2020 seems old hat now, as we wing through winter. I won't jinx it by saying that it is going ok. Just we made it to February. It is a funny time in Canada, well not of course for Canadian's, they are used to all of this and this doesn't phase them one bit, but the winter here seems to be very monochrome. It is just so white, sky, fields and at times roads too.
For many reading this I'm sure you have lots of colour and maybe even feel like spring is around the corner. We probably have a month maybe two before that happens. I was on a walk yesterday crunching through the snow (it is actually quite lound and squeaky) and was thinking about that, that spring seems so long away as we hunker down for the duration. I must have heard only one bird singing and it was eery quiet. But there is beauty in really experiencing winter. Of course we all get a season change but nothing quite prepared me for this kind of depth of winter. The thing is that you just get on with it and have several pairs of snow boots and winter clobber. You get used to the sometimes tricky roads and reaslise with some degree of horror that actually my winter is mild compared to some.. now that is something else entirely.
I do like seeing the snow billow down and try not to stratergise in my head the sequence of snow shovelling we will be doing later, when to start etc and will the sun come out and melt the thin scraping left behind.? It is like the world slows a bit when it snows and of course there are a million different types of snow. The sky will be milky white, even when the sun has gone down, as the snow is so reflective.
I think we all go a little loopy in winter here. Some people combat it by flying off to warm places, as yet we haven't done that. We are just still being the people adapting and managing. There is something to that and it adds to that well earned sense of achievement when the season finally changes, that we made it and we were here for the duration.
That said we are pretty cozy in our house and if in doubt the telly gives us places to go and of course reading. Although reading about frozen North (the book I just finished is that kind of thing) does make for a more vivid experince here when you have snow on the ground. It had a passage where the hero goes from North to South and the streets in the South and it just don't feel real as he has just been in the open frozen North! Yes I totally relate to that. But here in the cozy world we have the begining to the year as always opened with that brilliant celebration of Louie's birthday!!!! It is so weird to think that is over a month ago now. It seems an age! But this is January and now I come to think about it, I managed to get quite a few colourful pictures.
And so we are 18!
We went for our New Years Day walk
There was moments of sunshine and this glistening tree stump shows that
and being all smiling, I did say moments!
Silly walks and sun low through the trees
Just stunning
The shadey places were icy and cold
It really was a contrast to the brightness that the sun caught
Just like a bit of magic
I really liked this rock lit up
Bit of a wobbly bird box
More discussions
and on we go
There is some blue sky
This is literally a long shot across the road to the rising sun! Think we are in for some more snow
Of course we were and I love how different trees look in snow
Maples are hanging in there and of course the sun doing a very fine job of highlighting ther colour difference
When I came to review these pictures, they even suprised me with all the differnt colour
You'd think by now all the leaves would have blown away, but there it is literally hanging from a thread
Rather like this icicle that formed outside Isaac's bedroom window. It looks like a fish
We went to Elora and stomped about
Got a distant shot of the "tooth" in the river (there will be more of this in Feburary's blog. I had to go back after seeing this!)
The ice was truly impressive
and then it snowed and we had work to do
It was quite a bit to shovel and Louie is doing a sterling job in this picture of the front path, yes it is under there somewhere. Keep digging Louie!
Juncos flock to the feeder and I've been very busy re filling this feeder for them
Squirrels hang out underneath it and I did feel almost a twinge of pity for this guy, all fluffed up and snowy. He has his beedy eye on me !
He did lots of scampering and pausing
Think he knew he was being watched!
There they are waiting for cat TV to begin
The cats seem ready to be posted somewhere warm! Constant source of entertainment. They certainly keep me on my toes. A new winter activity that Bella cat has introduced to me is 'butter protection' (yes they like butter) they call it 'treat time'. Actually any item whatsoever is called 'treat time' . Now Bella has taken to perching on the very edge of the kitchen counter just to bait me! Knowing I will shoo her off there. A bit like cat and mouse and I'm not sure who is 'cat' and who is 'mouse'. We got air sprayers to make them get off counters and have given up on that, Bella worked out that they squirt air once and so she pauses lets the thing go off and then goes on her way. Funny thing is her brother doesn't bother with those antics at all? He just casually looks on bemused. He definately has that air of of not moving if he doesn't have to.
But Bella the beautiful doesn't mind being the naughty one!
OMG I am a cat watcher but truly this is winter entertainment, or the beginings of cabin fever. You decide
But when the sun is shining and the snow is so pristine, it is magical and beautiful. It is hard to believe that this is real and I get to see this, albeit a bit too much and for months on end !!! but it is good to just pause and enjoy it.
