Homeless in Vancouver: Today’s OK but yesterday had spring in its step

by Stanley Q. Woodvine on January 4th, 2014 at 4:46 PM

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I’m not complaining.

Today’s nice, I guess—yesterday was just better.

By noon it was crystal clear that something special was up.

It was as though someone had taken a slice of spring out of the freezer and left it to thaw.

The sun this time of year normally blazes cold light, but yesterday sun seekers were rewarded with a gentle touch of warmth, enough to stir memories of the summer past and to plant a quiet thought:

“Shhh… Spring is coming!”

Nice while it lasted

Of course it didn’t last. By the evening all thoughts of spring were back in the freezer—wouldn’t want them to spoil.

This truck is often a harbinger of snow, but this time just sub-zero cold.

Stanley Q. Woodvine

I had a late dinner—things needed charging—so I didn’t leave McDonald’s until 11 p.m. By that time the temperature had to be near to, or below, zero.

If it wasn’t, someone expected it soon would be; I watched as a transit maintenance truck headed west up Broadway, coating the overhead electric trolley bus wires with de-icing fluid as it went.

I too went—in search of some black ice and darned it I didn’t find some!