[twitter]For nearly 9 months of the year, winter has a grip on Calgary. As we sat in the backyard this week, bathing in nearly 30 degree temperatures while the kids jumped the sprinkler, Jennifer and I marveled at how “it’s already July.”

“Well,” I reminded her, “It did snow just 6 weeks ago.”

Ugh, that pre-Mother’s Day blast was a cold one to take.

But now Calgary is an entirely different place. Its dusty brown hills replaced by waving grasslands, the skeletal trees now flush with foliage, and people are coming out of their winter hibernation.

Even downtown is looking positively perfect. These photos were posted on Instagram and Twitter this week celebrating summer on Stephen Ave. Calgary has its pre-Stampede good side on, and it was worth the wait.

#iamdowntown pic.twitter.com/gXxIumhHvK

— Brittany Back (@BrittanyBack) July 1, 2014

I hate to hammer home the point how gorgeous it is in the summer, and how long we wait to have it, but just look at this before/after of the Beltline to appreciate how much better +30 is versus -30!

SEE ALL THAT’S BEEN SEEN IN CALGARY