The post-winter pre-spring summer

chillin in the sun at Christie Pitts

Toronto in the summer time is absolutely brilliant, full patios, bright blue skies, warm breezes, lots of skin and smiles. It's amazing how much weather really does make a difference to a person's general well-being. I went from living in rainy Vancouver, to rainy Hamburg to rainy London, so living under the vast blue skies of Toronto is pretty grand, and the last week it's been absolutely summertastic. Between 20 and 25 for a week. Record highs. Last night at 1030pm, chilling on my patio, the temperature was 22. An absolutely perfect July evening. Summer dresses and sandals have been out. 

For you non-Torontonians, March is typically a winter month. It's often still below zero and snowy. This last week has been a complete freak of nature. It's hard to feel bad about beautiful summery days and sipping cold beer on patios all over town but the truth of the matter is this is climate change and it's scary. 'Amazing but scary' is how I've heard the last week described by most. 

Today, the weather shifted and now, after a week of summer, we're back to the beginning of Spring, and we'll probably be sitting in the teen degrees for the next two months. I just hope summer hasn't passed us completely by with a week of fun in March. 

For accurate information on climate change in Canada check out the Pembina Institute 

Cottaging

Experiencing Canada's wilderness is beautiful year round. Exhibit A:

frozen pond alongside Georgian Bay

Toronto style cottaging is quite different to the UK. ahem. In the UK, I had only heard of one friend with a holiday dwelling (a cottage, a chalet, a beach house, a cabin, a lodge, etc), and it had been in their family for generations - read uber rich. In Toronto, though people with cottages are wealthy, cottage lifestyle doesn't necessarily have the grand feeling of a summer house in Scotland. With the exception of many Muskoka area 'cottages'.

The sunsets and the stars, the trees and the water, it's all quite beautiful.

view from the back deck

shoveling required so tires don't spin in driveway

walking down to the shore

partly frozen body of water

starting to feel the -20 celcius

Ice fishing over a frozen inlet

But it is certainly beautiful and a lot of fun to be able to get out of the city, gaze at the stars, walk along the coast, get in a canoe, and be transported to a time before the internet. I had never been to cottage country in the winter and it certainly is a different experience. The wind on the sea was ferocious, and night campfires don't last as long when your toes are frozen. I missed the quincy building experience (small packed snow huts that you dig out and sleep in) this time around but once may have been enough for me on that front.  I did get to see ice fishing, walk on ice ponds and witness the varied ice sheets forming on the lake, some pics of that below (all these ice formations are within 1km). So in all, an excellent cottage experience as always.

my footprints along ice 

winter's lilypads?

the dog likes her chances

big sheets creak as the clouds roll in