Morning’s darkness a clear sign winter is not far away

By Lethbridge Herald on September 3, 2022.

Summer is over. It’s hard to believe but for all intents and purposes, it’s true. With the Labour Day weekend upon us, it’s safe to say goodbye to months of heat and long days, the latter which have ended too soon.

With Labour Day, a holiday on which many will be working, comes the reality that kids are back in school and winter is coming.

Those of us who are early risers already have felt winter coming for weeks now as the days have begun getting shorter.

It seems almost like in a blink of an eye we’ve gone from gentle sunlight emerging before 5 a.m. to complete darkness at that hour.

Weeks ago, the crew that walks around Nicholas Sheran in the early morning could see each other from hundreds of yards away. Now we can’t identify each other without a flashlight unless we’re speaking loudly enough. This means I’ve had to regularly recharge the batteries for my handy-dandy headlight which I strap atop a ball cap when I walk the dog around the park.

A friend, who fishes at the lake every morning, has also begun bringing his light with him and along with the people who carry their flashlights for their morning strolls, we will be greeting each other every day until next spring with illuminated conversation.

With Rio no longer able to even get in a car because of his arthritis, and being leery of rattlesnakes at Popson Park, my morning sojourns now are exclusively around Nicholas Sheran Lake, which to me is the city’s finest park among its many fantastic outdoor spaces.

For me, the path around the lake is the right length to loosen up the back and hips and get Ben some much-needed exercise. At nine years old, he still has the energy of a pup and our morning walks often are my favourite part of a day. It’s a chance for us to hang out and enjoy the stillness of morning while burning off some energy.

Those walks sometimes include strolling with the park regulars, a group who is there every morning at the same time. Among them is John Bekkering, who I’ve had the pleasure of talking with regularly since we recognized each other one winter morning. He’s truly one of the kindest human beings I’ve ever met and I look forward to our occasional chats on a pathway as Ben dog patiently waits by my side.

The women regulars at the park have been trying to gain Ben’s trust for months but he’s so skittish that it’s taken awhile.

After some hesitation, Ben has finally become secure enough that he actually lets them pet him – as long as he isn’t carrying a stick which he often does. 

After some hesitation, Ben has finally become secure enough that he actually lets them pet him – as long as he isn’t carrying a stick which he often does. Ben loves his stick and only a person he really trusts can get close to him when he’s carrying it – and I’ve been bringing the same one to the park for about three months now. Poor Kevin the fisherman still can’t get close except on the rare occasion.

Ben reminds me of my first lab, Jessie, who played fetch at Popson with the same stick for at least two years before she died unexpectedly and as Ben gets older, he looks more like her and has the same mannerisms. It’s almost like she’s come back through him.

With fall here, that means we will soon be facing the return of snow, subzero temperatures and what may feel like perpetual darkness. The temperature part is a little hard to believe though since this weekend’s temperatures are expected to be in the low 30s. But winter will eventually arrive and the morning walks will be shorter and probably sporadic when temperatures plummet.

For now though, we Nicholas Sheran regulars can enjoy each other’s company and the pre-dawn quiet at that spectacular park.

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