April delights: what a difference a day makes in CochraneCOFFEE WITH WARREN, with Warren Harbeck |
|
Pussy willows along Bighill Creek and first green buds on our backyard apple tree undergo April 27 snowy makeover treating Cochrane to white-robed evergreen boughs framing bell tower at St. Mary’s Church the next morning. Photos by Warren Harbeck After a long winter’s wait, spring was finally sprouting all around Cochrane last week. Lawns were turning green, leaves were budding out, pussy willows were in their glory … and then! Thursday afternoon, April 25, I was walking home along Glenbow Dr. where it crosses over Bighill Creek just west of the Alliance Church. And there it was, a bush bursting with pussy willows just longing for me to take its photo. It was a glorious affirmation of new life! The next day, inspired by the pussy willows, I poked my camera out our bedroom window and got a shot of a branch of green buds on our backyard apple tree. Welcome back, Spring! But then Saturday afternoon it happened! That same branch of green buds on our apple tree had donned a thick snow-white stole, as if to say, “Not so fast!” By early evening so much snow had fallen that major highways in the area were closed, travellers were stranded, and winter had returned with a vengeance. Where had the springtime delight of the previous day gone? Why, it had been replaced with a beauty all its own, of course! And by Sunday morning the sun was out, highlighting the white-robed grandeur of the evergreens framing the bell tower at St. Mary’s Church. Yes, what a difference a day makes in Cochrane! But the best was yet to be. The gleaming glory, so tasteful in its presentation, was soon melting, nourishing the soil with much-needed moisture for the new life making its appearance. Did I just say tasteful, presentation, nourishing and appearance? Well, what a wonderful segue into a closing word of praise for the enhanced Smitty’s Family Restaurant that reopened this week in its new location, 28–312 Fifth Ave. Monday morning, Andarage “Angie” Perera, owner, and Heather Zomar, manager, treated my wife and me to a tasty pre-opening breakfast, served by Dawson Hogg, our friendly waiter. Thank you!
© 2019 Warren Harbeck |