If Winter be come, can Spring be far behind?

So wrote Percy Bysshe Shelley. He obviously didn't live in Canada where its reputation as the Great White North is being richly earned this year. It was TS Elliot who wrote, "April is the cruelest month." Today is Earth Day, Saturday, April 20th. Accordingly I joined councillor Tom Adams this morning for a clean-up of the Morrison Creek Ravine. We are supposed to be one month into Spring but looking out at a snow squall at 6:30 this morning one could be forgiven for doubting it. Appropriately attired I set out for Algrove Park where Tom was late, I suppose he can be forgiven given that he brought his children along. There was no lack of litter and plenty of evidence of neighbours dumping yard waste in the park. When the group got hit by the second wind-driven snow squall we gave up and packed it in for the day but not before collecting 10 bags of garbage.