The sky has been clear and blue.  The sun has been creating water puddles everywhere.  It has been great for outdoor activities but the melt/freeze is creating havoc on my driveway.  

I don't like using chemicals or salt.  Kitty litter was the product of choice today to alleviate the skating rinks that have formed.  The clay absorbs the heat from the sun and in turn melts the ice around each granule.  It seems to be working so far.

I had some time after dealing with my driveway so decided to drive to Elk Island National Park for a hike and some fresh air.  There were a number of vehicles in the trail head parking lots today and a family was enjoying an outdoor picnic in the shelter at Astotin Lake.

The unseasonal temperatures have been a welcome blessing.  It is making up for the -30C days where I didn't make it outside.

The warmth has been responsible for creating sculptures in the snow on the surface of the beaver ponds.  The smooth icy top layer glistened in the sunshine.




On my journey through the forest, I stopped to photograph a favorite summer stop.  

Underneath all that snow lies my favorite decaying tree trunk. It is home to many different types of mosses and lichens.  The greens vary from neon to dark evergreen.  They will remain blanketed in white for a few more months.

It appears that tomorrow will be another warm day so I will try to break up more driveway ice and hopefully have the opportunity to take the snowshoes out for a longer outing.