Spring

Things are quiet around Casa Ronniecat these days. Spring arrived rather suddenly, as it always does here. The Saint John River has flooded its banks as usual, but what is not usual is the height of the water this year. Emergency centers have been opened up on Fredericton's north and south sides and in Oromocto. 20 families have been forced out of their homes; but things are not expected to get much worse. Still, we're on the Globe and Mail's front page today. (The downside is that the appalling amounts of snow we got all winter is now melting. The upside is that there are no ice jams in the river, which can cause truly dangerous flooding.)

In Quebec, the snow doesn't seem to be disappearing nearly as quickly, leading officials to send a warning out to homeowners - just before Earth Day, mind - to stop watering their snowbanks in an impatient attempt to speed melting. I can't figure out if the offenders are insane, ingenious or just breathtakingly wasteful. Perhaps all three.

(Of course, Montrealers also rioted after a first-round Stanley Cup game 7 win. First round. I mean, it was over Boston, a rivalry so deep that even Husband and I watched the game. But still. First round. That's lame.)

Meanwhile, the weather out west has been frightful, with Manitoba - hi, Robin! - getting slammed with yet another snowstorm.

It's been that kind of strange spring.

Work keeps my nose firmly to the grindstone - my cat updates his blog more often than I do - but I keep reading everyone else's blogs and comments even if my own participation is more muted. Someone's always got something particularly interesting to say. And if I wasn't keeping up with my friends' blogs, I would've missed this.

At least springtime in New Brunswick doesn't involve shaving cats...

ronnie