I love the Victoria Day long weekend. It is, after all, the unofficial start of summer.

While there is certainly historical significance for Victoria Day – it celebrates the birthday of Queen Victoria, who was a popular and long-reigning British monarch – history is often the last thing on people’s minds when it comes to the long weekend.

For some people, it’s about barbecues, patios, trips to the lake, outdoor recreational activities and ice cold beverages. For others, it’s about yard work and planting the garden.

But thanks to the May long weekend of 2010, I will associate something different with the May long weekend.

Snow.

I spent this year’s Victoria Day long weekend in beautiful southwest Saskatchewan, bouncing between the thriving metropolises of Maple Creek (population 2,500) and Consul (population about 100). Some time was reserved for the scenic Cypress Hills Provincial Park.

The long weekend started well on May 21, and visions of golf courses and patios were dancing through my head. And while I was fortunate enough to muck around the water-logged Maple Creek Golf Course for nine holes on May 23, I had to be cautious of some brand new water hazards, thanks to buckets of rain that fell on May 22.

If you thought southeast Saskatchewan was the only area in the province to experience rain, wind and below average temperatures during the “unofficial start of summer,” you would be incorrect. But at least you didn’t have to cope with snow.

The poor campers and visitors at the Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park were covered with a few inches of the white stuff. And those who drove Highway 21 had to deal with snow drifts, slush and other wonderful driving conditions that would usually be reserved for January.

Driving a snow plow on Highway 21 probably wasn’t among the long weekend plans for Department of Highways employees in southwest Saskatchewan.

The Cypress Hills Vineyard and Winery is a delightful destination about 20 kilometres southwest of Maple Creek. If you enjoy picturesque scenery, a bistro with great atmosphere and good food, and an excellent glass of wine, it will be your kind of place.

The snow managed to close the bistro’s outdoor patio, but even a couple inches of snow couldn’t hide the beauty of the area.

Incidentally, it was a good weekend spent with family I don't get to visit very often, in a part of the province I always enjoy visiting. I just didn't expect to spend so much time indoors.

So please forgive me if I'm a little less excited about next year’s Victoria Day long weekend. I'll save my excitement for the official start of summer in June, rather than the unofficial start in May.