2007 - A December To Remember

I feel I must apologize for the errant tone I took latterly in describing winter's feeble entry. I was, to say the least, precipitate, perilously so. For no one should take nature, the environment and the elements of weather lightly. What we see and face today will not necessarily reflect what tomorrow will bring. My silly attempts at seasonal levity have, it would appear, offended Old Man Winter. And the result is what we see before us, peering out our frosted windows onto a pillowed landscape of snow.

And it isn't even yet winter officially; we've yet another week to go. So woe is me, and I once again offer my apologies.

Winter: I hardly meant what I said; it was in jest. Your message has been received, amply. No one could claim that there is anything meek and mild about your presence; it was only late fall that lulled us into thinking you would roar in far more gently than you in actual fact did. Who could have foreseen that that balmy early- to mid-fall would suddenly become ferocious winter?

Well, we could, we should have, and I, most particularly, with all those years of experiencing winters behind me most certainly should have. Please accept my humble, and most sincere apologies. I shall attempt, in future, to better regulate my feeble attempts at humour; I shall restrain myself in the full knowledge that to do otherwise is to tempt your wrath.

And truly, Winter, we have faced your intemperate, but wholly understandable anger already more than sufficiently. Message received, lesson learned.

This capital city of Canada has already received almost two-thirds of its average annual snowfall - and it's not yet winter! I once again comment; forgive me for I knew not what I did. Yes, I know you're a difficult temperament to placate, but please believe my sincerity. True, I know you've already ordered up yet another big-time winter storm. Starting this very evening, continuing on into the night, throughout the day.

Another 30 centimetres of snow, Environment Canada has forewarned. Where will we put it all? Along with the snow you've brought in much colder-than-normal temperatures for the season. Is this fair, I ask you? The creek in the ravine never even completely froze over last winter until the season was almost over; now, it's already frozen tight. We've shovelled and shovelled and ploughed continuously, trying to move all that frozen stuff out of the way.

We're getting a little, well, not exactly fed up, just kind of tired. It's a passing phase, I know; we'll get used to it. But so much of it, really!

I hate to seem like a cry-baby about it, but it's too soon; if we've already received 106 centimetres and anticipating another 30 in the next 24 hours, that's a lot of snow, right? What's the rest of your seasonal output going to leave us with? We had to put sweaters on our little dogs under their winter coats for today's ramble, and their boots as well.

We're not the only ones; we saw some poor little pooch's lost red boot left dangling on a bush close to where, presumably, it was lost on an earlier ramble. We've had that happen in the past, and keep a sharp eye out lest a boot fall off and leave a trembling little foot unshod in these frigid temperatures. Have you no pity for your creatures? We see tracks of rabbits, mice, squirrels and who knows what else, on that fresh snow; how are they to cope?

I'm not whining, no; just trying to suggest you might think about accepting my apologies, and tamp down the cold and the frozen precipitation a bit. Oops! No freezing rain instead, please; if it's a choice, we'll take the snow.

Thank you very much for your patience and kindly understanding.