I’m no weather forecaster, but I am a major weather stakeholder, and follow trends and temperatures regularly. As we enter our fifth (sixth?) winter, it’s hard to deny that this spring has been unseasonably cold. Scratch that, it’s cold as #$%*. However, being the optimist that I am, I’ve picked up a few tips to help even the most soured up folk get through this trying time.
Bird watch – spring is a special time for bird-watching as our feathered friends return from their warm winter vacays and prepare for breeding and nesting. This spring is no different. In fact, I’m actually taking more interest in bird-watching than normal because the birds seem confused and annoyed, and this sort of amuses me. I have no less than 200 Canada geese circling our home yard, and while geese usually seem grumpy, this year they are downright cantankerous and full of personality. I’ve seen some trumpet swans pass by looking for warmer climes and watched a small flock of meadowlarks doing their best to swing their sweet song. The hawks are the only bird group that seem to be dealing, and have an “I got this” attitude.
Change up your décor – up your game and decorate as though it really feels like spring. (Note, I am highly unqualified to dispense decorating advice – even though I do have a copy of the unauthorized biography of Martha Stewart). I bought more Easter flowers than what I normally budget and I even stuck a couple of spring-like wreaths on my gate. Since then, it warmed up to -14C and another pair of confused and bitter geese rolled in. I’m pretty sure this decorating thing really works.
Convert – for reasons unknown to generations of Canadians, Trudeau the First championed the metrification of Canada…and forever made us sound colder than necessary. When an unseasonably cold day time high is -18C, wouldn’t it be more fun to say it is zero degrees….Fahrenheit? When it seems too cold to bear, just mention the metric-imperial debate in your local coffee shop or in a social media discussion forum and things will automatically heat up – guaranteed.
We cannot do a thing about the weather, and that aggravates us humans. All we can do is be patient, cope as best we can, and take heart knowing that in a few short months we will get the warmth we deserve so we can complain about those 100 degree Fahrenheit days.
