Spring Walk

There are some signs of Spring. We had a couple of centimeters of snow last night and there were warnings on the radio that driving conditions were very poor.

When I went out, there was still ice on the sidewalks, so I stuck to the sunny side of the street where everything had pretty well melted.

in my yard there was a pair of pigeons, both male, in their fine colours. In the midst of that extremely dry grass were a few odd sprouts poking their noses up.

Black-billed Magpie with a poor set of feet, gathering nesting material

Buds are opening on some trees which brings me joy.

Not a lot, but I was happy to see anything after being cooped up so long after surgery and pneumonia. got a long way to go in recovery yet, but nature is pulling me outdoors, and that is a good thing.

I was offered an update to add room to my computer. Oh, what a mess. I have not room so thought I would put things on the cloud. It changed everything. I tried to upload photos from my camera and managed to do so but can’t find my files. It is all a big mess.

Winter’s Here!

I remember, when it was plus 12 before Christmas, thinking “oh, it’s going to be a rude awakening when the temperature drops.” The time has arrived and the temperature was -40 early this morning, when the celsius and fahrenheit scales meet. That is over a forty degree drop. Lots of ice fog, which is pretty. You can see the ice crystals in the air.

It would not surprise me to see see people gathering at the ice cream store next door. I thought they would switch to coffee in the winter months, but no, they only serve ice cream. Their hours are shortened, but they are still open for business.

Since I have not been so active the last few years, I have gained weight and outgrown my warm winter clothes. Reminds me to buy some new ones, at least warm-up pants. It is too cold to go out with my present wardrobe. I may check some stores online, so I am ready for the next deep freeze.

It is enjoyable to look out the window from my apartment and see the winter wonderland while sipping on a steaming hot chocolate. You are welcome to enjoy the view with me, but you’ll have to make your own coffee or cocoa.

Earlier in the morning when it was very foggy

Sunnier now, and the smoke from chimneys is hanging low.

Artic Freeze

Sure has changed, got some snow and the temp has dropped 50 degrees since before Christmas.

A Walk in the Woods

I went with a friend for a walk on a familiar trail that I had not walked on for a while. It is just a short drive and is on the perimeter of a park that is closed for 3 years for an overhaul. I was thinking of peaking into the park from the trail to see what they’ve done, but we chose a parallel trail closer to the river.

It felt like I was home. I know where the squirrels usually hang out, as well as the Chickadees. Plus, we had such a good visit with one another.

I held out my hand to the Chickadees, and a couple of them hovered but did not land. Still, it was a thrill to be so close and hear the flutter of their tiny wings.

I hope to get to the woods again before the snow flies. The weather is perfect for walking in nature.

Little Finds

I am confused with this new app switch from WordPress to Jetpack, and I am not ready for a change right now that is convenient for the site, but not for me, so I came back to my desk top to finish this post.

I went for a walk recently to take intimate photos in the area with my phone, and want to share them with you now.

I always think of publishing when I do not have as much time as I think, so this is short and sweet. I am in the middle of doing laundry.

Little Finds

Oooh, this is different. New site and I would rather make changes on my time. Sigh.

I went for a walk and captured images close by.

Maple

Snow!

Yes, it is the first day we had snow today. I enjoy seeing the white mixed with a bit of colour that is still on the bushes. The trees are mostly bare and a blah brown-grey, which helps to make the white stuff more welcome. I got outside to take some photos.

Cotoneaster bushes with berries and snow

The crabapples really stand out at this time of year

It is always a bit of a shock when one week it is a balmy 22 degrees then a week later it is -6. I felt the chill, but was prepared with the coats, boots, hats and gloves. I have cleats as well but the boots were good today. There was a sign on the door reminding us to “walk like a penguin.”

I am writing this on my WordPress account on my desktop, hope it shows up on Jetpack.

Joys of Technology

New to me is a smart phone that makes me feel pretty stupid. I figured how how to turn the device on but when I ordered something to be delivered last week, I did not know how to let the person into the building without cutting them off. I had to go downstairs and physically let them in.

When I had the telephone company call me, I had to press a number to let them on the line and could not figure out how to press the number on the keypad so could not get the call. Ironic, that was the problem that I was trying to get an answer to! I did return the call that showed on my phone and talked to an agent, who did not know how to help me, and we both agreed that the device did not meet my needs and abilities. Ha! In other words, I am too old to learn. Truth be told, I just need to be shown, rather than read, or listen to directions. It was a total pain in the ass!

I was “that close” to returning the phone but went to a nearby cafe and the owner, bless her, showed me how to make the necessary adjustments. It was very simple but I did not know what to do and those instructions were not in the owners manual.

Now I am in love with the phone again, and love taking good quality photos. More to come!

Featured

Pause for Reflection

Before I get back to reminiscing about my trip, I do want to say my heart felt prayers are for the evacuees in the Shuswap, B.C. area, Kelowna, B.C. and Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. People have arrived here in Edmonton and are getting free admission to some entertainment venues, free tickets to football games, (and they are winning!) lodging at the Expo Center which includes meals and a pet daycare. I saw on TV that our guests got gas from tankers and stations along the way, some for free, and once in Alberta, are appreciating the accommodation, reassurance and hugs, too. Anything to reduce the stress. St. Albert’s evacuation center, with a capacity for 600 evacuees, is full and Leduc saw 732 evacuees and reached capacity. People who own farms have opened their land for campers for free and evacuees are also staying with family members and other places in NWT or Saskatchewan, maybe B.C. and who knows where. I saw a map of the fires burning in B.C. and the whole map of the province is dotted with fires. At first part of our Expo center wasn’t open because of renovations, but that changed real fast and it was soon open for up to 3,000 and will have room for up to 5,000. Edmonton Expo Center also has a pet daycare. About 40,000 plus people have been displaced by these 3-4 fires (and there are many more burning).

I could not continue a post about my vacation without pausing to think about, and pray for those affected. I followed up with a monetary donation, as well. I am aware of many more disasters outside my community and wish all well. Take care of each other.

A Little Adventure

Some of you remember that I cancelled a trip in July because none of the plans came together. I had a chance to visit a friend in Radium Hot Springs, British Columbia. I arranged for a car rental right from Edmonton and after a few wrong turns and staying in an unplanned place because I was just too tired to go as far as I planned, I am now here. There was the usual last minute rush, a couple of surprises with the car, including some changes that were made, more driving than I am used to, or prefer, but I made it.

It is extremely smokey, as there are fires in the area, and there was smoke for miles and so I wear a mask a lot and take precautions, like spending time indoors and short walks to grab some photos.

Here is a picture of the beautiful scenery, although the mountains are obscurred.I did stop for pictures along the way, which will be shared at the end of the trip.