Seasonal Memories

Yesterday reminded me of the autumn days of my childhood — clear and crisp with sharply slanting light and astonishing splashes of colour in the trees — a rare day in Vancouver. There are so many things I love about the West Coast like the mossy forests and the snowdrops that come out in January. But, on days like yesterday I catch a whiff of the dramatic change in seasons that I experienced growing up on the edge of the Canadian Shield. Two sensory experiences that I miss, and that are even more rare in this climate than a crisp fall day, are the fragrance of pine needles baking on rocks in the sun and snow so crisp it actually sparkles and squeaks underfoot.

Have you relocated? What seasonal or sensory memories take you back?

Photo-Natasha Irvine