit Zoo lights and other outdoor festivities with a bit of comfort but I hope that by Christmas morning, there is a fresh layer of white snow covering the ground creating some of that magic again.

Here are a couple of 6 second Vine videos for the season. Click to play on a loop and click the audio in the top left of each video to hear the music.











The song for this post seems obvious.

Another version sung for Australian TV with Canada's own Michael Bublé. (featuring hockey and the RCMP). 

 

And a version that is just for fun!!!