Warm March?

As a matter of fact, whether it’s winter or spring/summer/fall, weather in Canada is becoming unpredictable! Kids were going to school in shorts during March, and I’ve got forsythias blooming, green things growing, and serviceberries and viburnum about to burst into bloom.

I have been inspired by our unusually hot spring to find out about other years in our history that have had strange weather or natural occurences. Here are a few – I’m sure there are more:

1780 – May 19th to be specific, also known as “New England’s Dark Day”. The day became so dark that it is reported that candles were needed from noon onward, and the moon appeared red later that night. For a few days beforehand the sun had also appeared red and the sky yellow. Soot was seen in rivers and rain puddles. It was extensively recorded in the more heavily populated areas of the north-eastern United States, and the Maritime provinces. Some Christians believed it was the Day of Judgement, and Seventh-day Adventists in particular felt that it corresponded to the end-times prophecy in the Bible. It is now believed, based on research into tree ring scarring, to have been caused by a massive forest fire encompassing the area around Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario. This fire sent smoke into the upper atmosphere. The “dark day” would likely have occurred in southern Ontario as well, but being much more sparsely populated at the time there are fewer records of this event.

1816 – “Eighteen Hundred and Froze to Death”, “The Year with No Summer”, or “Poverty Year”. Again, an event that seemed to be more heavily reported in New England, READ MORE

Is this becoming a thing of the past?

Fireplace Season

The days are getting shorter, the air is getting cooler and leaves are falling to the ground – it can only mean one thing: It’s fireplace season.

Yes, just as you are turning down the flames on your barbecue, you can turn up the flames inside your fireplace, for a much-needed source of warmth in your home this season.

And if you don’t already have a fireplace, it’s a great time to be in the market for one, says interior designer Janet Voth.

That’s because this fall’s hottest fireplaces – no pun intended – do a little bit of everything.

“People are changing,” she says. “When they’re renovating their homes, their fireplaces are taking on a different look. They still want the function of fireplace but they want it also to go with the rest of the house.”

And the newest models these days are not only designed to efficiently heat up your home, but also to cool off your heating bills, says Preston Meyer, owner of Hearth and Home Fireplace Specialties Ltd.

“People are looking to reduce their heating costs and most of our fireplaces are all 80% or greater in efficiency, so they’re capable of heating anywhere from 1, 000 to 2,500 square feet,” he says.

So no matter what type of fire device you’re in the market for this season, make sure you find one that you not only love the look of, but that is also f u n c t i o na l and highly efficient.

Her e , a run-down of your options:

Woodburning:

If you want the good old-f ashioned fire experience –crackling sounds, smoky smell fire, and big beautiful flames –a wood-burning fireplace is a must, and something you just can’t replicate with a gas or electric version.

Although they can be expensive to buy, install and stock with wood, many newer versions are designed to meet Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) standards and can be custom-built to fit in with a newer-looking decor, Voth says. READ MORE