My Two Springtimes

Here in Quebec, we have two springs. The first is ugly and sad. Here are some pictures of the early spring in our area.

As you can see, the beautiful snow of Christmas, white, flaky and romantic as one could wish, becomes a horror at the end of March and April. Winter is black, white, long, and icy. Seasons in-between are almost as painful. That’s what makes us such fantastic people!

Here is why

First, we have an incredible sense of humour. The comedy industry is thriving in Quebec. Well, at least before the pandemic. 

This ability has developed into a keen talent for self-deprecation. 

Denmark has a reputation for Hygge (pronounced hoo-gah) and Quebec for Ah! Ah !

Bon vivant

The other thing that defines us is our epicurean side.

Often in Quebec, the second spring appears by magic. 

Boom! 

One morning, we wake up, and the heat and the sun burst. Spring emerges with daisies, daffodils, bright sunshine, and birds chirping. 

The typical Quebecois gets out from his hibernation, wakes up like Mother Nature, and goes crazy.

 Literally. 

He takes out the barbecue, starts the pool, mows the lawn, drinks beer or wine in a terrace café, rides his bike or convertible, and plants flowers. The Quebecois want to do everything. He must enjoy every drop of this radiant and rare sunshine.

Which picture is the most beautiful?

The third feature is that we have strong morale.

You know the principle of mental toughness. We must get through these temperatures. Learn to look at life positively and focus on beautiful things.

That’s what I want to show you in these photos.

We learn to reframe.

Justin Cox has posted a newsletter asking how we will beat the summer heat. He lives in Orlando, Florida and has to resign staying in his air-conditioned home to protect himself from the heat wave.

In Quebec, it’s the opposite

Summer is the season when we enjoy the outdoors. Winter is so cold here, so it obliges us to stay in our warm homes. My husband and I are avid downhill skiers, cross-country skiers and Nordic walkers, yet we have to limit our outdoor activities because of the cold. When the thermometer reads minus thirty Celsius outsides, we appreciate the warmth of our fireplace.

From May to September, however, even when we finished our sports training, we spent as much time as possible outside. We read and eat in our garden when the weather permits.

Our experience is the opposite of Justin Cox’s. We stay cooped up in the winter and outside in the summer. Even though we both live in the northern hemisphere, we live thousands of miles away.

My answer

In answer to Mr. Cox’s question, I plan to

• bike
• picnic
• barbecue
• run
• swim
• canoe 
• gardening

As for all Quebecois, summer represents to me the joy of living and the time of festivities. After the long winter months, we want to make the most of this heat, which, I must admit, is not as overwhelming as in Florida. And we visit the Sunshine State in our first spring!

Final thoughts

The moral of this story is that no matter where you live in the world, the most important thing is to have sunshine in your heart. And regardless of the season!

What about you? How do you experience spring or summer?

Phrenssynnes