聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 First thing in the morning of November 2, I opened the door for our dog Lady to go out to do her private business. She took one look at the five-centimetre-thick white carpet of newly fallen snow, then looked at me as to say, 鈥淟ook what happened to my bathroom! You can do your business in a nice warm room, but you want me to go out in this? That鈥檚 not fair!鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Then she turned around and went back to her pad. I had to bribe her with a treat to
make her go out. I watched her through the window and she did her business rather quickly. 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 When I let her back in, she looked at me again as she shook off some snowflakes, and her eyes told me that she was not impressed. Then she went and laid on her pad 小蓝视频 happy she鈥檚 a Labrador and not a small pug or a Chihuahua.聽 聽
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Just out of interest, I looked up the definition of winter in the Merriam Webster dictionary, and found the following:
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he season between fall (autumn) and spring comprising in the northern hemisphere usually the months of December, January and February.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he colder half of the year.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淎 period of inactivity or decay.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Whoa! I wondered if the person that wrote the first definition was lounging in a comfortable chaise on a beach in Arizona.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Here in Saskatchewan, well most of Canada actually except the lower B.C. mainland, Vancouver Island as well as the Gulf islands have short winters, and the Territories deal with long winters. Winter starts when the first snow hits the ground, usually late October, but at least in November.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Our winters last until the last of the snow is gone, usually late March or early April. None of this three months el Toro poopoo. Number 2 is spot on, but Number 3 gives me some pause. Inactivity or decay? Please give me a break.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ole and Lena had bought an old, nice looking western style home in the southern part of Saskatchewan near Swift Current from two elderly sisters who were moving to Victoria, BC. The sisters had lived in the house for the last 30 years.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 As winter arrived, Ole and Lena found that the house was very cold. Ole did some investigation, and found that the house had no insulation whatsoever in the walls or in the attic. Lena looked at Ole and voiced her concern.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淚f the two sisters could live here all those years, well so can we!鈥� declared Ole
confidentially.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 One night in early November the temperature dropped to 15 below Celsius and they woke up to rime frost covering the inside walls.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ole called the cellphone number the sisters had given him to find out what they had done every winter to keep the house warm. It was a very brief conversation, and Ole was shaking his head as he was hanging up the phone.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲hat did she say?鈥� inquired Lena.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淔or the past 30 years,鈥� muttered Ole while continuing to shake his head, 鈥渢hey鈥檝e gone to Arizona for the winter.鈥澛�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ole was a physicist, Sven was an engineer and Lars was a computer programmer. They had been at a downhill ski resort together, and were on the way home. Ole was driving and as they were starting down a long steep hill, the brakes failed.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The road had been salted and was clear of ice, but Ole had a heck of a time trying to keep the SUV under control. They picked up speed and were going faster and faster.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ole fought with the steering wheel and managed to get safely around the curves. A couple of times the crash barriers along the road saved them from crashing down the side of the mountain.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 They were all sure that the harrowing ride would end with them 小蓝视频 seriously injured, or even dead.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Suddenly Ole spotted an escape lane designed for run-away semitrailer trucks, and steered into the steep hill, which brought them to a safe halt. They were all shaking, and after composing themselves they started to discuss their predicament.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ole 小蓝视频 the physicist said, 鈥淲e need to test the friction in the brake pads and measure the resultant temperature rise, to see if we can work out why they failed.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Sven the engineer looked at the others and said, 鈥淚 think there are a couple of wrenches in the back. I鈥檒l take a look and see if I can figure out what went wrong, and fix the problem.鈥�
聽 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Lars the computer programmer had listened to the others, shook his head and said, 鈥淲hy don鈥檛 we just get going again, and see if we can replicate the problem?鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Knut went to the front door of the house and peeked through the little window at the
top.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲inter is here!鈥� said Knut.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淒on鈥檛 answer the door!鈥� said his blonde wife Kari.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 There you have it. Winter is here to stay.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Might as well make it enjoyable rather than 小蓝视频 inactive or decaying. Dress warmly and bring out your cross-country skis or downhill skis if that is your preference.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Snowboarding is fun too. Lace up the skates and make it a family skating event, or better yet, grab the toboggan for some hairy downhill rides. That snowman in your front yard looks better every year.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Who needs to spend a lot of money to get to warmer climates for the winter when you can stay at home and freeze your butt off for free?聽
