That’s right folks, it’s that time of the year again here in the National Capitol Region.  Time to break out the toques, mitts, shovels and Tylenol Back pills.  I’ve just shoveled my drive for the first time this year.  Yay!

Don’t get me wrong, I love the s**w.  I just love it a lot more when it’s somewhere else.  It’s beautiful.  It’s just a lot more beautiful when seen on a nature documentary.  There’s some absolutely gorgeous shots of it in the Planet Earth series from the BBC.  Also their Wild China series has some beautiful s**w in it as well.

When I was a kid, I went sliding, and skiing and such.  I built s**w forts and had s**wball fights with my siblings.  I also didn’t have to shovel a driveway either.  Or clean off a car before going to work.

On the other hand, I did have to tramp through the s**w carrying firewood or water.  I did have to drag wood out of the bush through thigh-deep s**w.  Hmmmmm…… maybe that starts to explain why this is not my most favorite time of the year.

Did I mention our house was poorly insulated so I routinely woke up with white frost on every exposed piece of metal in my bedroom?  No?  How remiss of me.  Did I mention that once we started high school, we were expected to walk just under a mile to the highway to catch our bus… regardless of the weather?  No?  Perhaps now you begin top understand my antipathy towards s**w?

Yes, it’s decided.  I shall blame it entirely on my childhood. Unfortunately, that still doesn’t get the s**w out of my driveway.  Nor does it keep my little tosies warm while I do it.  On the brighter side, it’s done for today.  So far, no Tylenol, but I think I’ll take it to work….. just in case.

Cheers, Winston