(Opinion) Bear Flat Dispatch: The seasons and our zippers

BEAR FLAT, B.C. — I find it difficult to become motivated enough to sit down and write during the summer, but I do feel more compelled to punch out a missive on the old keypad now that fall is firmly here.

Perhaps if my livelihood depended upon writing I would not be so lazy, but fortunately that is not the case. I believe it was springtime when I last checked in, and like a child returning to school, I now feel rusty putting my brain back into writing mode. Of course, AI wants to do the writing now, but I am too old school to give that a try.

Back when I was a hunting guide, I always felt that September was my favourite time of year. However, in recent years, I find myself enjoying most parts of the year, and my constant statement of “gee whiz, this is my favourite time of the year!” usually results in a groan and eyeroll from Arlene. 

At 56 degrees latitude north, we experience four distinct seasons here in the Peace. Winter arguably does take up more than its share, and that is the one season most complained about.

Back when I was younger and trapped, winter was much higher on my list of favourites. While I do still enjoy winter, it can seem to drag on somewhat. However, I very much appreciate how our northern climate with severe winters has effectively blocked out some of the scary exotic poisonous critters and diseases that are found in southern regions.  

Meanwhile, there was enough relief from our multi-year drought to make farming and ranching viable this year for most. Rain was very spotty, and conditions varied depending on location. The rains that started in mid-June were too late for many hay crops but were timely for the grain farmers.

However, overall, the country is still very dry, and it is amazing that we did not have more fires and smoky skies than we did. The longer cool, damp nights are now helping with whatever fires are still out there. 

These cooler nights make for chilly mornings once again, but as usual, I resist dressing properly and shiver away outdoors until the day warms up. Eventually I will smarten up and dress according to the temperatures, but it seems like not doing so now is some weird subconscious futile attempt to hang onto summer.

Unfortunately, when I do drag out my old winter clothing, I will rediscover that most of the zippers on my jackets and sweaters are still malfunctioning just like they were last winter. What the heck is that about anyway? It now seems that the lifespan of clothing is determined by the zippers failing while the garment is still in good condition otherwise.

Zippers have been on the decline for some time now, and I don’t understand why it has not become a major election issue in recent years. Perhaps it is time for a new political party that will run on a platform of better zippers for everyone. I would vote for them.