White Out

Oh, Mother Nature, you have such a sense of humour when it comes to this city, don't you? Yesterday I wrote the post below about our lovely fifth season (the season known as "Brown"). I suspect someone was listening and as penance had a lovely surprise planned for me. This morning, when I woke up, our city was again carpeted in fresh snow, covering up all that delightful brown and pushing thoughts of spring just a little further away.

Being an obstinate sort I leashed up the dog, walked the kid to school, and took the dog on a trek through the forest trails to check out this fresh snow. One of us enjoyed the walk and one of us got a bit whiny and wanted to be carried when they got snow stuck in their paws (being 35 pounds she was pretty much out of luck on that request). I thought I might find this last kick at the can by winter to be depressing, but it's really quite the opposite. These late spring snowfalls are a sure sign that spring is right around the corner, and I know this new snow will quickly disappear and perhaps even shorten the brown season and hasten the onslaught of green (and in the spring the green in this city is astonishing).

Part of living in a city like Fort McMurray is being ready to be surprised. It is an unpredictable place to live, constantly changing and growing. Sometimes the surprises are a new store, or a new service, or a new-to-town friend - and sometimes they are an April snowstorm that reminds you that you live in the north, where anything can happen, and probably will.