My six-year-old daughter made a most profound observation yesterday morning. Expecting more of the cold temperatures Newfoundland has delivered in abundance this winter, we had bundled up warm for our morning walk to school. But when we stepped through the front door we were greeted by an unseasonably warm waft of air. Without missing a beat, she tossed her hair back, smiled at the glorious morning sky and stated, “You know Dad, I think spring is my favourite time of year!”
I laughed of course, but as well, commended her for her good cheer, and a very positive outlook on our Newfoundland weather. We enjoyed the walk, and I explained that though the day seemed to mark the end of winter (it was 8.5 degrees C) – it was actually a warm air front that had gathered over the Gulf Stream, and pushed its way over the island causing spring like conditions for a couple of days. Needless to say, this was all a little over her head, and despite the fact that I assured her we’d see plenty more warm weather windows like this before winter was through, she rolled her eyes at me and again stated, “Like I said, Spring is my favorite time of year!”
On my walk home I was thinking about how astute my little girl was becoming. Of course it also made me think about how backward Newfoundlanders can be when it comes to our weather, and how we react to it.
When I lived in Vancouver people would often ask me what I missed most about my home province of Newfoundland. To which my standard response quickly became, “Well, I don’t know if I miss it as much as I certainly notice there’s not a draft of wind out here.” Now, if someone were to ask me what I miss most about Vancouver, I would have said, its the Spring of the year.
There’s really nothing quite as lovely as those first cherry blossoms you see on Canada’s west coast in late February. Vancouver’s spring sky emerges brightly following months of darkness due to a heavy cloud cover that settles forebodingly on your shoulders for the entirety of the winter season. Deciduous tree leaves burst forth with a vibrancy of greens that is without compare. A wild variety of spring flowers convert the entire city into a kaleidoscope of brilliant colours, the earth warms, and most thankfully, the bloody rain finally knocks off.
In Newfoundland, we think of “Spring” as a muddied mix of winter weather and half Autumn like conditions. But perhaps we shouldn’t. No doubt we wait till June month before we get the true “spring effect” that most everyone else in North America experiences in April and May. And God knows the month of June is truly a gorgeous time in Newfoundland that we could even sell as a “second spring” package to potential tourists. But after this morning’s comments from little Miss Elizabeth, I’ve come to realize that while we may not enjoy a traditional spring season here in Newfoundland – we are instead compensated with several short bursts of “spring like” days sprinkled randomly throughout what might otherwise be a very long winter.
Perhaps if we were all so fortunate to recognize this it would put a little more spring in our step, and we’d be far more appreciative of these many warm weather breaks we so frequently experience throughout the “off” season.
