It appears that winter may finally have truly arrived here in Calgary, as the current temperature according to the thermometer by the back door is about -25 C, and the local news channel cheerfully reports that with the slight breeze that is blowing, it actually feels like -34 C. For my Australian cousins in Perth, that would be roughly 55 degrees Celsius colder than your current temperature as measured at 2 am your local time today – it is just a tad on the frosty side in other words. 
As well we have also had yet another fresh dump of snow as can be seen in the photo to the right.
All of this snow is starting to pose a bit of a problem as it is only mid-December, and as I clear the driveway and walkways, I am already running out of places to put it ! As may be expected with something that is delivered to your home free of charge and in large quantities, snow has no resale value in Calgary at all. Last year, as our former neighbours Gwen and Brendan relaxed on a beach for the winter somewhere in sunny Mexico, only half of their driveway was being cleared so I saw no harm in adding some of my snow to the un-dug heaps that they were collecting on their side of the property line, assuaging my conscience by knowing that it would largely be melted by the time they returned and none would be the wiser ! This year though, we have new neighbours possessed of enviable snow shovelling habits, so storing snow surplus to my own requirements on that side is no longer an option. Perhaps I may end up loading it into my trailer and hauling the excess snow to the dump to join my compost already deposited there.
At this time of year, the coyotes can usually be heard singing away at night in Fish Creek Park behind our place, but they were not singing last night ! Possibly given a choice between partying and keeping warm, they have done the sensible thing – unlike the dog owners who can be seen today trudging along in the park with a leash in one hand and their very quickly frozen collections of animal emissions stored in a plastic baggie clutched tightly in the other ! As I watch them, neither the owners nor the dogs look especially pleased about their enforced morning constitutional strolls in the frozen fields, and it occurs to me that perhaps that is why the coyotes sing – they aren’t on leashes and they are not bound by city stoop and scoop laws, but I digress. It is quite pleasant and warm here beside the fireplace as I consider whether I should head outside and shovel snow yet again and also where to put the stuff. I suppose I may convince myself that there really isn’t any hurry and just go and do some more work on my motorbike, as we have several months of winter ahead of us, and I’m reasonably sure the snow will still be there tomorrow. Plus, it just occurred to me that there is always the possibility that our new neighbours may also go somewhere warm for the winter, so I may be able to store some of my surplus frozen white stuff on their yard while they are gone …………….