How Long?!

Snow arrived early this past winter.... 

Now there's a lot of it - packed down. Some of it has already melted.

Yesterday I took a few pictures. 

The forecast is for rain and warmer weather. How long will it take for all this to disappear, I'm curious to know.

First Signs of Spring!

As I look out the window at a warmer, stronger sun - and anticipate spring "just around the corner"...

Terry points out his own first sign of spring: 

Look! A spider!

There it is, on the living room ceiling... Another sure sign that bugs are soon to appear!

February's Calendar

I'm so thankful to Anne - for teaching me about phenology calendars. I started noting outdoor weather changes - and how they affected my immediate world - in January 2025. It's my diary of weather, the sky, and how I spent my day.

A year later - I'm still going strong, though I've changed formats a bit. I started out with a monthly phenology wheel - but the segments were tiny to work within.

February's phenology calendar was a joy!

I think I've found my style...

I especially enjoyed trying to capture the colour of each day's sky.

Next month's daily squares will have to be smaller - since there will be an extra half week! 

Noticing and noting help me remember! 

Not the Tundra...

Terry and I were passing by the airport yesterday, when I noticed this helicopter.

Not sure whether it was landing or taking off...

I don't see helicopters this close very often ... so I snapped a picture.

Later, when I looked at it, the scene reminded me of the barren north. But no, it's not the tundra - it was taken right here... 

February Ends on a Warm Note

After a snowy, cold month, the last day of February was surprisingly warm.

Ice and snow were melting!

There's lots of snow to melt.

Hope these trends continue... I'm ready for spring!

Birthday Memory

I have a winter birthday... so I'm always looking for fun INDOOR things to do with EVERYONE in the family.

Last year, we all went 5-pin bowling together... It was fun (though I scored very poorly)! I haven't bowled in decades! Every time it was my turn, I asked my grandson to roll my first ball using this dinosaur helper. That way I always got at least one pin down!

Terry and the other adults did really well! I was on the kids' team - and my grandkids were better than me! Never mind! We all had fun!

After that we headed to the community pool to watch Ivy have her swimming lesson.

Then - dinner out... and ice cream cake for dessert!

A beautiful, joyful day! 

Family, fun and food make for a wonderful celebration - anytime - not just on birthdays!

Winter Masterpieces

As winter disappears, making way for spring...

I want to remember the beauty of this past winter's gifts...

Amazing snow sculptures - created by blowing wind in "just the right" sticky conditions...

And giant icicles created by freeze and thaw - and an uninsulated roof!

Beautiful - and sometimes dangerous - art!

But my favourite winter "art" is colourful sky - when it surprises me at dawn and dusk... in an otherwise drab-coloured world.

Astounding beauty that feeds my soul!