Lots of snow in the past few days, over two feet deep, and forecast of serious (even for here) cold at the end of the week meant that this morning's exercise session was not going to be a healthy walk or retreating to the basement treadmill. It was on with the boots, coat [...]
Winter in Quebec can be rather cold and tough but it has its compensations given a warm coat and boots. Sitting here this morning as the snow falls and the temperature falls faster we have been warmly enjoying the glorious flowers of three Amaryllis bulbs* while watching the indomitable Dark-eyed Juncos outside [...]
Yesterday there was a lot of freezing rain falling and coating the world in sparkly ice. Being sensible people we stayed indoors, exercised in the basement, and ventured forth this morning to see the world glittering. Freezing rain is a pain, and potentially dangerous, for anyone who has no options but to go [...]
Just playing around on a dull day, but it was fun ... though certainly not great art. Yesterday, NY Eve, was thickly fogged all day long as the abnormally warm weather lifted water vapour form the snow which hung around in the absence of wind. Fog is interesting and I spent a bit [...]
Almost the year's end ...
2022 - Another Year of Birding As a new year starts I like to make a note of the birding “ticks” from the year just coming to an end. Here goes for 2022 … a couple of days early but I don't expect anything new between now and the weekend. First, it's important [...]
Christmas 2022 ... We focus on the mid-winter turning of the year at the solstice for a mid-winter celebration, but to that end we are more than happy to corral the traditions of Christmas and any other jolly festivities that circle around the globe a few days sooner or later. After all they [...]
A Pretty Nice Little Town Baie-D'Urfé is a pretty nice little town to spend time in. This evening the Citizens' Association coordinated a switching on of the lights event focused on a gorgeous Winter Tree set up in the Fritz Park bandstand. In the past week several of our neighbouring towns have [...]
A couple of weeks ago a knowledgeable friend (thanks Ron) drew my attention to a tall and mature Cottonwood tree growing beside the local cemetery. Way, way up high he said “it looks like there is a birch tree growing out of a crack or fork in the main trunk”. Finally we got [...]
The clacks went back this weekend ... darker afternoons for all.