Wide Open Windows

I can't believe this weather!

When we found out we were moving to Kitimat, one of the first things we did was look up the weather statistics on Environment Canada's website.  According to them, we could expect a lot of rain, and a lot of snow.  Cool, damp summers.  Mild, snowy winters.  Did I mention the snow?

We arrived in May, and everything seemed normal.  In fact, the weather was very similar to home.  Over the next few weeks, we had your typical spring combo of sun and rain.  Everything got nice and green.  However, also much like home, it didn't get particularly warm.  Since we weren't expecting it to, this didn't bother us.  Spring turned into summer.  July was much the same.  And then August came in a great wave of heat that didn't move for weeks.

It was unbelievable.  I am a firm believer that if you are going to live in Canada, you should resign yourself to weird weather and not complain, but this heat was too too much!  Everyone assured us that it wasn't normal and to "enjoy it" because next summer would be wet and cold for sure!  And hey, soon it would be snowing and then we'd wish we had some sun.

Well, it did snow soon after.  By late August there was a definite chill, and it snowed before Halloween, and on many days after.  December was cold and bright, with lots of snow.  And then it was January and it warmed up.  February and it was still warming up.  Well, Monday was March 1 and there is almost no snow left, my rhubarb is coming up, my lilac has buds on it, and if I stick my head out the window, I'm sure I can smell barbeque on the air.

What is going on?

I'm not complaining, especially if what the locals say is true and this year is a one off.  I had my windows wide open all day, and the house felt and smelled great! There's just one thing...

The Yorkie is a barker.

With all the windows open, he could hear everything in the neighborhood.  Our neighborhood is made up of crescents and cul de sacs; add to that the fact that we are surrounded by mountains, and sound really carries.  So, off and on all day, there would be furious little outbursts because someone dared to start their car!  Or walk by the house!  Or heaven forbid shut their front door!

Lemmy arrived in September, when our "wide open window" days were drawing to a close.  Lately, we are discovering more and more what sets him off.  But for every "trigger" we discover, there are more and more mysteries.  Just now, for example, he was sitting on my lap, perfectly content, and then he glanced out the window.  He visibly bristled and launched off my lap and headed for the living room at a flat run.  I don't know what he saw, there's nothing out the window but our yard, and right now there's not much to see there.

Ah well.  For all the times he spends barking, there are more times that he just sits contentedly and watches or sleeps.  He's perfection in the car and we suspect he'll be really easy to take on a plane (something I couldn't imagine doing with Molly even if she were small enough.  She'd want to sit on the pilot's lap.)  I'm hoping that as "wide open window" season progresses, the "threats" he perceives in our back yard and beyond will cease to bother him and we can all sit quietly together and enjoy the breeze.