….despite the cold temperatures there are signs everywhere that spring is here
Today the sun is out and the temperatures are above freezing….momentarily.
Spring has Sprung
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Category Archives: seasons
April 14th, 2020 and It’s Snowing
….reminds me of the story my mother used to tell of how she remembers snow on her birthday
I have a memory, as a little girl, of huge snowfalls in early April and when I was at university we experienced some serious ice storms in April. My sister who lives in Calgary, Alberta experienced some major snowfalls over Easter and I’ve seen photos of friends from the west coast and the mid-west who are covered with the white stuff. The only good thing about snow in April is that it doesn’t tend to stay around long. My mother’s birthday by the way was on April 18th.
The white stuff that is blowing around right now but probably won’t even stay on the ground but it does come as a bit of a shock when you’ve had a relatively snow free winter.
Snow clouds
I didn’t get the camera in time to catch the mini blizzard we had and it really didn’t amount to very much. Today it is sunny and not a speck of snow anywhere.
Temperatures are Still Below Normal
….so the snow is still on the ground
Earlier in the week we experienced a snow storm that broke all kinds of records for November 12th. Usually when snow falls this early it doesn’t last more than a day but there was a lot of it and the seasonal temperatures are well below normal. The seasons are all confused. There are still leaves on the trees but today many of them decided it was time to come down. It’s quite strange seeing leaves on top of snow.
The snow certainly has put some people in the Christmas spirit and decorations are starting to appear in the city.
October Photo a Day Challenge – Yellows of Autumn
…thanks to City Sonnet for hosting the October Photo a Day Challenge
A Three Day Blow
….it wasn’t windy but you wouldn’t have known it from the waves that hit the shoreline
Up at the cottage when the waves come in off of Georgian Bay they usually last three days. We’ve always called it ‘a three day blow’. This week we seemed to be experiencing the same thing here on Lake Ontario. There was very little wind but the lake was rolling in like we were in the middle of a storm. The first set of shots were taken in the evening two nights ago and the following were taken the next day during the day.
Happy Labour Day – First Sign That Fall is Just Around the Corner
….the cooler evenings is one sign but here’s a visual that’s undeniable
A Photo a Week – Endings
….thanks to Nancy Merrill for hosting A Photo a Week Challenge
I think I can safely say that winter has come to an end. Here’s proof.
Lens-Artist Photo Challenge – Around the Neighbourhood
…thanks to Travels and Trifles for hosting this Weekly Photo Challenge
Most of my photos are of the neighbourhood. It’s not the nicest time of year so some of my photos for this post are from various times throughout the year.
Labour Day – The End of Summer?
….I think not
For many Labour Day signals the end of summer; children return to school, cottages are frequented less often, new TV seasons begin, fall classes are opening up and the days are becoming shorter. The weather, however, is anything but fall like. In fact, we’ve been experiencing very hot and humid conditions. I feel sorry for the teachers and students who returned to school this week without the benefit of air conditioning (most schools here don’t have it).
Traditionally the Labour Day is the final day of the CNE and the last day of the Air Show. I attended the CNE on opening day and I watched the Air Show from the park at the end of my street, along with dozens of people from the community. It wasn’t the best day to watch it but I had been at the cottage for most of the 4 day show.
Here are some photos from the last official weekend of summer (maybe not official, summer doesn’t end till Sept 21) from the cottage and the Air Show.
A Garden of Spring Flowers in Paint
….in this part of the world spring is not close at hand
Looking at blogs that originate in Ireland, the United Kingdom, parts of Europe and the west coast of North America I’m amazed to see so many gardens that are already in bloom with beautiful spring flowers. With some luck we may see our first daffodil in late April but most of our flowers won’t appear until May.
To get us in the spring mood I painted some simple made up flowers using watercolours and circle shapes. For the background I used a scraping technique that I learned from Carla Sonheim. Once the paint was dry I added more detail, sometimes with more paint but mostly with black ink from a Sharpie. I liked the final product so much I adapted it for my students and when I return to school this week I will plaster the walls with their beautiful gardens of flowers. I will share their work with you later this week.
Mama Cormier 