Living in this northern hemisphere it is astonishing how unexpectedly and how quickly the weather is capable of turning from one extreme to another. If anything can be said to characterize weather patterns in this part of the world, it is the capacity for weather systems to veer wildly, and extremes of weather conditions to continually surprise even those who have long lived in the area.

Several days ago we were still deep in winter. Below freezing temperatures simply refused to budge at night, barely managing to nudge above freezing, and when it does, prevailing winds hurl the cold with ferocious frigidity at and into unprotected, even well-clad places to dig deep into vulnerable flesh and bone. Hmm, a little dramatic on that point, to be sure, but an expression of physical discomfort at a time when it seems elsewhere in the world spring has long since established itself.

The front and backyards of homes in this area were still deep in winter's accumulation of snow. Rotting, to be sure, but layered with both ice and snow and stubbornly hanging on. Suddenly, a few days erupt with sunshine and benignly mild wind gusts blowing about far more forgiving temperatures reached by afternoon, and though the snowpack in our neighbourhood forest barely appears to budge, the creek in the ravine is running high and wide with meltwater.

The rain that erupts from day to day, and occasionally lingering overnight has also been instrumental in flash-melting lingering snow. Yesterday we experienced the ultimate in beautiful spring days; the fragrance of spring was evident, song sparrows were singing paeans to spring, the sun blazed in the sky and it was time to throw the house windows wide open to invite the wonderful cleansing spring atmosphere into winter-weary homes. It was so warm yesterday that no outer garments were needed for our daily ravine walk in the woods.

Because the ravined forest is replete with hills and valleys, the temperature graduations from high points to low were amazingly acute. Once we followed the trails dipping from the hills into the valleys, the cold air permeating the snow-clad valleys rose to chill us, even though occasional wafts of extremely warm air intervened from time to time.

Today, heavily overcast skies and rain have replaced the sun and the warm atmosphere, but it is still warm, albeit damp. And the incredible mountains of snow that lingered over the gardens? Gone, revealing the damp soil already sprouting the first vestiges of perennials returning to life. This seasonal change, the warmth and gentle breezes, the return of migrating birds, the evidence of green shoots prepared to assume full responsibility of filling out the landscape, has a charmed effect on the human psyche, bringing a reborn spring to our steps, filling our lungs with a sweet flavour of the season finally arrived, liberating our minds from the winter-drudgery feeling that it will never depart.