The biting north wind turned my cheeks red, made my earlobes burn. The same wind picked up tiny crystals of snow from the roof, created a swirling cloud that fell to the ground. This is what January is supposed to be like.

Later that afternoon, the snow became large flakes that floated on the still cold wind. The ground became white. Just barely. The amount was not measurable. This is not what January is supposed to be like in our part of the country.

Weekend neighbours arranged to get cross country skis for the whole family. They arrived just before leaving the city, an online order that worked. But the skis sat in the garage for the whole holiday. Hopefully, the next time they come up we'll have a proper amount of January snow.

Some days have been dark even when precipitation has not fallen. Grey skies. Mist over the water. I've had a light on in the living room all day. During November, several conversations revolved around the fact that we'd had more sun that month than usual. In contrast, December and January were unusually dull. None of those brilliant days with clear blue skies and sunlight sparkling on snow.

The sodden brown leaves that cover the ground make me think of late March and spring. There has been a touch of spring scent in the air. I should ask a maple syrup producer if they think the sap has been running.

Back in November on a very warm day, I found four forsythia blossoms on a bush by the road. None on my bushes, and there are buds left on that tree to bloom in the proper time. Still, not a good sign. November was not as cold as it usually would be. This week, a friend in Hamilton noted buds on a rose bush swelling, a hint of red. Not good for the plant, and not at all right for January.

I do remember other years with minimal snow. There was a year that Blue Mountain Ski Resort did not open until late January, another year when snowmobile trails never opened locally. So, this is not a first, but it still doesn't feel right. There is snow in the forecast for this week, and if we get the twenty centimeters that is predicted, a bit here, a little more there, we'll have a base that might get my skis out. At least, the world will seem brighter with a covering of snow.  

Some years when we have a minimal snow cover, there has been little overall precipitation. Not this year. We've had a lot of rain. And we had a couple good snow falls which melted. The ground is saturated here by the escarpment. The streams are running full. The last week, there has been no ice on the rocks beside them. By mid-week that changed. In the cold, ice began to build up where water splashed on rock. A crust formed over top of the flowing water. The music of the stream echoed in the small caverns created.

The squirrels are venturing out, taking bird seed that spills from the feeders, trying to get into the one that closes when they climb on. That's pretty normal. I have not seen a chipmunk, so they are hidden away as they should be. Deer are clearly out searching for windfall apples, but that they do every year. I trust the local bears are sleeping deeply.

Watching the chickadees and the cardinals flit from the shelter of the spruce trees out to the feeder and back feels familiar. They seem to be into a pattern that feels right for early January. And this week does look like cold will settle in as it should have already. Maybe we are going to get winter.

On the upside, unlike those years when snow comes and stays in November with wind and storm that close the roads, winter 2022 will feel incredibly short. Let's hope the year brings a few more gifts with it.

Cathy Hird lives on the traditional territory of the Saugeen Ojibway Nation

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