Winter Arrives

   It officially arrives tonight at 10:48, local time here in Yorkton, but you'd be hard pressed to know it. Yes, there is snow on the ground, and yes, it's getting colder, and yes, the days have been getting shorter. But so far, we've escaped the worst of what w8inter can bring.
   Just this past weekend on a trip to Regina, the only river I cross on my way down was still unfrozen. And it's not a big river, either. A week earlier on a similar trip, there was a good size patch of open water in the lake the river flows into, so you get an idea of how mild it's actually been. Normally at this time of year, everything would be frozen solid. I guess we can thank El Nino for this.
   But it won't last. We will get some bitterly cold weather well before the seasons change in March. Good news I guess for people into ice fishing who put shacks out for the season once ice on the lakes gets thick enough.
   And on the bright side, even though winter starts tonight the days will start getting longer! At least for the next 6 months.
   Happy winter!

TTFN