Winterland

When we arrived in Toronto, it was hot. People were telling us that last year it didn't snow until January.

Well nuts to them! In the last 24 hours Toronto's weather went from Wellington on a rainy day to Mt Ruapehu in October!
We woke up to a transformed surroundings, everything had a dusting of white, and it wasn't stopping.
We had about 5cm of snow in the city, my balcony has a pile of snow on it and it kept growing all day.

Drivers weren't ready either, in all there were delays of two hours more than usual, and 300 reported traffic crashes including one man who died when his truck hit a car and rolled.

So winter is here, temperature right now is -8 degrees Celsius and on saturday the city is planning to open the outdoor ice skating rink in Nathan Phillips Square by the town hall.

what else?

What else is left to talk about but the cold...

Snow fell on the ground yesterday morning, enough to turn the flower beds white and to give Aimee and I silly giggles as we walked through town.

Halloween is over, and the next set of decorating has begun for the local homeowners.
The garden displays for the scary season started going up a month before the actual day, and some were very elaborate. Pumpkins of course were getting sold by the barrow, and inflatable ghosts were jumping out of inflatable pumpkins...


Christmas is now just around the corner, and house lighting displays are beginning to take shape. The lights in the city are becoming festive, the only thing remaining now is for the Christmas sales and promotions to start.

Now, in any christmas I'm used to we'd be packing away the skis (unless Ruapehu had another great season and managed to do Christmas skiing), bring out the sunscreen and roll back the rain cover form the bbq.
However, things are a little different here; going outside is like falling into the harbour after capsizing during a bad gybe. You're just not ready for it.
I'm putting the hood on my jacket and looking at some more suitable footwear than my black work shoes. Apparently my jeans will be fine though.

Today is the Santa parade, so we're off to join the other 500,000 Torontonions who turn out every year to line the streets to get free candy. Dress in layers, lots of layers =)

ooooh, it's gettin' cold!

I don't care what you say, snow does not fall during 'fall', Leaves are supposed to fall, not snow!

The last few week we have seen Toronto undergo a transformation. Water has been drained from outside structures like fountains and swimming pools, the people have switched from shorts to jeans, and sweaters to jackets, gloves and hats.

On Sunday night the news casters were discussing where the snow would be falling, and we got a couple of inches in the places north of Toronto. Then on Tuesday I was walking around with a grin on my face as the lightest of snow flakes began falling around me as I walked down the street, and Aimee's co-workers were wondering what she was doing as she stared out the windows smiling.

The fluffy hooded jackets are starting to prove their worth.
Photos to come soon, but keep checking our photo blog - link at the top