Winter is not that far off.
Yes, I said it. With cooler nights we know it is inevitable that snow will come at any time, but hopefully a little later.
I remember when we moved to Saskatchewan in August 2008, it was brutally hot and dry. Grasshoppers could not be avoided when I walked across our yard. At that time, it was hoped the weather would cool off soon.
That same year, a snowstorm hit on Thanksgiving weekend and the snow stayed until spring. Be careful what you wish for.
There are those that love winter and those that don’t. Not sure why, if you dislike winter, you live in Saskatchewan, where some of the coldest winters anywhere occur.
Now last winter was a good one. We had some crazy storms, with bitter wind. Trying to feed horses in -45 C wind chills is not a pleasant experience, but it needs to be done.
This winter, according to the weather experts, will be another cold and snowy one, but then every season has its ups and downs.
I am not crazy over spring. One just never knows what it will do – snow, sleet, rain, sunshine or wind, it seems to all come in the spring, and I can do without the mud in my house when my dogs come and go.
Spring does bring green grass; the snow will leave, and the sun will shine and warm things up. I get to plant my garden and get flower beds ready, something I enjoy.
Summer brings bugs. Ugh. Especially mosquitoes. Grass needs cutting, garden has to be weeded along with the flower beds. Outdoor items must be painted and repaired. The list goes on.
Ah, but summer brings campfires, swimming, boating, tractor pulls and horse shows. Who does not love a good horse show?
Now fall is very busy and the wasps come out. I am terrified of them, and they send me running. It is time to clean the garden and flower beds. Get the lawn furniture put away. And is the snow blower ready to go?
Fall also brings harvest, not just for farmers but for us garden people. It is canning time at its fullest. I love to watch my canning room fill with preserves, knowing they were grown in my garden.
Now this brings us to winter. Why is winter so hard? Is it the cold temperatures, the unpredictable weather or the road conditions? Unpredictable weather can happen in any season.
I went to an Estevan Bruins game last winter and it was nice out. Then I got a message from my husband to head home as it was starting to storm. Yup, we drove home in a snowstorm. One always has to watch the weather.
I really don’t mind winter. It is just like summer, just with more layers of clothes.
There is hockey, like the Estevan Bruins, which we love, ice fishing, snowmobiling, tobogganing, skating and backyard fires. Building snowmen and snow forts. There is actually a lot of things to do in the winter.
It is a time for baking, pots of soup, and relaxing. I love to sit in the coziness of our home, knitting or writing my articles.
We can’t change the weather, yet we seem to complain about it regularly. So why not just enjoy every season and make the best of it?
After all, this is my opinion.
