A tale of 2 cities

A couple of our daughters sent us photographic evidence yesterday that winter had not quite yet released its icy grip up north. We're harbouring a not-so-secret hope that it will slip quietly into history and make way for spring before our return.

Here's what we found in our southern yard yesterday:

Contrast that to their experience:

(Day 33) Liquid sunshine

A little rain every now and then brings a welcome relief from hot and dry conditions. True statement most times, except when you're on vacation. Ah well, we all have to learn to live with what we're presented with weatherwise, since we're not in any position to do anything about it (which is a good thing since mankind would launch wars over the weather otherwise).

(70-200mm @ f8.0 1/6 sec ISO200)

Slow down, you move too fast ...

... is what it seems the weather is telling us today. Boxing Day 2009 - you'd think that people would have had their fill of shopping and could sit back for more than a day and enjoy real life. But many succumb to the advertisers' tempting ads and force themselves out of warm beds to trudge through the ice, snow, freezing rain, etc to elbow their way to the 'fantastic bargains' in the stores.

Today we had a good soaking of freezing rain but that didn't stop the shopaholics. "Six days shalt thou labour" was given for our own good, and we ignore it at our peril.