Spring Thaw

So last week for about 48 hours, we had a very warm spell, breaking all kinds of temperature records. The dogs and I went out into a field to get a change of scenery. And because I didn't need my snow shoes or skiis, but rubber boots instead it seemed like a fun thing to do - go exploring.

Bliss hunts in the tree-lined windbreak for what? bunnies, mice, just good smells?

Spirit follows the trail of some creature - likely a squirrel, a bit behind us in the same field -separating rock and tree-line. But it's mushy snow, that by evening was very scarce with the temperatures in the low teens - something like 55-60 F. That night it poured rain. No snow anywhere the next day and so I jumped in the car to make a trip that I hate making on snowy roads. We went to Collingwood, the town east of us.
We drove out to the tip of the harbour, now a park formerly part of Canada Steamship Lines huge construction plant for the "lakers" - those enormously long boats that can span two of the huge waves that occur on the Great Lakes. The grain terminal is behind us. Across the harbour and the inlet you can see the ski hills of Blue Mountains, Craigleith and Alpine ski clubs - very little snow along the edge of the inlet, or anywhere else - only on the ski hills.

I blame it on climate change. Each of us will, I hope, do our part to reduce carbon emissions and make sensible steps towards encouraging governments to switch to green energies, green manufacturing and green lifestyles instead of supporting big oil, big pharma and all the other monied interests that have a stranglehold on governments around the world. It's not only here in North America - it's everywhere. The human species - our grandchildren or our children's grandchildren won't survive or won't have much of a world to live in, if we don't.

And the day after the rains? We had a flash freeze and the temperatures dropped well below freezing. Winter again. But that's normal. Hope you get to enjoy the winter outdoors or the summer if you're in a southern hemisphere country - and aren't plagued by strange weather patterns, horrendous fires or tornadoes, deluges and other things I've learned that Mother Nature is throwing our way. This planet can be SO beautiful!

January thaw

The fish that would normally be in semi-hibernation are swimming around in the pond. The two feet of snowdrifts that covered the pond, the garden and much of the pasture and surrounding fields four days ago, is running into the Beaver River.

Walking the dogs this morning after the rain I saw a snail on the pathway. Thinking that it was an empty shell with the molusc inside eaten by moles, I turned it over. I was completely surprised to see it quickly pull its "foot" back into the shell. On our return back to the house, I saw it had travelled about five or six inches along the pathway. Goodness, not only alive but out getting breakfast - a spring undertaking surely.

The grass is almost flourescent green. The lilac buds are fat and similarly green.

Four days is all it took to melt all away with temperatures well above zero Celsius - reaching as high as 12 yesterday.

Not healthy I'm thinking.

Partly induced by climate change - all this untimely weather - it makes me worry about what's next. We certainly lost our apple crop because of unseasonable frost after an early spring last year. What will this year bring? Do others wonder too? Do they care?

I love winter, snow, cold and all the wonderful things to do outdoors. The dogs love it. The cats not so much. But a winter with snowy mornings, frosty windows, warm chuckling fires in the wood stove -all to be enjoyed.

This wet fake spring, brief though it will be, is not good. I want to rant about climate change. About how humans don't pay attention. That we're a dreadful species, uncaring as a whole, though there are individuals and small groups that are more attentive to what's happening with our climate. But today I won't rant more than this. I'll show you the photos instead of what I see when I stand on my deck and look at the landscape. You may want to share them to remind others about what we're doing to this planet. It's peculiar.

Yes the drops of rain are strung like glistening beads along tiny tree branches. Beautiful. The mists that hide the other side of the valley are beautiful as well. But this belongs to spring with returning birds, buds waxing on the tiny branches, sprouting plants and grasses. Not mid-January. For today that's my rant.

Whatever the weather, wherever you are - may you enjoy it as I did finding that tiny snail. There is beauty everywhere if we pay attention. We are blessed even in our destructiveness.