Is that earth I see?

The weather has remained remarkably warm for this time of year and this place.  Up here on the mountain it has dared to reach so high as 38 degrees but 10 miles away it has been as warm as 42! The snow has begun to reveal things known as rocks and even MUD!

The heavy over-cast has made it a very grey day and the camera was having a hard time with the light.  Lumix and I debated about how to deal with it.  On some it worked but on others not so much.

It was so nice out that James and  decided to go do a photo scavenger hunt and set off.  The idea was to take as many pictures as possible and each of us make a list of five when we got home, then see if we had pictures to cover each others list plus our own.

We had just not gotten down to the creek when James discovered his phone, (he opted to take that for pics over the camera) had gone dead.

Instead he decided to play with the dogs while I tried to take pictures in the dusk light.

At 5:30 the light was low enough it was very difficult to get good focus.

We headed back up the mountain towards home.

Wet with the snow and the creek my reaction to Thor when he came inside was “oh good Lord dog, you stink!”

“Oh yes, he does!  he is a stinky puppy but he’s MY stinky puppy!” James says laying down on the floor with him.  He must really love that dog to think Thor as a pillow is worth the stink up the nose.

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James (Oz) turned 13

The plan had been for sledding and hot coco, but with sleds in hand we discovered that the 6 inches of new snow was too soft.  We sank in and went nowhere.  Discarding that plan idea for another we wandered off to make a new one.

Oz thought it quite fun to try and knock snow off the trees onto his mother, and if not me then the dog.

After a few near misses we decided maybe we should hike up and see if we could find a better spot to sled, something much steeper where soft snow would be a benefit not a game ender.

We both discovered that we had out cell phones in our coat pockets… bad idea when sledding, shame on us both,… and thought it might be fun to see if we hiked all the way up to the top if we picked up any service.

Oz took the led and we headed straight up a very steep slope.  Knee deep and having to hold onto trees to keep from sliding and crashing backwards we hiked, and hiked and … crawled is a better word… up the mountain.

Soaked and starting to feel the strain in the claves Oz decided it was time to head back down besides, cake was waiting! Of course his method, which I advise against especially if you are alone or not in your own back yard, was straight down!

He learned that there is a lot of hidden ‘treasures’ in the snow, and not all of them feel so great when you slide over them.

If you look real close you can spot the Little Cabin

At the bottom snow angels were attempted but of course Thor thought Pounce a more fun.

and of course more snow had to come down.

A change of clothes, dry socks and a bit of standing near the fireplace and the presents and cake came out.  As we are a board game kid of family I had to fill in a few gaps, Clue and Monopoly had too be added to the basics. The games ensued.

For the first time ever I was the first one out, but Oz and Shane played for hours.  Heading to bed Oz flopped down and before falling asleep… almost at once… he said “thanks, mom, that was a fun day.” What a great way to end the day.

Walk to the Creek

Oz convinced me this morning, because its warmer now at 20°, to go for a walk with him down to the creek.  It might say 20° at the house but it is much colder down by the water.  The sun is far behind the mountain so deep in the valley so the creek is cast in a chilled twilight.

The frost in the shadows here builds up nightly,  making some rather fantastic creations.

Once under the cedars and next to the creek it felt as if the temperature dropped even further than is was just in the mountains shadow.

As expected the first thing to happen was the boy and the dogs went skidding across the ice.

Only then did they set to exploring.

Most all of the creek  is frozen over.  Only a few pockets remain open.

This hole stayed open last winter until it was nearly -40°.

At this point my camera was getting cold it enough it kept an error reading.  I managed to get a few more shots before heading back up the mountain to the Little Cabin and the fire place.

From Snow to Cold

Yesterday the snow arrived.  It wasn’t too cold, just a tad chilly at 20 degrees, but as often happens when winter arrives it does so with a sudden sharpness that can cause even experienced mountain dwellers to shudder and stay inside.

Warm in the cabin with sun gloriously streaming in through the windows I thought it would be a great day for a hike, to get the new snow, the sun and the blue sky but once outside the hike was decidedly short and back inside I went.

I snapped a few pictures and ducked back inside to make tea.  I was just getting settled to do edits on Through the Barrier, (something  have been putting off) when the Snoring Bear aka the Virgo #2 came asking if I could help him.

Down in the shadow of the mountain the skirting has not gone back up on his 5th wheel since he moved it from one side of the yard to the other a couple of months ago.  While my Little Cabin was still in the sun shine, be it heavily blocked by the trees that have not yet been thinned, he was well in the shade.

Part of being partners in such an endeavour is that one persons needs are the needs of all.  So down the mountain I went.  We worked on thawing the drain lines and then waited for the foam board to arrive.  (virgo #3 had gone to go pick it up) Unfortunately, it had not arrived when he had to go to work so with a look that bagged for help, he said, ‘if you get inspired feel free to work on it.’

On my walk down the road to his place I found two dropped treasures that are not from anywhere within a mile.  I wonder who dropped them and where they came from.

So for the last hour, I have been outside, the temperature steadily falling, working on the skirting.

My fingers and toes a bit on the frozen side I decided to needed to come in, warm up and most my pictures from earlier today.   Maybe tonight, or tomorrow I will post a few of the work I get done before the sun sets.

January Walk

The clouds lifted and left the sky clear blue. Thin beams of light came past the road and into the yard itself but above the mountain was bathed in glorious sunshine. I grabbed a camera and headed up,

Laving the denser forest I reached an area where the trees had been cleared in time past, offering a wonderful area of brush, bush and grasses.

Higher up the sun was full, lifting over the mountain. My coat came off. I turned my face to the sun and just soaked it in. The human body, the very chemicals of our skin and brain require the sun. With the knowledge I stood listening to the birds I had not heard yet this winter, sharing in the gratitude for the break in the weather and the chance to just Be there.

The snow was gone, replaced with mud. I found an old stump and just sat. The spring was moving enough that even where I sat I hear it trickling over the little water fall. I stayed with no sound beyond the water, the birds and further up the mountain the dog dashing about. No cars, no neighbours, no engines of any kind. I should have brought a folding chair. The stump was wet and eventually I had to head back down, but not beore I took another shot.

Heading back down it was hard to leave the private moment of spring time above for the crisp cold below. This time of year is hard on plants an animals as it tricks them into thinking it is spring but its not. We are still in winter and the coldest months are yet to come. The chance to feel the sun is wonderful but I whisper to the trees to the stay sleeping, its not time yet. Soon, but not yet.