Despite a foot or more of snow being on the ground and still some flurries around noon today, it is gradually thinning and even revealed a solitary snowdrop yesterday? We could still have a late March dump but it won't usually stay for long. Today was our penultimate visit this year to the [...]
Still all of March to get through before the gardening season can even be contemplated - other, that is, apart from sowing some seeds in a couple of weeks. Lots of snow on the ground. But there are things for the gardener to appreciate for all that, amongst which are buds with [...]
Not as cold this morning as anticipated, maybe -5C with a bit if wind but by tomorrow morning we are looking at -25C and with windchill an effect -35C to -40C which will give even hardy souls like us pause for thought before going out. Even with good snowshoes this was a hefty [...]
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 [...]
Thursday morning at this time of the year means we put on the snowshoes and go tramping ... looking for birds along the way, of course. Here are some of the regulars. Especially amused by the Cardinal looking longingly at the squirrel's snack. Rather less amused by the hanging squirrel that somehow [...]
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 [...]
This post is really about interesting atmospheric conditions but birds do creep in, inevitably. Every year we do “our” route in the annual Christmas Bird Count centred on Hudson in Quebec, just west of Montreal. We have been censusing birds on this same route for at least 20 years now - it isn’t [...]
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 [...]
Today is the Winter Solstice ... From this day onwards the daylight hours will start to lengthen and we can know that spring is coming, even if not quite yet. We celebrate Christmas along with everyone else as we have done for seven decades and more, but this is the day that [...]