spring

today was a glorious day. a quintessentially spring day. warm but not too hot, cold at night but not so cold you can't go out and enjoy the evening. the leaves have burst out of the trees and are covering the city in green. there's nothing quite like spring.

one of the things i found most difficult to deal with when i lived in australia was the lack of seasons. oh sure, they have seasons. but it's not the same. they aren't quite as clear-cut. they flow from hot to hotter to unbearably hot to "cold" and rainy. that's it. the grass is greener in winter because the water is flowing. my garden always looked better then too. in summer, it just died (a sad, sad death). the transition from winter to spring still happened, but it's so much more amazing here.

it's hard to believe that only 5 weeks ago, the city was a wash of grey. the trees were still sleeping soundly, naked and cold. the grass was just shaking it's winter coat. flowers were still hiding under ground. the wind was cold and bitter, the clouds looming. people were complaining about the weather, wondering if the sun would ever show itself properly.

and then, as if in a dream, it all starts to change. you first notice a trickle of buds on the trees, a few brave flowers pushing through and some patches of green along the sidewalks. then, almost overnight, it just bursts. the leaves are out, green and vibrant. the tulips and crocuses (croci?) start to bloom. the grass is lush. the wind changes. the sun tries to come out more frequently (i say try because spring generally brings a ton of rain). spring arrives.

the thing i find most fun about the change in seasons here is how much people embrace it. the first day the temperature hits double digits and bam! hundreds of folk are out in shorts and t-shirts (and many girls in less then that), talking about how warm it is (no. it's not. you're only deceiving yourselves). the (newly erected) terraces are filled with folk trying to bask in the sun (which must be done before the sun starts to hide, because then it's still too cold to sit outside), whilst still wearing mittens and scarves. barbecues are fired up and the smell of burgers wafts amongst the neighbourhood. thousands of folk seem to be opening their doors, rubbing their eyes and stumbling into the streets, ready to embrace it all again.

spring really is glorious. i don't think it's my favourite season, but it has so many things going for it that it's definitely running a close second to my actual favourite season: patio season

ok, so it's not really a season. but i challenge you to find a canadian who would deny it that title
xo