No gloating

This could be any (snowy) part of Canada, but alas, it's one of the side streets John and I saw during a walk Saturday in our area of Vancouver. Usually, we're spotting banks of snowdrops --the flowers -- not snow at this time of year.

This is what happens when heavy snow weighs down your trees. In this case, it's a hardy laurel and will regrow quickly.

The entrance to Pacific Spirit Park promises a snowy walk ahead.

This is the time of year that Vancouverites like to wave their crocuses, daffodils and cherry blossoms at the rest of Canada and boast about how different our climate is. But after being hit Feb. 3 by a second bout of winter -- after we thought all that was done for the year -- we don't have much to wave except branches broken off trees by heavy ice.

After a particularly severe ice storm in the Fraser Valley last week, well-known B.C. gardener Brian Minter told CBC on Feb. 8 that in Chilliwack, all he could hear around him was the sound of branches snapping off trees. Schools were closed for several days in the Vancouver area, there were power failures, and for two nights, the Coquihalla Highway was closed because of icy conditions, with people spending the night in their cars.

In Mount Dunbar, the snowbanks are receding, but many side streets are full of slush and snow and some intersections are still treacherous. The snowdrops and crocus I spotted before the storm are under several inches of snow, and the back garden is still white instead of green. While one website does have photos of early cherry blossoms starting to peek out in the city's West End, we won't be boasting about our paradise of spring flowers for awhile yet.

Above and below, some photos from walks during our second bout of winter:

 

Critter footprints in the snow. Raccoons?

Kitsilano Beach, deserted in the snow. This photo was taken earlier in the week.

A splash of colour brightens up the greys of Saturday's landscape. Just to make sure we know what colour it is, notice "Blue" written on the garage.

A yellow umbrella protects a pile of snow. What this is all about is anybody's guess. John and I spotted it on our walk Saturday.

Destruction of houses goes on in any weather. John and I saw this old  house being crunched to pieces in the Point Grey area. 

Right across the street from the demolition scene is this little house awaiting the same treatment. You can tell it's going to happen soon because of the orange fences around the boulevard trees.

It's common to see branches, broken off by the weight of the snow, lying on boulevards. 

At the entrance to Pacific Spirit Park, we encountered a dog walker who was very interested in John's camera. The man was very chatty -- John thinks people are a little starved for conversation after being stranded in their houses for too long. 

The man's dog awaits. He enjoyed being free in the snow while his master chatted.