Spring 2017

The canoes in my backyard have been buried under three feet of snow for months now.
This has been the longest, coldest and snowiest winter in Alberta that I can remember.
I take heart in the knowledge that soon the trees will be budding and the flower bulbs under the frozen ground will finally start to push themselves up into a beautiful show of colour that finally signals an end to winter.
Birds will start to build nests and tadpoles will be visible in ponds and streams.
Along with those beautiful things though, come the bugs.
Some spring days when the sun shines and the temperature rises, I see small flying insects above the snow.
All the bugs that have survived the harsh winter will be flying around looking for places to lay their eggs.
Mosquitoes are the ones that I always try to stop from multiplying.
Once the sun warms any standing water enough for insect eggs to survive in, they find those pools and lay their eggs.
Once winter is over and the temperature starts to rise, I take a walk around the yard and tip out the water in anything that will hold it. Everything from birdbaths to empty flower pots need to be drained of any still water so mosquitoes are thwarted from multiplying.
If you can stop them from reproducing in your yard, you will have less of the adults that will target you and your children throughout the rest of the year.
The less standing water we leave laying around, the fewer adult bugs we will have in our yards later on.
My passion is fishing, so I can hardly wait for all the ice to disappear from the lakes and ponds within driving distance from my home. If you have never experienced a day in a canoe, I suggest you try this activity. It's not only a friendly activity for the environment, it's a quiet pastime that allows you to view and enjoy nature without disturbing it or frightening it away.
In Alberta, we are blessed with the ability to glide around a bend and witness a huge grey heron standing in shallow water, fishing for minnows.
Most half submerged logs on a warm sunny day are host to at least one turtle (I've seen up to five all together) sunning themselves while I glide past in my canoe. These are timid creatures and once they sense you are near, they generally slide themselves back into the water where they can quickly escape a predator. If you live within a few hours drive of a National or Provincial Park, I highly recommend a weekend, or if you are lucky enough, a weeklong camping trip to explore the true beauty of Alberta. I have had the pleasure of sitting in a boat, in the same shallow bay as moose. When my son was young we once witnessed an adult female and her calf eating the water plants in one of the back bays on a pristine lake.
In our excitement, we got a little too close for the mothers liking and she galloped through the shallows towards us until we swiftly departed. Later that day, we had a stringer of bass hanging over the side of our boat that became lunch for a huge snapping turtle that just couldn't resist such an easy meal. If you want to view black bears, the very best way I've found to do this is to visit a local dump. Most northern garbage dumps have a constant supply of bears that frequent them and are easily viewed from the safety of your vehicle. Just don't get out to take pictures. Stay in your vehicle.
Bug repellents with the chemical "deet" in them seem to work best but this chemical is not completely safe for children.
There are however, plenty of child safe repellents on the market.
If you decide to explore the back country this year, I can almost guarantee that you won't be disappointed.
Just be safe, and be sure to follow any safety rules applicable when in a boat or canoe.
There are places to rent a canoe, so you won't have to purchase one and then find a place to store it all year and grumble all winter long while it sits under three feet of snow.
Enjoy all that Alberta has to offer. It's ours to enjoy and share.