Much of older Babel sits in a valley running down to the water. Our aerie, in the middle of the valley, rises high above the lapping waters of the bay and serves as a leg to help prop up the sky. Occasionally the clouds slip and we get to look with wonder on the tops of the clouds made whiter by the unshielded sun.
It is the vagaries of weather that enthral us every day. It is a million dollar view. The water shows every shade of sparkling blues and greens in summer, the whitecaps and riffles raised by the breeze, the browns of runoff from the rains and the foreboding black of the depths before the freeze. The water, stretching to the horizon, is in sharp contrast to the surrounding hills garbed in the many greens of spring and summer, the cacophony of color of the Canadian fall and the snow capped evergreens of winter.
Sometimes blotted by early morning fogs off the water that are soon burnt off by the warming sun, each day starts with the light of the east coming across the water. As the sun follows its predetermined route to the west, the clouds gust mainly from the west to east. The occasional black clouds from the east crossing and tossing the water warn of the coming of a storm.
From the weight of soggy, overcast fall days to the bright promise of spring, we enjoy the vagaries of the Babel weather. When neighbours leave for the warmer climes of winter, we feel they leave the best of Babel for us to enjoy. How could we miss cocooning high above the piling drifts of winter white? How could we forego watching the ice boats, air boats, para-skiers, skidoos and ever interesting modes of transportation across the ice of the bay?
Babel is a city that accepts winter and its many challenges. It has nearby ski hills and a myriad of hockey arenas. Fishermen are not thwarted by ice as they create a hole to bring up their catch. There are piles of snow throughout the suburbs higher than the cars. More snow comes to be piled even deeper. Former Toronto drivers only go through one season before joining the line for snow tires.
And Babel is a summer place. The activities around the beautiful bay are intense and fill the summer with fun and color and music. Our fountain down below our aerie is a magnet that draws Babelites and visitors alike. Tour boats, power boats and sail boats of every kind mix with the Seadoos, kayaks and canoes to explore our bay.
From the frenetic actions of beach volleyball to the gentle Rorschach of the clouds, our home in Babel keeps us enthralled with what nature and humans choose to share.
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