Mavillette Beach
Squalls
I remember one fall day decades ago out duck hunting in the marsh below our home in the Annapolis Valley, when looking toward the West instead of the East, where the ducks would fly in from, I saw a squall line approaching. I chose to just hunker down in the blind, but that choice meant the dog and I both got soaked and it was still quite breezy as I then had to slosh out to retrieve the decoys that were now scattered all over the marsh hole I’d been hunting.
That experience gave me a level of added respect for sudden downbursts of rain and turbulent winds, so earlier this week when Sam and I were out walking on Mavillette Beach, the appearance of a squall made us do two things – we quickly went back up to the truck and then drove to the other beach where Norma and some friends were walking, with me intending to be able to offer her an umbrella and maybe my raincoat. It turned out that the rain held off until I got there, so the ladies suffered no dampness, but we were prepared.
A friend of mine was chatting a bit about winter weather and those who embrace the season to come, but autumn squalls are similar in that one has to be dressed appropriately. My friend prefers to just stay inside, but those of us like me who choose to go out in all kinds of weather live by the Scandinavian adage:
“There is no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing.”
It's a truism for us outdoor loving folk, and it’s time to look through my gear and make sure I’ve got a still waterproof raincoat and warm enough clothes for the coming days. Maybe it’s time to purchase a new rain parka, given that the current Cabela’s one I have is over 35 years old?
I sense the beginning of a Christmas wish list…it’s that time of year!
