I’ve been driving with the roof down for most of the past few weeks. The roof requires 10°C, so 11 and up, down it comes! Some days have been quite hot. Yesterday, a cool wind began, then today happened. Snow was recorded at the airport and we had hail! Yep, middle of May, and it’s snowing, raining and hailing, all on the same day, sometimes within the same hour.
During what looked like a sunny break, the fella and I headed out for a walk at a nearby park. When we reached the parking lot, there was a moment of light hail, then the sun came out and all was bright. The sky was turbulent, though, clouds whipping through the sky. Off the water, one could see rain. The chilly wind was too much for the fella, wearing only a light spring jacket, so we turned around. And the hail began again, this time, in earnest! Visibility dropped, the size of hail increased. Blair was ahead of me (I was taking photos, so nothing new) and I saw a bird land beside him, perching on the fence, grounded by those little bits of ice dropping from the sky. When the fella stopped to look at her, she remained hunkered down, unmoving. The female Brown-headed Cowbird allowed me to take a few photos, then the hail eased up, she shook off her feathers; it stopped and she flew to the shelter of some shrubs across the path and began preening, no doubt wondering what the heck was going on.
After the brief burst of hail after we just arrived at the park, the sun burst out, lighting up the world.
The hail began, and the fella turned around to see what was keeping me.
The hail intensified, dropping visibility.
The hail is beginning to ease up a little bit. Blair stops to check out the bird sitting on the fence, temporarily grounded due to weather.
The white chunks, hail. It did melt quickly.
The hail continues to ease up and the poor bird was probably trying to ignore my presence.
The hail stopped as I came abreast of her. She allowed me one closeup, then off to a perch with more shelter!
We left the park in sunshine.
Driving home, when the sun broke for brief spells, the fresh, new foliage was lit up in the vibrant colours of early spring. Dark, ominous clouds hung as a dramatic backdrop.