Prairie Spring

I haven’t posted about the Vancouver blossoms this spring. It seemed a bit cruel, given the long, hard winter that much of Canada has endured this year.

I also haven’t written about how disappointed I’ve been about our lack of snow — the first time in 43 years that Vancouver hasn’t registered any snow accumulation. (We had some flurries, enough to get me excited, but nothing stuck to the ground.) I really, really enjoy the limited snow we get as it helps to break up the monotony of the winter rains. But it seemed selfish to complain about our too-mild winter when so many people are wondering if theirs will ever end.

And so, when I flew to Edmonton last weekend for some family time, I hardly expected to see snow. But that’s a prairie spring for you. This photo was taken from the plane as we descended into Edmonton International Airport.

After spending a weekend bundled up against the wind and slipping and sliding along icy sidewalks or on icy roads while a passenger in my brother’s car, it’s funny how quickly you adjust. I was full on in winter mode and forgot all about what spring felt like.

Which meant that on my return to Vancouver on Sunday evening, I emerged from the Canada Line at Yaletown Station and was shocked to be surrounded by people wearing shorts and T-shirts.

That’s Canada for you. Diversity of all sorts, including the weather.