The first official day of spring, which fell on March 20 this year, began with fresh, fat flakes of snow falling in Fort St. James.
This is probably no surprise to seasoned northerners, and while it wouldn’t be that unusual the little bit further south where I’m from, it was a bit of a jolt.
The week before had been a little on and off, but there were some super sunshiny days of corn snow and deck chairs that had me dreaming of summer sunshine and drinks on the patio.
It looks instead like barbecue season may be a little further off, with a bit of shovelling required of us yet, and some time before the robins will be returning to build their nests and I will get to start choosing seeds for the garden.
I had hoped it would not be much longer before the wood shed would not need my frequent visits and I could begin to think about pulling out the bicycle for a bit of a tune-up and brake check before the first ride of the season.
However, on the bright side, I will hopefully have a few more chances to work on my goggle tan, because there are still a few days left before the ski hill will shut down for the season and I can try and enjoy what is left of the snow, and there is nothing quite as sweet as spring snowboarding or skiing - warm sun and snow are a great combination.
So while there is still some winter left, I will just have to make the most of it and appreciate the beauty in what we’ve got - and hope this summer lasts a little longer than the last one.