Long Anticipated Winter Overdue

FTLComm - Tisdale - Wednesday, November 21, 2001

The fall of 2001 is not only prolonged but it began with many people predicting and early winter. I did instead had looked at the trends and advised people that it would be the new normal for this to be a long, long fall. Even my expectations have been exceeded as throughout Saskatchewan record temperatures were registered as it was more of a late summer day in places like Maple Creek and Swift Current with +15. The wind this morning is rising out of the North East and there is unusual hazy, a sort of tumbling fog that can be seen in the picture above. There are predictions of possible snow showers tomorrow but that would need to see the wind shift around to the East. As you can see Tisdale folks have dressed for cool, not cold weather and the streets look anything but late November. Perhaps the most disturbing condition of all is the continuing drought. Without snow or even rain showers we have gone since mid summer without any really precipitation and the countryside really looks tough from this situation. Sloughs that still have water are frozen over but without moisture in the soil it is unlikely that the ground will freeze this winter at all. One sign of the winter is the very short days with sunset just after five in the afternoon and sunrise just after eight I think I have spent to much time watching television. This morning I spotted a Taliban guy walked along the street here in Tisdale. Well that is what he looked like with a black turban and carrying bags but on closer inspection the black turban was identified as a dark coloured touque. You see, to much television, not enough light or dirty glasses. Timothy W. Shire