Go to the nearest window. Look out for a full minute. Write about what you saw.
I am warm as I stand near the wood stove and gaze at the snow outside. Imprinted on the Canadian psyche, this classic image triggers one of our most beloved conversations…the weather.
There is nothing a Canadian loves better than regaling each other with extreme weather tales. It is almost a source of pride to see who has survived the coldest, most snow, highest wind, and longest power outages. Does the rest of the world not realize that we set a snowfall record this month for the most snow by mid January? From the tiniest tot to an elderly man in a rocking chair, we have all heard and discussed this amazing fact with a combination of pride and alarm.
The weather channel, the weather on the Internet the weather phone line and the weather page in the newspaper are important because we need to know…
Is there a frost bite warning? How long till exposed skin freezes, a minute?
Will the car start or should cars be plugged in?
Will there be patches of black ice?
Have the snow ploughs cleared the route to work?
Will there be a white-out?
Is there a winter storm warning?
Is school cancelled?
Are the police advising people to only travel if there is an emergency?
Apparently the average Canadian searches for frequent updates throughout the day, all the better to include these statistics in any conversation possible. The more drastic the stats, the more horrified yet oddly proud our tone will be and we adore remembering the shocking weather facts. For example, did you know that in 1979 in the province of Saskatchewan, it was -70C with the wind chill factor for over a month?. Yep. Newly married and driving 100km an hour, our car was threatening to break down because we did not know enough to put a barrier in front of the radiator, to keep out the frigid air
Then there are the jokes! I will leave you with this joke, posted in our school newsletter.
We have four seasons in Canada. Almost winter, winter, still winter and..construction!
Melanie Jean Juneau is a petite wife, writer and mother of nine children. When the words "The Joy of Mothering on a Hobby Farm" popped into her head as a subtitle for her short stories it was like an epiphany for her because those few words verbalized her experience living with little people. The very existence of a joyful mother of nine children seems to confound people. Her writing is humorous and heart warming; thoughtful and thought provoking with a strong currant of spirituality running through it. Part of her call and her witness is to write the truth about children, family, marriage and the sacredness of life, especially a life lived in God. My writing is humourous and heart warming/ thoughtful and thought provoking with a strong currant of spirituality running through it. Part of my call and my witness is to write the truth about children, family, marriage and the sacredness of life, especially a life lived in God
I understand the four seasons… Especially the Construction Season!!! LOL Take Care and God Bless
Kenny T
On Tue, Jan 29, 2013 at 2:31 PM, motherofnine9
Beautiful view…wish I was there
Yea.. we complain but it is gorgeous
As a Canuck myself, another joke is that there are two seasons in Canada, hockey, and bad ice.
I am a poor Canadian; I can only handle watching a hockey game with a book or crocheting
Where I stand in Burnaby, BC. Our season here is wet, wetter, wettest. By the by, congratulations for your nomination as an inspirational blogger. Cheers. Perpetua.
wet, wetter and wetest….love it
thank-you for your warm support, I LOVE your avatar
Melanie Jean, Meet Bernadette Soibirous of Lourdes, France.
I THOUGHT so – lovely
her face and eyes are simple, direct, real, deep, insightful- not sappy or fake saintlit is like there is a connection with her through the old fuzzy photos. She snags my heart. I better start connecting with her, asking for prayers