Sunday 27 April 2014

I'm my father's daughter

My dad likes to talk about weather A LOT.  Just as I use sports to connect with my older brother, I talk weather with Dad.  Saskatoon is providing plenty of material for discussion these days.  This post is dedicated to weather.


Late Spring

Um, hello?  It's the last weekend in April and I'm still wearing a winter coat!  I'm not amused and I'm certainly  not alone.  I was prepared for a later spring than in London, but my patience is wearing thin.  (I hear that spring is being a bit stubborn at home, too.  Brother in Manila is still basking in sun and warm temps, however.)  There have been a couple of 'teaser' days...17 degrees, sunny, warm breezes.  Gorgeous.  I went for bike rides and walks on those days, and was full of smiles.  I even saw pelicans on the river!  Now we're back to cold, damp, with a chance of wet snow overnight.  I'm resisting the urge to go back to bed (which is precisely where I spent Good Friday...).  I've got the laundry on this morning with three pairs of capri pants included.  I'm willing the arrival of spring any way possible.  Desperation is setting in.



Early Sunrise

Not exactly a weather topic, but sun times are posted on The Weather Network website so I feel it's a related subject.  I'm sure I was bitching about how late the sun was coming up here in December.  Now it's the opposite: sun comes up at 5:45am, and by the time the summer solstice rolls around it will be up and at 'em at 4:45am.  In London, 5:45am was the earliest it ever really got, so this super early morning is new for me.  I bought some blackout curtains and they're working well.  They don't stop the cats from getting up early to "remind" me that breakfast should be served, but it's nice not to get blasted in the face with bright light at some godforsaken hour of the day.  They're rather dramatic looking.  I feel like my bedroom is now a theatre and the curtains will part slowly to reveal a little stage, where there will be nightly entertainment before I fall asleep.  Fingers crossed this doesn't actually happen.  Freeeea-ky.


Tornado Alley

I was watching a couple of videos on The Weather Network website (yes, I spend a decent amount of time there...I'm sure Dad also has a healthy relationship with it as well) and was surprised to discover that Saskatchewan has more tornadoes per year on average than Ontario.  I was quite sure that southern Ontario was most frequently hit, but no!  Horrifying...yet strangely exciting.  The prairies are an extension of the tornado prone areas of the U.S., so if I want to go storm chasing this is the place to do it.  I might add that to my list of possible summer activities.


One thing that goes down well no matter what's going on outside is playoff hockey.  The Leafs didn't make it to the post-season this year (insert quiet sob here), so I've taken a new approach: I watch whatever game is on and cheer when any goal is scored.  Cameron agrees that this is an excellent idea, especially when he can share my lap with the computer.  :)