The End of Winter

This post marks the end of winter!  The snow tires are off, the snow boots are stored away, and I've replaced parkas with regular jackets.  Surviving our first Canadian winter should come with an award.  This February was officially the coldest on record for Sarnia, with our lowest temperature reaching -29F.  It was brutal at times and seemed to go on forever, with our last snowfall on Easter morning.

Some things I learned this winter:

1. Once you hit sub-zero temperatures, the air stings your face and your fingers will go numb in a matter of seconds.
2. Frost bite happens fast, just ask Brenna.
3. My iPhone battery can not tolerate temperatures below 15F.
4. Snow salt is gross, road snow is grosser, and my car has been a disaster inside and out.
5. I fished-tailed through my neighborhood all winter; eventually it just becomes part of driving.
6. Snow squalls are bad!  Avoid them at all cost!
7. There are many different kinds of snow; glittery snow, fat-flake snow, wet snow, snow/ice mix, snow/rain mix, really I could go on and on.
8. Sometimes even when its not snowing, it still is because of blowing snow.
9. Lake Huron in winter might as well be Antartica as far as I'm concerned. 
10. Snow shoveling is not fun.
11. Half-way through winter I abandoned all efforts of snow shoveling the back porch.  Why do it?  Nobodies going out there!
12. I wore the same pair of shoes for three months straight.  Snow boots are the only form of footwear in winter.
13. What I would call a toboggan (winter hat), they call a toque (french term).  Here a toboggan is a sled.
14. Don't stand under the eave of the building when someone else shuts the door.
15. Our favorite winter game while driving in the car is to find the house with the longest icicles.  They actually touched the ground at one house.
16. Ice skating is not like roller skating!
17. And most all, I had to adjustment my previously conceived ideas of dealing with snow, because life goes on no matter how cold it gets!