One of the Main Reasons I Love Living on the Island

Is that we don't really get "Winter" over here...

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Say what you will. Say that I'm not a real Canadian because I don't love driving around in the snow all the time, and freezing my nuts off for 5 months a year. Don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to getting up to the ski hill soon here, and I could be talked into playing a pick-up game of hockey (not that I'm any good -- more than anything, I'm a liability when I put skates on). But I like it when I can go visit the snow, without having to endure it at home all season.

The dogs prefer it here too -- we went to the beach yesterday during a wind storm that decided to visit

I can still walk to work all year long. Sure, I might need a bit of a raincoat for weeks at a time if I want to be prepared for whatever the day may throw at me - but my days of stomping through slippery snow and risking my life crossing the streets are over. I'm confident that most people are terrible drivers, especially over here, and snow certainly doesn't make anyone any better. Besides, the the snow in town just gets dirtier and dirtier as the season goes on.

Besides -- the ocean is fucking dope -- look at this power

Go for a walk with the boys. Sure, it's a bit chilly. 8~10 degree days in a humid spot with some sharp winds can definitely cool you down a bit. But a brisk walk can get you right with the weather and keep you going for a while. When myself, @caitycat, and Helo lived in Calgary for 2 years -- the winters of -30 degrees and vicious winds were enough to keep us inside for days at a time. Fuckin' dog couldn't even walk down the sidewalk without getting sore -- so we got him some booties, and then he could barely remember how to walk. And there were certainly no wind-surfers to see out that way. Though, it was nice being able to drive just about anywhere in town and find a frozen hockey rink and do a bit of skating. That kind of community building infrastructure isn't easy to find -- and I think that's one of the things that brings Canadians together -- mutual suffering / enjoyment of the harsh weather. Trying to think of it now, and I'm having a hard time thinking of another "solidarity event" akin to outdoor hockey rinks -- but warmer.... Maybe craft beer?

*If you look really really closely at the coastline in the distance (click for fullscreen) -- you can see some wind surfers!

Despite all that -- I still find myself searching for something that resembles the "snowwy Christmas" season that I grew up experiencing. I guess I can't really help it -- it's in my DNA, perhaps. Myself, @caitycat, @somebuttstuff, and @flaversham ended up going for dinner at a local cidery last night. They had decked out the entire orchard with Christmas decorations, and to be honest, it was kind of endearing. There were throwbacks to Rudolph, the Grinch, and Charlie Brown among others. A few spots were, admittedly, a bit creepy (no photos, because I didn't want to get cursed) -- with weird clown mannequins spinning children around on a mini ferris-wheel. But a lot of them spoke directly to my inner child.

Check out this big A-hole.. the "A" stands for "Abominable Snowman", ya git

What else says Christmas like a terrifyingly lit, 20ft tall inflatable elf, and an animatronic Abraham Lincoln sipping whiskey on a bench?

I guess that at the end of all of this... what I'm trying to articulate is not my hatred of snow, but actually an appreciation of the warmth that you need to get through it. The snow is just a catalyst for wanting to find that warmth. Some of us are fortunate enough that we need not look far, or freeze our dicks (or, she-dicks... lets not be exclusive) off to find it. So wherever you are, and whenever you may be reading this. Try to spread a little bit of warmth in the world (not the climate changing kind) and think of all the things that make you happy. Try to share them with someone else.

Cheers!