Random thoughts about Christmas 2006

This year, here in Winnipeg, Christmas seems different than it has in years past. This autumn the weather has been strnger. Yesterday the high and low temperature was -1.9°C/28.6°F and -10.5°C/13.1°F when the normals for this time of year usually are -12°C/10.4°F and -22°C/-7°F. When I have been out and about in the stores getting ready for Christmas the usual "elevator" music seems to be "missing in action". I am not complaining. I am not missing the repetitiveness of the Little Drummer Boy, dogs and cats "singing" seasonal carols, or the Christmas songs render over and over ad nasium by the likes of the Beach Boys. If In fact the absence of the Christmas "elevator" music is a welcome relief this year. Could it be simply my imagination palying tricks on me. I don't know. This year the liitle elves seem to have entered the music vaults and selcted the best of the holiday music. It may have been recorded this year, or 70 years ago. It is so cheerful. It makes getting ready for Christmas so joyful. Has this change away from "elevator" Christmas music has been noticed by others. My cynical side wants to suggest that the companies broadcasting the seasonal music into the malls and stores have only moved away from "eleevator" music because their market research has revealed this change will assist to ioncrease sales in the storesAs a result of the differences in weather and music it is hard to feel that Christmas Day is less than three days away.

The weather may well turn out to be one of the major news stories of 2006. The west coast of North America has endured some of the natiest stormsBritish Columbia is a place that people from other parts of Canada retire to to get away from the snow and cold. Winter on the west coast is uaually more temperate. Tulips often bloom in January or February in Victoria, B.C. This is the norm, although not this year. The west coast has been enduring high winds with amounts of snowrarely seen. Stanley Park, near Vancover, is well known for its old growth forest..
During one of the terrific wind storms this fall, a number of these trees were blown over. It is so bad that the officals had to call in logging companies to assist with the clean up. Several times this fall the residents in B.C. have lost their electricity.

British Columbia is not alone with its nasty weather. Washington State has had record snowfalls, most recently stranding holiday travelers at the aeroport attempting to make it home for Christmas. Places that usually have more temperate winters are being walloped this year. Here is a quote from an email I recieved from a friend in Utah:

You're lucky that you're having such a mild winter. It's been coooooold and snowy here. We've got about 10 inches on the ground. MUCH more than a typical year so early in the season. Still better than Denver, methinks! They sure did get walloped!

Ontario is also experiencing strange weather. For the first time in as long as many people can remember Southern Ontario will be having a green Christmas. No snow. Many of the Ski resorts north of Toronto are hving difficulty staying open, even with the use of snow making machines. Ontario farmers are worried that without the melting snow in the spring that there might not be enough moisture for their crops, even with the spring rains.

Autumn this year has seemed stranger than usual beyond the differences of the music and weather. Bear with me as I touch on politics for a moment. There has been a gloom over everything the past couple of years. Everytime I read the newspapper or listen to the news on the radio . I noticed this gloom. It seemed to eminated from the fact that very few leaders/politicans seemed to have solutions for many of world's major issues. Recently this gloom appears to be lifting. Leaders seem motivated to approach world issues in a new light. They appear to be more willing to approach world issues in new ways, especially if the olds methods have not been working. Hopefully the world may be at the cusp of a new world order. Leaders who are willing to co-operate with other world leaders to find solutions for the world's problems. Its seems that the fog that has engulfed us for several years is now beginning to lift and a new light is taking its place. I will have to wait until the end of 2007 to find out if my suspected era co-operation among world leaders will come to bear fruit..

This season seems so different to me this year. In many ways I am having difficulty feeling that Christmas is less than three days away. Two thousand and six appears to be ending in a good way. I hope that 2007 will be a good year for you and your family and loved ones.