Welcome back western sky and goodnight

The reflected sunset at 8:47 p.m., as seen from an alley on the southeast side of Hemlock St. and West Broadway Ave.

Truth be told, Vancouver has been having a rather cool, wet spring, with notes of winter in the evenings. But it is spring and everything that grows knows it—what else are all the birds suddenly singing about?

One of the best thing about spring is that there’s no going back. Weather-wise we can now look forward to everything getting better and better for a good four or five months, which is such a weight off one’s shoulders.

As I write, it’s now just after 11 p.m. on Sunday, April 30. The temperature here in Vancouver is 9° Celsius under inky-dark skies. Just over two hours ago, before 9 p.m., the last sunset of April reflected golden off puffy ropes of cloud stretched across an otherwise blue sky.

Forecasters expect the temperature to increase in the first week of May, with a predicted high of 22° C by Thursday and the possibility of thunder showers on Friday (I’ll believe that when I see it).

Of course the really high temperatures and fireworks should be the following week, when the B.C. general election is held on May 9.

Remember what Mark Twain wrote in a 1908 letter to an unidentified person—”Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightning that does the work”—and vote accordingly, if you are so inclined. Click the image to enlarge it.