A few wintry blasts from Rotzy as the temperatures drop, the snow heights rise and the Snowbirds take flight.
”The Perfect Storm”….
….it was not. Or perhaps we were simply spared here in The Telephone City. I’m referring to the Severe Weather Warning that was issued yesterday (by those who do the predicting) for a large part of Southern Ontario, especially along the north shore of Lake Erie. The ‘warning’, witch is more serious than a ‘watch’, included Niagara, Hamilton/Burlington, the GTA (of course), and Buffalo (also of course, seeing as The Queen City is a giant snow magnet). Other areas were ‘hit and miss’ as to how bad the winds would be and/or how much snow would they get….and ‘wind chill/feels like’ temperatures would be -22C to -25C, for certain the harshest weather this area has encountered all winter, so of course there were the usual fears/concerns regarding Toronto’s homeless. Now, with today’s technology this weather front has been talked about on radio and TV ALL week long, and the way a good number of our neighbours here at Harris Place have been absolutely dreading it all week was very unsettling indeed. To THEM, not to ME, as Miz. Jo and Rotzy have lived in the far north for almost 20 years, hence I knew that whatever Mother Nature served up here this weekend would surely pale in comparison to Nakina’s weather….in fact the needle up there this ayem is pointing at -37C and f/l -46C….so to try and quell their fears I just tried to sound positive, like ”hey, we’ll be fine”. Tho in truth I had no damned idea….it’s been two or three decades since I experienced winter in Brantford. Well, I went out to Norm The Truck today for a couple puffs about 6:00AM, the snow had already stopped, I’d say we have 2 inches of it and some drifts 3 or 4 inches deep, there had been no freezing rain, plus the winds had dropped off….and as I’m writing this (Sunday 9:30AM) it’s wall to wall sunshine out there with -14C and a f/l -25C. Not for long though because The Weather Channel (TWC) reports that Wednesday it’ll be back up to 3C(*see below)….yes, +3C. *UPDATE* As at Monday 5:30 AM in Brantford the temperature is -21C!….wind chill of -32C!….and yours truly could hear the crunch of snow underfoot as I walked out to Norm The Truck for my AM puff and coffee where I heard the LONG list of cancellations??!!! And I said (to myself) ”Hey Toad…. just like in Nakina for goodness sakes”!!….well, sort of, as TWC shows Nakina at -33C (f/l -40C) so the crunch may be a bit more pronounced….but you get my drift, eh? However Nakina will not cancel anything at -33C. Anyway, we’re at long last having ‘real winter’ here!….until it goes back up to +3(*see above) on Wednesday.
These Boots Are Made For Walking
I’m talking about my new boots Miz. Jo got for me for Christmas at Al’s Shoe Factory. That place had been recommended by family, yet it just blew Rotzy away! as I’ve NEVER seen so much footwear in my life! So….SO….I was looking for something that would be easy on/easy off, without laces to be fumbling about with my screwed up paws. Maybe velcro? Or a zipper! BINGO!! Got just what I wanted, nice black leather, each boot with two zippers plus a fur-like lining….and rather spiffy-looking if I do say so! Of course with our December/January weather I haven’t needed/worn them as of yet, until they made their debut this morning. By the bye, they have a good heavy tread and going through those 4-inch drifts was a piece of cake! Didn’t get stuck once!….or even slowed down!! Yours truly is ready for whatever Mother Nature or Old Man Winter has to offer.
The Sunshine State….
….seems to be beckoning to Canadians/Ontarians in greater numbers these days as winter expands it’s grip coast to coast. Jo Ann and I were quite attracted to it at one tyme, having made fifteen or more trips to South Daytona Shores on an almost annual basis, but it’s kind of hard to believe that we haven’t been there since 2001. I guess the ‘need to go south’ isn’t there any more. That is to say it’s not strong enough for us to bother getting passports…something we didn’t need back in the day. But that ‘need’ IS there for others….including a couple “F/N” readers, one of whom stays near Cape Canaveral and another who is just south of Miami. Then there is a couple from here at Harris Place who go to the Florida Panhandle for three months annually….their licence plate reads ‘GLFING’, so you know what they do almost every day. Rotzy hits the tanning salon once a week….to keep my psoriasis in check….and I’m counting the days to May.
News….And Priorities(*see below)
Of course all the US TV networks were all over President Donald Trump’s much-ballyhooed news conference last Saturday, tho his message….whatever it was?….did nothing to separate the dreadful log-jam in Washington….aka the US government….so Wolf Blitzer and his CNN bunch kicked up their ongoing/never-ending dump Trump ritual. No sweat. I don’t care a shit for/about any of them….Donald either for that matter. BUT….Rotzy isn’t a happy camper when the CTV 6:00PM News comes on, and the Lead Story is NOT about the Canadian being held captive in China who has been given the Death Penalty, but instead they pick up the feed from CNN on the Trump story. PRIORITIES?! (*see above) How VERY un-Canadian, CTV!!!
*Thought Of The Day…As a kid I used to watch The Wizard Of Oz and wonder how somebody could talk if they don’t have a brain. Then along came Facebook.
