One of the Good Ones

During the last couple of days I've been receiving some good-natured flack on Facebook following my comments about the weather. I did say that I was enjoying a beautiful spring-like day and then qualify the statement by saying I didn't want to call it spring otherwise I might jinx the weather. Well, sure enough, we got about 6" of snow last night. I haven't checked that on the weather service; I'm judging by what was on the walks today.

Before he left this morning for an icky drive to work on slippery roads, Richard asked me if I would shovel a path so that we'd have a clean space to walk when the snow started to melt. Before I got around to it some kind neighbour, I don't know who, had shovelled the city sidewalk in front of our house. I decided I'd better get out there and get the snow off the walk leading up to the house. I put on my winter boots, only because they were easy to slip into and were more waterproof than my shoes. The temperature was a bit above freezing so I donned a shell over my light fleece.

Bits of heavy, wet snow dropped from the trees down my neck a couple of times. No matter, the weather was warm and I wouldn't melt with a little water. As I shovelled I listened to robins, gulls and the occasional magpie. I decided since it was pleasant out, I might as well tackle the driveway as well.

I went around to the back and began. It took me about an hour. No sense pulling muscles in the heavy wet stuff. It wasn't long before I shed my gloves. Then I took off my shell and hung it over the mirror of the big van. There was a small rivulet running down the side of the van caused by the snow melting off the windshield. I worked for a bit and then pushed up my sleeves. I debated about taking off my fleece. Every once in a while a gust of wind would come up and cool me off sufficiently so I left the fleece on.

I was completely content as I was tossed shovels full of snow behind the back fence. The temperatures and the snow stirred memories of the time I spent in Banff as a student many years ago. We went out drawing in the spring snow and then when we were wet and cold, we went into a restaurant on Banff Avenue for a cup of tea. Many nights I sat by the fireplace in what used to be called the Admin Building and watched snow fall through beams of outdoor lights onto the lawn. And, I remember skiing Sunshine with just a sweater and a light shell.

As I stood on the clear driveway looking at and listening to three robins in the bare branches of a weeping birch, I realized there are worse things than being physically able to deal with spring snow. There are worse things than having a cool breeze take the sweat off my forehead. There are worse things than shovelling snow with bare hands and arms. Now, I'm not expecting people who love the heat to agree with me. If temperatures in the high 20's to mid 30's make you feel alive, my hat is off to you. Enjoy those temperatures to the fullest whether you have to go to latitudes closer to the equator to experience them or whether you love the few days in Alberta when the temperature climbs and I head for the basement. I hope those temperatures will bring you the kind of contentment I had today in the spring snow. Today was one of the good ones.

(I shot a bit of video with robins chirping in the background - enjoy.)