---Not To Bad
by: Timothy W. Shire
Its the Canadian thing to say when asked how you are doing to respond with "Not to bad." or the confusing "Can't complain". I have always wondered how we as a group of people came up with these odd greetings. The standard winter greeting of "Cold enough for yeah!" is equally puzzelling.
Both of these pictures were taken this morning and are a photography way of asking you if it is cold enough for yeah, or in response to your question my image that says "Not to bad."
Temperatures have remained in this -29 to -32 rang for this second week running and everyone well remembers temperature for weeks on end that are at least ten degrees colder so this is considered acceptable, the kind of thing that can be endured for a short while knowing full well that each new day begins with the sun rising just a little bit earlier each day and setting just a little bit later each afternoon. The sunrise this morning was almost 9:20 before the sun winked over the stratus cloud bank well to the East of us.
It is fascinating to see the imagination of our neighbours pouring through gardening seed catalogues and the stores getting out peat moss and window planters. The dreary repetition of heavy winter clothes and desert dry air, straining furnace fans and dashes out to start the car will in the due course of time be replaced with pollen to aggravate the hayfever, insect bites and the dangers of sun burn. The discomforts of life are often only understood by those who have lived long enough to recognise the pattern, and regret the speed that seems to be associated with that understanding.