Toronto has had a rather mild winter this year, but temperatures have been up and down. It could be -27 degrees one day and then 16 degrees a week later, but overall it has been warmer than usual, which may be confusing for some of the plants and animals around here!

We can experience several “fake” springs every year, with temperatures rising into the teens and then plunging down below zero again. Snow often lasts into April and can even fall in early May, meaning that it’s possible to experience up to 6 months of cold, grey, wintery weather conditions.

Because it’s so long and dark, this season can be depressing for some people. It has never really affected me before, but after 3 years of mostly staying at home, I am finally starting to feel a bit sick of this weather and I’m looking forward to spring this year more than ever before!

The overall lack of colours, smells, and energy create a very muted atmosphere at this time of year, and the thing that I miss the most is just going for a walk in a park or forest and seeing green leaves and animals running around. I was quite excited to come across a raccoon on the sidewalk the other night because it’s the only animal (aside from pigeons) that I’ve seen for months! Yesterday, when I talked with one of my students about the sounds of summer insects, I realized just how quiet the winter is, too.

I really miss the plants and animals and feel a little jealous of places where spring comes earlier! Facebook just reminded me that I was in Tokyo at this time 3 years ago, and I can see flowering trees in those pictures, but it will be a couple of months before I see any flowers here in Toronto! For now, I will just look at my old spring pictures and imagine the day when I can grab a Tim Horton’s coffee and go for a long walk through the Don Valley.