Well here it is almost a year later, and Winter seems to get more lovable all the time. With the humidex it's been 36-40 Celcius here for the last couple weeks. Unbearable! Can hardly even sweat. Feels hard to breathe, and it's depressing not to want to go anywhere or do anything except stay indoors cuddled up to the air conditioner, waiting out these deceptively gorgeous, inviting-looking summer days.

Fall finally arrived about a month late last year. At the beginning of October, it still looked like August around here -- hardly an autumn leaf in sight. And the leaves were out about a month early this spring. The trees used to be in their full budding glory around my sister's birthday (May 14) -- but this year they were greening by the middle of April.

A little farther north of where I live in Midhurst Ontario, the wild blueberry stands along the highway are already in full swing. And in my backyard, the blackberries (wild black raspberries, we used to call'em 'prickleberries') are already ripe and plump. Used to have to wait till around the middle of August before we'd go on our annual picking sprees for either -- but no more!

The seasons are definitely changing, thanks to global warming. I'm convinced. USed to complain about Ole Man Winter so much. The cold, the shovelling, the dangerous driving conditions -- but today I'm just sitting back contemplating how much I'm going to miss him when he's gone. Never thought I'd see the day ... but I really will!

If he's ever really totally gone, that is.

KInda makes my blood boil, just thinkin about it ....