Another Tryst With Nature
The Winter Equinox has suddenly turned the season from a daily raging beast to a welcome friend. Gone the icy temperatures, the gusting winds, the frigid atmosphere making the season seem unreasonably hostile. We're now enjoying the tail end of a December we're very much pleased with.
Snow continues unabated, falling, if not quite every day, then every-other day. The snowpack continues to mount.
But with ambient temperatures reaching kindly highs just hovering above the freezing mark, we're enjoying winter so much more, thank you so very much. All the more so that we no longer have to burden our little dogs with boots when we venture into the ravine for a day's jaunt.
Coats yes, but boots, forget it. Their tender tiny paws are able to withstand this kind of cold.
Today as we ascended, the rubber-ducky calls of a close-by nuthatch greeted us.
And soon enough, two middling-sized dogs of our acquaintance ran up to greet us, to be followed by a familiar figure, a neighbour who lives down our street. Suzanne was well bundled for her walk. No longer having a dog of her own, she walks a neighbour's regularly. And on this occasion also had another, staying with her for a week in the absence of its owners.
Good soul, she. Her husband, she responds, is recovering well, starting to get about, but not exactly full of energy. As indeed he hasn't been for the last 7 years or so. He's undergone some seriously invasive surgery. First for prostate cancer, after which he no longer ventured out into the ravine. Then triple bypass heart surgery, after which he no longer responds to emails.
We proceed on our way, the snow nicely sticking now, no longer as slick as it had been. And tamped down nicely once again, after yesterday's additional 7 cm of snow. With double that expected overnight, turning to freezing rain through the morning hours. Crows are in flight overhead and their distant cawing breaks the silence.
We stride over the new-packed trail, from time to time, ducking and dodging low sweeping conifer branches heavily laden with this fresh layer of snow.
Snow continues unabated, falling, if not quite every day, then every-other day. The snowpack continues to mount.
But with ambient temperatures reaching kindly highs just hovering above the freezing mark, we're enjoying winter so much more, thank you so very much. All the more so that we no longer have to burden our little dogs with boots when we venture into the ravine for a day's jaunt.
Coats yes, but boots, forget it. Their tender tiny paws are able to withstand this kind of cold.
Today as we ascended, the rubber-ducky calls of a close-by nuthatch greeted us.
And soon enough, two middling-sized dogs of our acquaintance ran up to greet us, to be followed by a familiar figure, a neighbour who lives down our street. Suzanne was well bundled for her walk. No longer having a dog of her own, she walks a neighbour's regularly. And on this occasion also had another, staying with her for a week in the absence of its owners.
Good soul, she. Her husband, she responds, is recovering well, starting to get about, but not exactly full of energy. As indeed he hasn't been for the last 7 years or so. He's undergone some seriously invasive surgery. First for prostate cancer, after which he no longer ventured out into the ravine. Then triple bypass heart surgery, after which he no longer responds to emails.
We proceed on our way, the snow nicely sticking now, no longer as slick as it had been. And tamped down nicely once again, after yesterday's additional 7 cm of snow. With double that expected overnight, turning to freezing rain through the morning hours. Crows are in flight overhead and their distant cawing breaks the silence.
We stride over the new-packed trail, from time to time, ducking and dodging low sweeping conifer branches heavily laden with this fresh layer of snow.
Labels: Perambulations
posted by Pieface @ 6:02 PM
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