snow in February???

Yes, it actually snowed on the Canadian west coast yesterday - six days into February. It's not like it stayed (as if!) but there was definitely snow falling. I've become a complete and total wimp since moving to Lotus Land a few years back. I used to stoically weather -40 degrees (that's in Celsius, folks) with great regularity while spending winters in northern BC, Edmonton and Yellowknife. I just dressed accordingly, warmed my truck up for at least 15 minutes before driving and survived quite well. Now, if the temperature dips toward the freezing mark, I can barely handle it. No number of sweaters suffice (I don't own that many, anymore) and I am simply chilled to the bone.

I'm sure it must be a different kind of cold. Really. It's a damp cold, not the dry cold that I'd been accustomed to. I don't know that humidity alone can account for a 40 degree difference, but let's stick to that theory. The only other theory is that a person's skin can thin out so much in so short a time, and there must be medical papers out there somewhere that dispute that.

Fortunately, winter is almost, if not entirely, over. The days are getting longer, blooms are out and the grass is turning various shades of green. I haven't seen anyone mowing lawns yet, but there have been lots of people running around in shorts. Soon, I'll be able to lament my lack of air conditioning.