This week, Tuesday, set out for a big hike into the west end. I've never been too much west of Granville (barring the bus to Horsehoe Bay).
In the span of 15-20 blocks the neighborhoods greatly improve. But the weather's bitter, cold, and when I hit the Lost Lagoon I turn back for warmth.
Wednesday - Snow. A 6 Inch accumulation. I don't go far.
Thursday, rain, the snow is melting, disappearing, feet cold and wet in the slush, it's unwalkable, anywhere, and all the tents and sleeping bags and garbage of the streets is eroding out of snowbanks piled on the curb, unsalvageable, to the shelter for more....I attempt to go up East Hastings to do some thrifting, but there's a tearing gale, the weather itself not cold, but these 60 KM hour gusts are freezing me. And all of the thrift shops, other than Value Village, are closed.
Friday, again, this time the thrift shops are open, but I might as well not have bothered. There are no treasures.
Saturday, off now to Port Coquitlam - the train, past the worst of neighborhoods, and again, while it was nice when I set out it's blizzarding up there hard. A couple of thrift shops, then abandon it. Lose my day pass. Am thoroughly pissed. I'm beginning to believe I shouldn't be allowed to leave the house. Travel - of any sort - for me is becoming a big no-no. If it can go wrong, it will. To the Vancouver Flea - get some cheesecake stickers for Stormy, then home.
I'm freezing, hypothermic, the temperature - again not so bad, but the wind, always the wind and the wet and blowing snow.
And this is how it goes. The winters, more extreme, the summers, more extreme, the pendulum swinging farther and further in each direction and nobody knows where it will end...
Well, people know, they're just not saying. Until then it's business as usual.