From winter...
The
groundhog got it wrong. On 2 February – Groundhog Day – Ontario’s own Wiarton
Willie headed out of his burrow. Legend says that if he sees his shadow he’ll
rush back in, heralding at least six more weeks of winter; if he doesn’t, an
early spring is on its way. This year, he stayed out – but the snow kept
falling until the last days of April. (Will this cause Ontarians to lose faith
in Willie? We suspect not. Such is the groundhog’s renown that when his
predecessor moved to the great burrow in the sky, his casket was given a
ceremonial funeral and paraded through the town.)
Fortunately,
there is plenty to do here during a long winter. In March we enjoyed
spectacular views of Niagara Falls – far less crowed than in the summer, and
even more striking in flurries of snow. Boats can’t travel through the frozen
plunge pool but we enjoyed our ‘journey behind the falls’ to see the icy
cascade, and it was fun to pop over Rainbow Bridge for lunch in the USA.
Back in
Toronto, it’s usually only dog-walkers who venture out in the snow. The woods
and deserted paths of High Park were like a scene from Narnia, its muffled
ravines stark and beautiful. By the lake, the Tommy Thompson nature reserve was
much quieter without its usual feathered inhabitants, but locals made their way
around on skis and snowshoes. It all seemed like a totally different world from the spring that would eventually follow....
Love the photos of Niagra Falls in the snow and with ice - beautiful
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos- very atmospheric! Think I will limit my trips to summer and autumn though!
ReplyDelete