It's February and winter has finally hit Bermuda.

When I say "hit", I mean like a body blow. The winds are the most prominent feature of winter here. One Gale after another sweeping in off the ocean. One minute the sky may be blue with rapidly scudding clouds, the next moment the day will darken and open up in torrential downpour. Yesterday with the air full of the movement of trees leaping about in our back yard and the sun about to set, we grabbed Lori's camera and tripod and headed up our drive to try and capture it. As we neared the gate at the top of the drive, the wind increasing to gale force, we realized just how protected we are in our little space below the main house. We managed to cross the road and take a few shots, with me supporting Lori and the tripod lest they blow away. Then we spotted a squall charging our way across the Atlantic and we ran for it with the wind at our backs giving wings to our feet. We arrived at our oasis with not a moment to spare, standing in our covered patio gasping for breath between spurts of laughter while the rain poured down in a virtual wall which drowned out our voices.

Yes, we've heard that there have been record rainfalls in BC this year. I must admit that I don't miss the rain of the Lower Mainland winters. At least the storms here are interesting and not long lasting. Waking up to rain in the morning does not necessarily mean that it wont be clear and sunny in the afternoon .... or even in the next hour. The storms that travel across the Atlantic Ocean pass overhead rapidly. Often I've thought that the weather here on this small island might be similar to what the sailors experienced before the mast when caught by a storm on the high seas.

At left is a picture Lori took of Horseshoe Bay last week. You can see the next squall coming in on the horizon. After taking this picture, she got caught before reaching the car and was drenched. As always, click on her photos to see a larger image.

February is the closest Bermuda gets to Winter. The winds come from the North and the temperature plunges to highs of 70 and lows of 60 every day. A 50 year record was almost broken last week when the temperature dropped to almost 48 degrees Fahrenheit. The headlines in the papers reported Bermudians waking up freezing. My Bermudian colleagues arrive at work bundled up in three layers of winter clothing.

Yesterday I even put on a sweater !

New in the social scene for us is our becoming members of the Bermuda Music and Drama Society which is an old and well established private club that puts on plays and other events. We were nominated by Adrian who is a past president. The "Daylesford Theatre" is their headquarters located in downtown Hamilton and includes a bar and kitchen. Part of being a member is performing volunteer bartending. Both Lori and I took the bartending course last week. Other things to do include set design, construction, painting, advertising and even acting!

So if you ever find yourselves in Hamilton on a Friday evening, drop in for a bite to eat and a pint. I may be behind the bar. This Sunday the BMDS is hosting Super bowl and a Chili Cook-off!