What were we thinking!

Well, perhaps what we were thinking was that this long winter is finally over. We tend to do that. Presumptuously silly, of course, just not thinking carefully enough, obviously. It's not as though, after all, we haven't been through this all the years of our lives, so we've had ample experience. It is that all-too-human syndrome of hope 'springing eternal'.

Spring. It has arrived, by the calendar. The Spring Equinox arrived in this hemisphere several days ago. The temperature has yet to catch up, of course, since we're still struggling to rise above freezing during the day, after night-time plunges, but we're patient, since there are few alternatives. Nature is not known to be moved by reasonable debate. She's indomitable and quite disinterested in engaging in rational debate with the creatures she has designed and dispatched to inhabit her dominion.

So, no we hardly expected to see a raging snowstorm first thing this morning. Truth to tell, we were taken aback, as the saying goes, glimpsing the new piles accumulating, glancing out the front door. It's no longer morning and it's still raging. We're not raging, just puzzled that Environment Canada gave us no heads-up, not even a subtle hint that more snow was on the way. Though they did play catch-up this morning and solemnly advised that it is, ahem, snowing. That we can expect five to ten centimetres. We reckon that ten has already fallen and it's still going strong.

Yesterday, hiking through the forest trails we could see hints here and there that the sun, despite the prevailing temperature -- which was, to be fair, on the cusp of moderation, just a tad above freezing -- exerting its influence on the snowpack. And we've got quite a considerable snowpack that has accumulated over the course of this winter. And we were silly enough to remark to one one another, gee, it won't be all that long....

So, as I mentioned, what were we thinking? Yesterday, our terrible twins enjoyed themselves loping along on the hard-crusted snow. And when we came across kind and patient Lilly who always permits Jackie and Jillie civil treatment, though it's debatable that they deserve it, she was happily lolling about in the snow, nibbling it from time to time. It's true, dogs of all kinds, shapes and sizes become disconsolate when the snow finally leaves.

However, it is most certainly time that the snow took its leave. More shovelling, piling on of winter gear, trudging about in it.

Ah, and admiring its timeless beauty!