A return to standard time may not officially mean winter has begun but in these parts it might as well be.
Something about the turning of the calendar and saying so long to Halloween seems to inspire Mother Nature to send us a message ‑ something like “here comes winter folks.”
And, as if on cue, a snowfall warning was issued for the Coquihalla highway on Friday.
That means if you plan on going to the Coast anytime soon you better have your snow tires on as it’s mandatory for mountain highways in this province.
Not to mention that now that the calendar has changed it’s only a matter of days, if not hours, that the white stuff will fall at local ski hills and then in the valley bottoms as well.
So beat the rush and get to your friendly, neighbourhood tire store and make the change before, well, your neighbour does.
And if you haven’t brought in your hoses, raked up the leaves, covered up the air conditioner, blown out the sprinkler system and brought in the potted plants, well, it might be later than you think.
They are still taking yard and garden waste, free of charge, at the Greater Vernon Recycling Disposal Facilities until Nov. 30, so there’s still time to get that chore done.
However, anyone who has attempted to gather garden waste, especially leaves, after a significant snowfall, knows very well it’s better to be earlier than later.
Yes, winter, and all the good stuff like alpine skiing and snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, will be here before you know it. But consider this a wake-up call that it’s likely later than you think and plenty to do before the real fun begins.
—The Morning Star
