Season's Greetings

Winter Sunshine

Red-breasted Nuthatch
Our friendly Squirrel

Oregon Grape

Wishing you all the best of this Christmas season

"May peace be your gift at Christmas
and your blessing all year through."

~April~

Sky Watch - Cold Snap!

Tuesday morning.
I don't even consider opening
the door to the frosty air
until I have my coat on
with the zipper done right
up to my chin, woolen scarf
wrapped round, boots and gloves
hastily donned, hat pulled down
over my ears and forehead.

(for better viewing please enlarge photos)

I hurry down the driveway

to the road; my eyes
are immediately drawn
to a point on the horizon
where winter landscape
and sunrise converge
orange, gold, red fan out
the sky is ablaze,
it is minus 22C (-7.6F)!
when I turn back to the house
I notice that the birds have
come from their nighttime
roosts to gather in the trees
near the feeders
Grandmother moon
also waits above
until it is finally time
to relinquish the day
to the rising Sun.

To view more wonderful skies, please visit Sky Watch Friday. Many thanks to Klaus, Ivar, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy and Louise.

A Cold and Sunny Day

A.M.
This morning's weather:

glacial
-17C (1F) with

lots of bright sunshine

After breakfast I went to check
on the birds and to scatter
more sunflower seeds around.
The wind had picked up by then,
and there was no chance
of a walk down the road.

Pine Grosbeak, female
sitting in the sun

P.M.
I ventured out for a brisk walk
in the afternoon. It would have been
a shame to let all that brilliant
sunshine go to waste. But,
it WAS COLD!

my dog happily runs
ahead of me

coming back
I stop
to take this picture

Sky Watch - December Moon

A moonlit night. . .
we follow the familiar path
through the woods
the ice-encrusted snow
crunching with every step

(To see the lights please enlarge photo)

near the fence we stop
to breathe in the view
twin pinpricks of light
wink in the distance
one, a bright star
the other, a neighbour's
yard light

To view more wonderful skies please visit Sky Watch Friday. Many thanks to Klaus, Ivar, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy and Louise.

My World - A Snowy Day

We had another fresh snowfall last night. The temperature is about 5C. It is windy and cloudy - a good day for staying inside.

The mountain was looking quite pretty this morning
A male Pine Grosbeak perches high up in the branches of a poplar tree

Pine Grosbeak, female
One of the special delights of the Christmas season is getting out all the ornaments that have been packed away for the past year. These are some of my cross-stitch creations.

To participate or simply to view pictures from around the world please visit That's My World. Many thanks to Klaus, Ivar, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy and Louise.

Winter Residents

One of the Black-capped Chickadees takes a sunflower seed from a handful I had scattered on the snow-covered wood pile. If you click on the photo to enlarge it, you will be able to see the chickadee's tongue.

The little Red-breasted Nuthatch is here most days and is a delight to watch. *He is certainly outnumbered by the chickadees, but that does not bother the nuthatch at all. If a chickadee is in his space, he scolds with a short "pfft". He might even take an aggressive hop towards the chickadee causing the poor reluctant bird to fly off to a nearby perch and wait until the nuthatch has left.

This female Pine Grosbeak sits on a branch close to the bird feeders, looking very calm.

And a mischievous Red Squirrel has seen me and is about to turn and disappear through an opening in the stacked wood.


*I'm not positive that this is a male Red-breasted Nuthatch.

Sky Watch - The View on Monday

Waxing crescent moon and sunset

(for better viewing please click on photos)

If you would like to participate please visit the Sky Watch site. Many thanks to Klaus, Sandy, Ivar, Wren, Fishing Guy and Louise.

Today's Journal Entry

8:00 a.m. and it is -12C (10F)
we have been expecting the low temperatures
fog hides the mountain
poplars are white with hoarfrost
It brightens up somewhat as we drive
straight ahead a mare's tail in the sky
a few crows flying
4 or 5 ducks swimming together
in a creek not yet frozen over
have to slow down for a work crew
installing lamp standards
at an intersection on the highway
flag people and workers
bundled up against the chilly weather
we pass a billboard sign asking,
"Do You Dream in Green?"
probably I will be dreaming of springtime green
come February
the city is fogged in - impatient drivers
stores getting busy with the Christmas rush
festive looking though
notice Christmas trees are selling for $29.99
gas is 83.9/litre, slowly coming down
among other items
I buy my ingredients for making Stollen:
raisins, currants, almonds, candied lemon peel
I have the spices at home:
mace, cardamom, lemon and almond flavourings
when we drive by the Husky gas station
I glance over to read their sign
which usually says something funny or wise
today it is wise

Think of happy, not sad; Remember good, not bad.

My World - Sunbeams Today

It is beautiful and sunny on this first day of December in British Columbia's central interior. I took these pictures as I walked on the trail near my home with my little companion. It is so nice to see the sun again after all the gloomy weather we have had lately.

(please click on photos to enlarge)

The sunlight touched everyone and everything.
Sun and shadows
A sunny corner
Sunlit leaf on the icy snow

To participate please visit That's My World. Many thanks to Klaus, Ivar, Sandy, Wren, Fishing Guy and Louise.

The Lake

One week ago, Sunday

It was overcast when I stopped at the public access road to take a picture of the lake which had turned milky white from the freezing action. I noticed that someone else had been here testing the ice by throwing a couple of small rocks onto it. They didn't break the surface, but it is by no means safe to go out onto the ice yet.

This photo was taken from the bridge at the river channel. It is always the last bit of the lake to freeze.

There are still a few floating waterlily leaves in the water by the bridge. This stream stays open well into the winter, and it is where we can usually find the Bald Eagle perched looking for his or her supper.

Since taking these photos we have had some milder weather and rain as well. When we drove past the lake yesterday, there were puddles of water everywhere on the surface of the now glassy thin ice.