photo taken a few years ago
Woke up this morning to the gentle sprinkling of snow that quickly turned into a full blown 'storm'. There is an atmospheric river south of us and I guess we are getting the leading edge of it.
I am not going to complain. I have no need to leave the house today, so I'm not going to. I may not leave the house until Thursday, when I have an appointment. Let the rest of the population get used to the fact that yes, once again, winter is here. Along with the snowy roads. I don't know that we will get as much snow as we did the year this was taken, but we desperately need precipitation as the drought continues.
The entire province has been experiencing drought conditions, with one town west of us officially in the 'desert' range for precipitation. For the first time since recording weather stats began. This is Not Good for the new year and whatever Mother Nature is going to send our way next wildfire season.
Because we now officially have a season that isn't spring, summer or autumn, but all three, and deadly - for the animals that live in the bush, for human beings seemingly intent on ignoring climate change, and the planet itself. It isn't *just* the fact that the fires burn up the forest, releasing tonnes more carbon into the air, it is breathing the smoke, as well. Bad wildfire seasons are bad on every level.
So, when I looked out the window to see that the light dusting of snow was turning into a heavy snowfall, I could not be upset about it. Instead I felt a certain level of relief, aware that a good heavy snow pack in the bush would help the coming wildfire season by moistening the earth, encouraging the regrowth of new plants, bring food to the animals that live there, and protect us from flooding and fire.
But - and there is always a but, isn't there - the temperatures are still 'too warm'. If we don't get temps below freezing, this snow falling today? Won't stick. It will melt and run away into the streams and rivers, leaving the bush with bare ground. Dry ground. Tinder for any spark that may appear, natural or human caused.
In the meantime, an oil executive is chairing the climate conference, reassuring us that climate change is a myth, and the best thing to do is to continue to burn fossil fuels.
Since I actually live in an area where climate change has been showing up quite pointedly, I don't believe him. (If *he* can believe there is no such thing as climate change, *I* can believe that there is.)
So, we bought a new HVAC system, one that uses far less natural gas than previously. Our natural gas bill for the first month of use was 1/3 of what we used the same period as last year. While our natural gas consumption is not zero, 1/3 of what we *had* been using, is still less. And right now, less is better than continuing the way we were going.
We also have a new hybrid vehicle ordered, which will arrive in the new year. Both of these purchases bit deeply into our savings, but we refuse to finance when we can pay, so we have and will. Because we also know that financing is going to cost more than any interest we might make on said savings.
Using less fossil fuels is better than using more, imho, regardless of if you 'believe' in climate change or not. Because fossil fuels are *finite* and when they are gone, we'd better be prepared to pivot to something else - if we haven't already.
In the meantime, I continue to weave as much as I can, pace myself according to my current state of physical condition, hope for a better future. One where we find solutions to the problems too many of us seem eager to ignore, and way too many seem intent on making worse.
As we enter the season of the winter solstice, I think about the message of so many of our 'spiritual' teachers - love. Love one another. Love the earth. Love our lives - ALL of our lives. And let's for the love of all that is holy, please stop killing each other - be that climate change - or war...
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