Our next-door neighbours have returned from their two-week getaway to tropical climes, escaping however briefly the brutal winter that nature has treated us to this year. Their Hawaii trip, however, left much to be desired in their hopes for nature to allow them a brief respite with sun and warmth. The warmth was certainly there, but it was tainted, unfortunately, with unforgivingly never-ending rain. And then they returned to what they had left, feeling little the better for the effort.



They should have gone to wonderful British Columbia. There, they would have found moderate temperatures ranging in the daytime high range of ten and twelve degrees, and ample sunshine; little rain affecting the atmosphere. And as for natural beauty ... well, can you beat cherry-blossom time? Vancouver has all of that in abundance.

On the week-end, our son went canoeing on a lake less than an hour's distance from Vancouver, and thoroughly enjoyed himself.

As for us, well, the bellowing wind, with the continuing frigid temperature that has settled truculently over much of Canada, aided and abetted by snow events, have conspired with old man winter to shuffle the deck in favour of his royal grumpiness, denying eager spring the opportunity to make an early entrance.

Environment Canada has warned us there are two more months of unseasonably cool weather ahead. Joy.