The not so big Chill.

Have you heard?  Dude Chilling Park has been recognized by the city, only now the whole city is officially chilling.  We broke record cold temperatures this week.

You know that saying "It's cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey?"

Yeah, it's not that cold here.

The bronze bull is still intact, though you'd have to be nuts to hang out like that for long in these temperatures.

Sure the ice is back, but it's all good.

We've seen a record number of crisp, clear days simply dripping with sunshine and that unparalleled Pacific beauty, rather than rain.  Why complain?

It's great, cause that means the saline solution on the roads doesn't get washed away,

so I get to enjoy another bright'n'early, rise'n'brine morning.

There isn't even a hint of inversion fog to feed the black ice...  

(thanks, Mikeweb)

Here in Vancouver our typical winters consist of week after week of seemingly never-ending soaking wetness.  We sometimes see a bit of snow, but it doesn't stick around. And when it does snow, we're Portland North.  Vehicular chaos is the order of the day, and the daily commute goes to hell in a hand-basket. This year we've really not had much in the way of snow, either, though we've seen our fair share of ice,  black and otherwise.  That last cold snap got pretty damp in the mornings, and I learned something new on the hills behind Spanish Banks beach.

I discovered, much to my surprise, that it is actually possible to spin your way up an 11% incline when the roads get a bit slick.

Who knew?

All in all, though, this winter works for me.

I'm ok with chillin' temperatures if it means I can get around without the use of a rain slicker and wellies.

Life is good.

Really.

Sure the world has gone mad for endless consumerism and unchecked growth-at-all-costs policies, but it's impossible to stay blue for long when the sun is shining, blessed be.

Besides, it really works, you know.

Smile and the world smiles with you,

 laugh, and the sun comes shining through.