Posted by IsoM on January 14, 2003, at 15:09:32
In reply to that's no joke! » jay, posted by bookgurl99 on January 14, 2003, at 11:49:02
I'm prejudiced - the greater Vancouver area is the best in Canada! Heck, you can even grow bananas outdoors here. (Not warm enough for long enough to really get much in the way of bananas but still...)
Right now as the rest of Canada & much of the US shiver in the cold, we're enjoying 8°C (that's 47°F) & last week we had the loveliest day at 15°C (60°F). I just went outside to pick some fresh catnip for my kitties. The grass never turns brown in winter - green all the time. If it snows briefly, after a few hours or days when it melts, the grass is still nicely green & fresh. It doesn't stop growing in winter, just slows way down. Many of my flowers are still growing (& blooming!). I'm still picking cilantro, parsley, chives, & thyme for my meals. You can garden here year round outside. Most days, I just wear sandals when I go out for shopping. Lots wear shorts year round (with a warmer top). The sun's shining now & life looks gorgeous outside. Even moths & flies buzzing around when it's sunny & warm.
I have two plants from the sub-tropicals that stay outside all year round. One is an Iochroma cyaneum, a shrub that's native to Bolivia,
http://www.mediterraneangardensociety.org/plants/Iochroma.html
The other is Radermachera sinica (China doll, considered a houseplant!) that's native to Japan, China, & slightly cooler Southeast Asian countries. Given time, it grows into an impressive tree with hanging panicles of trumpet flared fragrant flowers. I don't think mine will get to that point though but I've had to prune it down a number of times - it's about 6 feet tall.
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/interiorscape/plants/bignoniaceae/radermachera.jpg
(Sorry, you can see I'm a botany/horticultural freak.)The west coast is close by for scuba diving & surfing (there's clubs or societies for them here). The mountains are snow covered for snowboarding or skiing for many months. The area is a gardener's dream. It's a touch of Eden in Canada.
And as an extra for Jay - I ABSOLUTELY loved that Apple switch parody of the American who moved to Canada. Thanks! We do have the funniest Molson Canadian beer commercials & the Kokanee beer ads. I'd never charaterise ourselves as similar to Americans. We're much more laid back, relaxed, & don't take ourselves so seriously. Our humour tends to be drier, more like the British. Nor are we so openly & adamantly patriotic but we still love living here. It's a great place to settle in.
Strangely, while all people in the Western world are getting heavier, Canadians included, I've been told by *many*, both Canadian & American, that there's less Canadians who are overweight compared to Americans. Any idea why? I'm told the difference is quite noticeable.
poster:IsoM
thread:35143
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20030111/msgs/35221.html