The deep freeze

A couple of days ago I posted some photos and videos of the snow storm that was bringing the birds in to the feeders in droves and blowing everything around.

Later that afternoon the sun came out and I couldn't resist getting the camera out once more. The sky was brilliant, the road snow-covered and snow glued itself to the tiniest branches and twigs.

It was beautiful, chilly yes, but not frigid.

With so many birds around I should have paid attention, I think the wild world knows infinitely better than we humans what the weather is going to be like.

They gorged and filled and fed.

It was a beautiful winter wonderland. We went out to play in it for quite a while, enjoying sun and snow.

And then it snowed and blew again yesterday. All my many pathways walked with dogs trudging behind or racing along in front of me, were filled in. Driving wasn't much fun but it wasn't treacherous. However that old thermometer was heading down. At five last night it was a nightmare walking with the dogs. My face froze in the cold wind, my fingertips even with a pair of mittens overtop of my gloves were cold. But we did it.

Then last night, the wind died and it was truly magical. While it was cold, there was nary a sound. I could've heard a whisper of owl wings along the river a mile away it was so still when we went out for the last walk of the day. I looked at the sky - luminous! Lady Moon shone softly through the veil of clouds lighting the vast expanse of sky and the snow-blanketed fields below. I stood in awe. Turning round and round staring at how simple the scene, yet how thrilling somehow. I felt as if the dogs and I were alone in a magical world all our own.

Today - it's grey, snow alternating with what? no snow? the finest of snow sprays filtered through a muslin curtain? Then thick linen, or fluffy cotton? I could hardly see my neighbours garage lights at 7 a.m.

We went for a walk - my cheeks froze. My fingertips sang with pain. We brought in a toboggan load of wood, dragging it along another snow-filled pathway... all the paths had drifted over once more.

However the dogs didn't care. The raced around, bouncing as if on springs... I suspect they'd stay out all day. No wonder they were used to haul the mail and pull sleighs along the Labrador coast. So now we're cozy and watching more birds congregate and gossip about the weather, the plentiful seed, how to fluff out even more so as not to feel the cold and where the best spot is to watch for more food or just to stay out of the wind. A female cardinal landed on the deck - not something I usually see. There mustn't be too many feeders around here.

Another week and it will be above freezing again and -25C will be a memory.

Spirit tries to decide which to chase - the red squirrel or the birds perched in the tree above him.

No rant about climate change today - but there is no doubt these elevator temperatures are caused by it. And they say that Canada is going to allow the oil sands (used to be called the tar sands - I guess they thought that was too "dirty" a word) to expand... Six times the amount of C02 we'll be putting in the atmosphere in a couple of years, more from these projects than the entire US puts out... something to do some serous thinking about.

Hope you enjoyed the photos of winter in our part of the world - and are enjoying yourself wherever you are.