A famous Canadian once said, “Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone.” And this October, Calgary took away my crunchy autumn leaves, my unfrozen pumpkins and my socks-are-optional fall wardrobe and replaced it with 33 cm (13″) of snow in one day.
On the bright side, I was one of the rare Calgarians to get their snow tires on in September. On the downside, I also got new, decidedly non-snow-friendly Skechers for me and Cub.
I never knew how much I loved fall until I thought my city was skipping the autumnal season entirely and diving straight into winter. Luckily for me and my compatriots, once we dug out of our record-setting snowfall, the snow melted away, and I have a new appreciation for my favourite autumn things.
Without further ado, here is why I love fall in Calgary:
1- The temperature is perfect
I don’t like to sweat, and I don’t like to freeze. The temperature is ideal for me when I can comfortably leave the house with bare ankles. I want to be able to push the stroller to and from the school bus stop (which is a very hilly endeavour) without needing to shower when I get home to either cool myself down or warm myself up. Fall temperatures in Calgary allow me such a luxury.
My Skechers Summits Quick Get Away slip-on sneakers let me pound the pavement with style in the comfort of my favourite slippers. They’re athleisure-wear for my feet.
2 – The roads and sidewalks are dry
Having grown up in the lower mainland of BC, I am all too familiar with puddle jumping. Until the snow comes, Calgary is a joyously dry city, which makes for delightful driving and walking conditions. (Granted, when it rains here, it absolutely POURS … or hails …)
The early snowfall left me wondering if we’d all be confined to our winter boots till May! Lucky for my son, since he needs “indoor shoes” at school, he at least got to race around in his Skechers Kinectors Thermovolt runners in gym class!
Now that the snow has melted, I’m much happier finding my van in a giant pile of leaves than buried under a few feet of snow.
3- The colours are magnificent
It really is a wonder of nature to watch the leaves change colour in the fall. And now that I get to see it through my children’s eyes, it’s even more beautiful.
It will soon be dark when we head out to school in the morning and nearly nightfall by the time we walk home, but for now we are greeted by pink-blue sunrises as we head out the door and sunny skies as we follow the yellow leaf road home.
4- The fun is frustration-free
It’s the sunscreen application that kills me in the summer. In the winter, the application of snow suits takes half an hour, and then someone has to pee.
In the fall, you don’t need special gear or protective creams to go jump in a pile of leaves.
No one’s getting splashed in the face, no one’s boots are full of snow, everyone’s happy! No burnt noses, no frozen noses, just crunchy piles of plant matter. Our walks home from the school bus are pleasant ones thanks to the joys of fallen leaves.
I’ve introduced the kids to an infinite source of free toys: dried maple seed pods, also known as helicopter leaves. Also, pine cones. We are really into pine cones. My daughter picks up various sizes to make a pine cone family.
While I know it won’t be long until our sneakers are replaced by snow boots, it took the fear of an early-onset winter season to help me really appreciate the fall season in my city, however brief it may be!
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