One of my all time favourite German Christmas carols which translates to: quietly falls the snow. That’s a fitting vision for our day today. A full covering of white stuff with more coming down. Big chunky white flakes of Canadian weather.

The first real snow fall is awe inspiring. (I’m not counting the short lived sugar coating we had at Halloween). This is the real deal. I won’t be surprised to see snow plows today! With some colourful leaves still on the trees this snowfall is breathtaking. You can admire it, in my view, for a day or two. Then that’s enough. Well. Maybe a little dusting at Christmas.

What I dislike most about the winter season is the bundling up. I’m a flip flop kind of girl and winter means socks, boots and a host of other protective clothing. The thing is, I sweat. No matter what. So I bundle up for the elements only to start unzipping and unwinding as I go. It’s usually while walking the dog. I can feel the steam start to rise and fog up my glasses. Then the clammy wetness around my head. Hats are the first to go. Followed by scarf. Mittens. And so on. I must be a vision.

For those who embrace winter in all its splendour today’s weather is a bonanza. I can just imagine the retailers scrambling to set up their festive displays. Haul out the ice and snow scrapers. Set up the antifreeze at the front entrance. There’s nothing like a good dumping of snow to get everyone in a holiday spirit.

But we live in ski country. This is the Mecca for all things winter. We enjoy holiday house tours and a ski village decorated to the nines. There’s even a Blumination Trail where visitors can meander through elaborate light displays complemented by music. Yes folks. It’s a way to get winter-types ready for ski season and lure them to spend their dough before the slopes open for business.

Many of the dormant homes will now start to come alive as seasonal residents return to enjoy the social life of the hills. It is a whole new group of people and it’s very interesting to watch. Of course we lose daylight around 4 pm now so homes are beautifully illuminated in the spirit of the season.

Rudy and I are looking forward to escaping the cold winter months. Another family will be enjoying our home while we soak up the sun. It’s the perfect trade. And one that we embrace.

For now, though, I have my radio dial set to the Hallmark holiday channel and the TV cued with Christmas movies. I’m going to savour the sights and sounds of Canada’s winter until we migrate in a few weeks.

Ho Ho Ho 🎅🏼