Starry starry night

It's -12˚C, but feels like -19˚C with the windchill, and I feel warm after my 5 km walk this evening. Some may say I'm crazy walking in this weather, but truth be known, I really enjoy it. As long as you are dressed properly, it's wonderful. Ok my cheeks were initially cold when I first started out, and my chin was feeling pointy and cold, but they were warm before I did my first 1 km.

The moon is growing fuller and the stars are shining brightly tonight as I looked up on this cold and clear night. I saw more stars than I remember normally seeing in Toronto, with all of our light pollution. The snow is crunchy underneath my running shoes. I love that sound — you don't hear it very often in Toronto, especially in the last few years, with the warmer winters we've been having. I can hear shinny being played at the local outdoor rink, as the puck hits the boards. Sounds are traveling so easily tonight.

I saw a neighbor having a cigarette on his porch as I walked by and he just laughed when I said I was warm, but really I was. Even my phone was warm when I tried to take a picture of the moon, the steam kept rolling off of it and getting in the photo.

Steam coming off my camera
as I tried to capture the moon.

Starry starry night......

Crazy weather

 I know the calender says January 12, but it sure feels more like April 12 outside today.

Two weeks ago on my weekly constitutional along the lakefront with Barb, we were fighting biting winds and snow. On that day there were very few people along the Martin-Goodman trail — even the dog walkers stayed inside that day. The phrase, "mad dogs and Englishmen" came to mind that day, even though I realize that saying applies to hot sultry days, we even knew we were mad to be out that day.

What a difference two weeks can make. Today the parking lot at the Grenadier restaurant in High Park, our starting point, was jammed first thing, full of runners, walkers and dog walkers. Walking down to the lake front we saw runners in t-shirts, saw bare flesh we hadn't seen in months and the dogs and their owners were out in full force. The trail was clear of any sign of snow, except for the odd ice patch which hadn't been hit by the morning sun yet. It was crazy. Ducks and swans were cavorting, dogs were playful and I even saw one young mite smiling and lying in the sand, albeit in his jacket and pants, trying to be coaxed up by his Grandmother. I said, "he seems happy enough," and she just smiled, shrugged her shoulders and said, "happy" in her Polish accent.

But this weather is just not right, as much as I'm enjoying it, there are consequences to be had. This past week, orcas were trapped in the ice in Hudson's Bay, having veered way off course to their wintering grounds. Western Canada has had a constantly deluge of frigid temperatures. What does this all mean in the long run?

In the meantime, this weekend I've tucked away my Uggs and am happily sporting my driving mocs.

Do we always have to be celebrating something?

No sooner than I've closed the final box of Christmas decor items, and recycled the last of the boxing week flyers, I've started receiving Valentine themed emails. Really? Can the Easter bunny be far behind too?

Is there ever a time, when we are simply enjoying the moment, just because? Do we always have to be bombarded with an event, whether we celebrate it or not? I was actually looking forward to the little calm that follows the big Christmas hoopla, but I guess there is no rest for the wicked, as they try to suck me into the vortex of Valentine's day, and the jewellery I should be wearing, or the lingerie I should be receiving or the chocolates I should be eating.

Ok, I'm now going to take my own time-out, and just ignore all this stuff for a while. Now don't get me wrong, I believe in our mass market society, but, a week without having some holiday thrown on me would be nice, after all, I haven't finished the Christmas chocolates or pondered my new year's resolutions yet.