Snow – Cynthia Reyes

I thought we had a lot of snow!

Blog Photo - Snow on bench 1

But then came more….

Blog Photo - Snow on bench 2

And more…

Blog Photo - Snow on wall

At least the temperatures here in our little valley are a bit milder today, but it’s still cold. Of course, scenes like the one above are pretty to look at — from indoors.

And if one must venture outside, I have a gift from Angie and my friends at BOAA (who held the huge book signing in November for Myrtle).

So mittens, in purple and snow-white — and a card with purple iris — are very fitting, wouldn’t you say?

Blog Photo - Purple Gloves

A gift to warm the hands and heart…

Blog Photo - Purple Iris and Gloves

… No matter how cold it gets outside. Thank you, Angie and BOAA.

Hope your new year is off to a good start. And if you live in the frozen north, stay warm — or bundle up when outdoors!

It’s said that Inuit people have between 20 and 50 words for snow.

Some say there are even 100.

Well, we in the rest of Canada have 50 words for snow and cold right now.

But they’re not printable.

Don's Studio - Photo by D. Corbett — Photo by D. Corbett

How many kinds of cold can there possibly be?

My friend from Manitoba says theirs is “a dry cold” whereas our Ontario cold is damp because we have so many large lakes – and the damp cold goes ‘straight to the bone’.

Huh? On a day like today, there could be 50 kinds of cold and it would make no difference to me.

Cold is COLD in Canada.

The saddest story to come out of the extreme cold weather this winter is about a 3-year old Toronto boy – Elijah — who wandered out into the cold at night and froze to death yesterday morning.

The very thought hurts.

We pray for his family.

"Snow Cones" on Spruce Branch - Photo by Hamlin Grange — “Snow Cones” – Photo by Hamlin Grange

Two strangers, in two different places, said the same thing this morning as we parted: “Stay warm”.

I don’t know if this has become a winter greeting — or if we’re all thinking of that sweet-faced little boy — but it struck a chord with me each time.