winter this year

 it's not getting easier. i find that the only thing it's getting easier to do is complain about it. and by this year i've already spent a quarter of my winters in montreal, pretty unbelievable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH_R6D7mU7M

at least at this point i know we've got at least six more weeks to go. early years, i would have hoped on every day above zero, and would have been even more disappointed after.
also, this one is not a heavy winter. not very cold (we've probably had two days at under -20C so far...generally there are very cold snaps that can last 10 days), but heavy on the snow, which should be nice, because it's so beautiful and clean. i'm not saying it's not beautiful.
however! temperatures have been pretty uneven from one day to the next, and this is dangerous. i've seen a weekday with -15C in the morning and +2C in the afternoon. what happens is that the snow turns to slush, then refreezes over - so currently it's pretty icy on the sidewalks, and that's one thing you don't want in winter.

it is good for sleighing, but again: the one time we went with the kid, it was sunny and decent as we left, then it turned cloudy, i.e. cold one hour in, then by the end of the day kid's nose was full of snot. then my mum, from romania, is like "don't take the kid out in the cold undressed".
i know the daycare takes them out every day, but only if it's above a certain temperature in the morning (-5C probably) - so unfortunately she doesn't spend enough time outside as is. but this will get better before winter is gone for good.

her father thinks Rada should start skating next year! i mean she can start trying maybe, and see how it goes. i see small  kids on skating rinks all the time, but it hadn't occured to me to ask how old they are.
we have a skating arena 10 minutes from our house, but b. hasn't had time to go this year. (our weekend fun time lately has been going shopping for groceries without the kid, and then some netflix binging. also, naps!)

weekend after snow, before the snowplow's passed. the city cleans the sidewalk, but we have to clean our stairs (d'oh). the thing is, people won't clean unless it's clear the snow has stopped, otherwise it's useless.
we have had lots of snow days, but this year the snow has been mostly the light, annoying variety, no big lovely flakes, no good photo material.

things that amuse me about our garden: 1) the snow is almost up to the fence, and 2)i still haven't taken the decorations off our "christmas tree", so they'll probably stay there cozily under snow until mid-march

purely virgin territory. no one has felt any need to go into the garden this winter, except when b. tried to get another shovel and discovered that the shed door was frozen.