Winter Treats Still Prevail

One of my ‘treats’ during the winter months is a wee dram of Scotch in the late afternoon.  On a cold day, when the ground is covered with snow, that dram warms me.  When the warmth of the sun and the colours of Spring and Summer arrive, my ‘treat’ changes to a cool, refreshing, Gin and Tonic (G&T).

We’ve had significant rain in May and June this year.  When sunny, hot days finally arrived in the latter part of June, the farm fields around Cochrane, spurred on by the moisture in the ground, presented carpets of brilliant greens and yellows.  Their beauty was more than iconic—they stirred my emotions.

Now, in late July, when four o’clock rolls around, the skies are often grey with a combination of overcast skies and a significant layer of smoke.  An ice cold G & T doesn’t seem to grab my fancy.

On those days, with my wee dram in hand, I open my iPad and pull up several of those wonderful images I captured on warmer days.  My mood takes an upswing.

Nothing stirred that morning.  The greens of the fields and forest stretched over the foothills and up to the mountains; the clouds were like light piles of cotton; and where the blue sky was visible, it wore a hazy and languid aspect.

One might wonder what makes canola fields so appealing.  It’s their vibrant hue and boundless expanses that capture the eye.  The intense yellow of the canola bloom contrasts beautifully with the blue sky and verdant greens of the surrounding vegetation.  Whether viewed in the early morning mist or under a clear afternoon sky, the colours are nothing short of sensational and are a veritable feast for the eyes, reminiscent of a vivid Van Gogh painting.