Winter Wonderland

The heavy fog and hoar frost continue and it has certainly transformed the landscape into a winter wonderland once again!  Hmm ... its beginning to look a lot like Christmas!  

Winter ...

If you stand still outside you can hear it... Winter’s footsteps

 ~Animal Crossing:

Although the calendar still says "Autumn" ... it never fails that in November, we can usually hear and see "Winter's Footsteps!" 

The Thick of It

A fresh -13C this morning along with a thick fog that lingered most of the morning left a landscape covered in hoar frost!  The question is ... will it be our last?

Fingers crossed ... I think the temperatures are supposed to climb!  Besides, 'winter-white' was so 'last season!  LOL!  

Ready

The bird houses and nests sit empty and quiet but SOON, at least I hope, our song birds will return.  I spotted a few Starlings yesterday and today.  Not that they are a favourite by any means but seeing them is usually a sign of more birds to come.  Our weather has been beautiful and I am ready for Spring Migration!  

Setting Sun

To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to 

be hopelessly in love with spring. 

~George Santayana

I must say, I do love the changing of the seasons and I am thankful for 4 seasons!  Although ... after this LONG winter, I just might be hopelessly in love with SPRING!  Only 8 more days until Spring officially arrives and likely another month before we can bid winter farewell!  ;)  

Waning Love

Oh sweet Husqvarna, how I love you so!  We've been together all winter long but as these winter days drag on, I dream of spring days and hope for some "seasonal separation!"  Who's counting down the days till Spring?  I know I am!

Winter Woods

It felt like an abstract day ... Trembling Aspen abstract!  

COLD!

There is nothing quite like a -33C morning to make you take note of the 'fresh air!'  

Two Days

Saturday, February 22, 2014:

COLD!!!

Flat light, low fog, flurries off and on and the return of subzero temperatures!!

It makes staying in and getting up EARLY to watch the Men's Olympic Hockey Final AOK!

Go Canada Go!  

Congratulations to all of our Canadian Olympic Athletes!

Sunday, February 23, 2014:

What's not to love about the twilight hour?

Shut Out

Hidden ... well, he/she just didn't really want its picture taken!  The owl shut me out!  Fear not I say, the story is the aurora will dance tonight!  

Oh and did they dance ... but NO ... NOT HERE!  The clouds shut me out!  This is just one of the aurora images I took back in July!  Yes, its been 7 long months since I saw the aurora borealis put on a big ole' night show!  Perhaps, one of these days I won't be 'shut out!'  

Happy Valentine's Day

This didn't turn out the way I wanted it to but best laid plans usually do go arwy when crunched for time!  However, there is always another day and besides ... the best part of my day was spending Valentines with my family!  I love 'em to bits! ❤ 

Hoping all of you had a great day surrounded by people you love!  

❤Happy Valentine's Day!❤

Warm Sunshine

Ah ... -9C and no wind really does feel like a warm day at the beach after -30C!  Well, perhaps not a day at the beach but it feels like a day closer to spring!  The horses were out sunning themselves out on the hilltops this afternoon!  

Monday Morning FROST

It was cold this morning at -30C once again!  However, the sun was shining, the frost was sparkling and it turned out to be a fairly gorgeous day!  You can't complain about that on a Monday!  

A Bit of Glow

Well, the skies cleared but the temperature plummeted!  I am certain the aurora borealis did a bit of a dance after I came in from the great outdoors but at -34C and extreme wind chill warnings of -40C and below ... this gal did not hang outside any longer than she had to!

Heifer Abstract

At a CRISP -30C this morning, it was a good thing there wasn't much for a breeze let alone wind!  Much like my cat these days, my enthusiasm to leave the comfort of our home and a burning fireplace has been a bit lacking!  With the exception of feeding livestock, this gal has been pressing her nose up to the windows and scanning the great outdoors from within!  However, during chore duty today I couldn't resist taking an abstract of this heifer as she too, stood soaking up the sun's warm rays.

Sometimes ....

Yes, sometimes the 'post your blog' wheels just fall off in the winter!  What can I say??  

Well ... this is what you missed.  

Thursday and Friday, January 30th and 31st, 2014:

A couple of days of sunshine, grey cloud, snow flurries and wind!

Saturday & Sunday, February 1st & 2nd, 2014:

Our boys were in a hockey tournament all weekend and their team made it to the A Final Sunday afternoon!  Such a great group of kids that truly skated their hearts out on the weekend.  

 

I couldn't resist one of my favourite barns and a quick snap out of the window on our way home from the tournament.  

Monday and Tuesday,  February 3rd and 4th, 2014:

The boys and I restocked the wood pile ... just in time for the arctic, blustery chill to return!   

Be Still ...

It's hard not to convulse with shivers when the temperature plummets from +6C down to -15C plus a nasty windchill!  Yes, the wind howled all night, the arctic deep freeze pushed our chinook to the wayside but we did wake to beautiful sunshine!  

Finished

After a morning hockey game, we returned home determined to help the boys finish their 2nd igloo!  We managed to 'transfer' a great deal of snow in a short time period but the end result was 'Igloo #2!'  Its amazing how 'wise' you become after building the first one and how much faster the second one can be built!  The boys are hoping to build an adjoining igloo to this one but I think we are going to have to wait for some fresh snow!

Icebergs and Igloos

Another balmy day with a high of +6C!  Yes, the snow was melting and the icebergs were beginning to flow ... on my sidewalk!  The perfect conditions for starting another igloo!  Haha!  Yes, the boys and I ventured to the top of our knoll and started making 'Igloo #2."  There is still potentially 2-3 months of winter left ... perhaps we will make an igloo village!  

We have the weekend to finish off this one!  Have a great one everyone!  

Frosty Abstracts

Hmm ... Old Man Winter returned with a bit of 'chilly bite' but after a dull grey morning, he dredged our world with frost!  As the afternoon breeze picked up, the atmosphere surrounding this old prairie was raining diamonds!  

Not exactly what I was hoping to accomplish but then explaining to the equine crew and having them execute my plan was somehow quashed and replaced with their own strategy!  That strategy involved raising their eyebrows and keeping their heads hung while basking in the sun!  Haha!  I can't blame them for that!