So this is Wonderland, is it? Snow criss crossing on its slow decent from the clouds. Slush forming in the gutters on a ice bevelled street. Torontonians cursing vehemently at the sudden appearance of frost on the winshields of their cars. The homeless huddling under laundry vents.

Ah! The eternal beauty of a Metropolitan Winter!

I really think it's the profanity spewing from the mouths of the elderly that really defines the whimsy of the season.

Yes, it can be beautiful if you own a big house in the country. Trimmed for the festive season, everyone is prepared to host parties and sip eggnog by a roaring fire. But, for us city folk, it's dirty, cold and smells like wet dog, every day.

So much for Winter Wonderland! There's no magic for me except the magic of salt and antifreeze on an icy uneven sidewalk!

ick!