Waiting for winter to end!!

I know this is only February 1st but I’m already getting antsy. 

With the weather climbing to the plus teens last Wednesday, it’s given me a taste of Spring to come.

Aviation Parkway - January 30th

On our drive to work on Wednesday on the Aviation Parkway, we were amazed to see so much grass uncovered by the quick thaw.  And already the pot holes were everywhere causing havoc for unsuspecting drivers.

Weather-wise, this winter has been a smorgasbord of precipitation; one with lots of snow (mostly in December), freezing rain, quick change of temperature (highs and low lows) and lots of rain.  I guess that’s what one gets for living in this part of Canada.

I have a special reason for anticipating spring and then summer this year.  As we bought the cottage in October 2012, full blown into Fall (and it was beautiful), we have not had the pleasure of “living” through Spring and Summer, and all the joys this will bring, at the cottage.

Lac St-Émile in the Fall

I am like a little kid.  I have not enjoyed Winter, as I have this year, in like forever.  Going to the cottage, and seeing the beauty of nature in the Laurentides has been an eye opener for me.  Usually in winter, I don’t go out, or very little.  Being afraid of icy and snow-covered roads and being afraid of falling on icy sidewalks (because of my experience with my broken knee), I tend to hibernate like a bear and only do the home to work and work to home route.  I even refrain from going to IKEA in winter as it is too far.

Lac St-Émile in Winter

But this year, the pull of being at the cottage has made me come out of my cave.  We’ve done the Orléans to St-Émile drive several times, driven in snow covered roads, and on icy roads to Chénéville and St-Jovite, and even driven at night to  “run” to the cottage many times (a big deal for me).

But now that I’ve experienced Fall and Winter at the cottage, I can’t wait to experience Spring and Summer.

As nature wakes up after its long sleep, we will be able to see what kinds of plants and flowers are waiting to bloom.  It will be fun to “move” our garden from Orléans to St-Émile as we are planning to do.  Serge has big plans to “beautify” the land around the cottage and I can’t wait to trim some trees (not cut as we are bound by the “la conservation des rives et des rivières”.

Serge is even talking about maybe doing a vegetable garden.  Like I said…big plans J

And I can’t wait for summer, hot and lazy days on the deck, swimming in the lake, BBQs with family and friends, etc.  It will also be interesting to see the activity around the cottage.  I am hoping that it’s as quiet as it has been since we got it but nothing is perfect, so we will just have to live with whatever surprises cottage life brings.

The one thing I am not looking forward to are the bugs.  Being a city girl, I have very little patience for black flies, mosquitoes and horse flies….I hear the bug repellent industry is gearing up for its best year since I’ll be buying a big supply!!

Of course, there will be lots of painting, trimming, gardening, caulking, building to do, so I wonder how soon the lure of the empty lawn chair is going to take before Serge and I decide we’ve done enough and it’s time for some horizontal time on the long chair with a good book and something refreshing to drink. 

In any case, we hopefully have many years to come to get everything done…after all, this is a work in progress and since retirement is fast approaching for both of us, we will have nothing but time to take care of the cottage in the years to come.

But for now, back to boots, mittens, coats and icy roads….maudite hiver!!