There goes the lettuce. Three days ago it was +13C and I was sitting in the sun on the deck. I noticed a spot where the snow had melted and black soil was showing through. The lettuce from last year re-seeded itself and was almost an inch tall. Today it is -16C and an inch of snow covers the spot on the deck and the lettuce. On Friday I was sitting in short sleeves. Today I won't be sitting outside at all.

I'm watching the weather for later this week. I have an extra day off and plan on spending it outside. I shared an article yesterday about how hiking changes our brain. It is so true.

I get four weeks of vacation time each year in addition to some overtime that I usually bank. I use the time by adding an extra day or two to a weekend. This allows me a mental 'break' from the phones and computer screen more often. It is a regular time to re-charge. Why take vacation days all at once or a week at a time? By extending my weekend, I have mental health days more often and have something to look forward to every couple of weeks.

I make sure that all the household errands and chores are done prior to the time off so I can maximize my

outdoor time. If it is winter, I take out the skis, snowshoes or kicksled. In spring, summer and fall I garden, camp, hike and ride my bike; anything to be outside.

I make each outdoor moment count. I become immersed in the surroundings; the smell of forest, the sound of the wind, the bird calls, the natural colors, the wildlife around me. There is no thinking about what is sitting on my desk or what needs to be done when I return.

As I walk I take in the little things; a ladybug on a leaf or the morning dew shimmering on the foliage. There is nothing too small to notice. It makes me think about how we are only a small, small part of a great big world.

On the way to my favorite camping spot in David Thompson country, the first sight of the mountains still excites me. I feel myself driving a little faster so I get there quicker. My eyes drift back and forth from ditch to ditch, watching for wildlife in the area. When I get there and have camp

set up, I am content to pull the camp chair up to the fire and close my eyes. The smell of wet pine needles and mossy earth is the best aromatherapy ever. I block everything else out.

I have a new toy on the way. It will give me another opportunity to spend time outside. It should be here in a week. Stay tuned.

For the people that don't enjoy camping, that's okay. Take the time to go for a walk. There are many areas that have trails to enjoy, some of them paved so you don't get your shoes dirty. Turn off the mobile devices and turn on your senses. Think about your surroundings and the little things instead of the chores waiting for you at home or the stack of paper on your desk at work. It will be waiting for you when you get back. In fact, you'll probably get things done more quickly because of your 'mental health break' in the woods.

 

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While listening to a gardening show on the radio this morning, I realized that I was not the only person wondering what will happen to all the trees/shrubs that are budding and sprouting in February.

The sea buckthorn that I planted in the yard last year has leaves that are a half inch long. The seedlings were only about 8 inches tall when they were planted last spring. They grew to more than 2 feet in one season. I was so excited with their rapid growth but after seeing their leaves popping in February, I can only hope that they will survive.

I noticed the pussy willows in full bloom at Elk Island yesterday. On the drive back, I paid more attention to the willow thickets along the roadside. In years past at Easter, I would stop and snip a couple of branches to stick into table arrangements. At this rate, there won't be any pussy willows at Easter.

In addition to the trees taking a beating from the weather, the animals are also doing a number to the branches and trunks.

Just beyond the admission booth at Elk Island, many of the willow branches have been stripped bare of their bark. The porcupines have been busy. Every time I see their handiwork, I marvel at how they can actually accomplish what they do. Why don't the thin branches bend under the porcupine's weight?

Last fall the beavers were busy along the first boardwalk on the Amisk Wuche trail. They chewed through the tree trunks, leaving the tree holding on by less than a quarter of its original thickness. With the gusty winds over the past couple of weeks, the parks staff were kept busy with clearing the fallen timber. It didn't take much for them to snap off like a toothpick. Some of the trunks looked to be recently chewed. Could the beavers have found their way out from under the ice?

Today, it appears that February is the new March. Will all the snow that we should have had, come in March? Will we have rain instead? I sure hope that we get one of the two for the sake of all my recently planted shrubs and trees.

 

 

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The official recorded temperature for yesterday was +13.5C. My outdoor time on the deck in the sunshine, left me with a rosy glow today. The sun really did a number to what little snow was left on the trails. That, in addition to the rain that fell overnight, melted just about everything. All the adult ski lessons at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre have been cancelled. No more x-country skiing unless we get a big dump of snow.

I ventured to Elk Island National Park this morning to see what the trail conditions were like. My favorite Amisk Wuche Trail had sections with lots of snow, sections with no snow and sections with lots of ice. No walking without cleats today. There was a family that started out before I did and they turned around and came back. Everyone was slip sliding away.

A breeze began to blow while I was on the trail. The tall trees creaked as they swayed in the wind. The withered leaves of the cat tails rustled. The crows flying overhead got caught in some gusts making it difficult to move forward.

I didn't see or hear any other birds this morning. There were lots of new woodpecker holes in the snags along the trail but no sight of the birds themselves.

The squirrels didn't like me wandering through their territory. I did get a scolding from them as I walked by a couple of their middens.

I stopped by Astotin Lake to see if anybody was skating. Nobody was out there yet but a few people were headed in the direction of the skating oval. There is still a bit of snow on the lake surface. I could probably take the kicksled out a couple more times as long as the lake ice holds out.

My timing was perfect today. As I was leaving the park, a number of vehicles were headed in. I like to visit the trails early in the day while it is quiet. When the trails get busier there is less chance of hearing the sounds of the forest. The sound of nature is music to my ears, even if it happens to be a chattering squirrel. 

 

 

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It is February 26 and +13C outside. There is not a cloud in the sky. The sun is shining brightly. There is something wrong with this picture.

I'm not complaining about the sunshine; especially after my last day off from work being on Feb 17. I've missed more than a week of outdoor time. I set my lawn chair on the back deck, grabbed a coffee and a book and enjoyed the warmth for about an hour.

It felt good to spend some time outside again even if it was on the deck. I put my head back and closed my eyes. Water dripped off the roof tops from snow that was melting. I could hear the chickadees land and chirp in the feeder beside me. The train whistle echoed from the crossing at the other end of the lake. When I opened my eyes, there was a surprise in the yard.

 

My deer friends came for a daytime visit. They too were out enjoying the sunshine. Seven of them filed into the yard. I stood up to watch. They didn't mind my presence and continued their trek through what little snow is left.

I put my boots on and took a tour of the yard. A patch of garden soil was showing. Leaf lettuce was growing! What is happening? Who has leaf lettuce growing in central Alberta on February 26? Can stranger things happen?

I'm not going to ponder this now. I'm going to enjoy the rest of afternoon in the fresh air.

 

 

The longer daylight hours have provided more opportunity to see the four legged friends that have been visiting the backyard under the cover of darkness.  My deer friends arrive at almost the same time everyday.  They make the rounds of the neighborhood; raiding bird feeders.

There is a group of six that travel together.  I saw them in the trees a couple of days ago and knew they were on their way to my yard.  Not long after seeing them, they ducked under the bottom string of barbed wire and filed into the yard one behind the other.  
 
They toured the yard; emptying all the feeders and then came to the water puddles close to the house. All were fed and watered within thirty minutes and were off again to the next yard.

What fun it is to watch them in action.  I was standing at the corner of my garage just a short distance from theses beauties.  They glanced up at me, appeared to realize that they were in no harm and continued doing what they came to do.  

I signed up for the Great Backyard Bird Count that took place last weekend.  I thought it would be easy to count the number of birds at the tray feeder on my deck.  When I have coffee in the morning I watch the action there so I thought I would record the number of visitors.  It turned out to be no easy feat.

The pad of paper and pen were handy.  The coffee was hot.  I decided to record visits for a half hour.  At the end of the time limit my coffee was cold and untouched.  I couldn't keep up with the redpoll tally.  

A couple of weeks ago I thought the redpolls were gone but the shelled sunflower seeds in the tray feeder acted like a magnet.  They came from every direction possible.  It was a flurry of activity until the blue jays came.  When the jays left, the redpolls were back.  In thirty minutes, I counted 85 visits to the feeder.  There were a few chickadees and a couple nuthatches that managed to grab a few seeds but for the most part the little finches stole the show. 




 

The four inches of fresh snow that fell a week ago is long gone.  The ski trails at the Cooking Lake - Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area have bare patches where it is not icy.  The conditions for skiing are not good but they are ideal for the kicksled.

When I went to the trails yesterday, there was one other vehicle in the parking lot.  That is my favorite type of outing; when I'm alone in the woods.

I packed up my backpack and attached it to the handlebars on the sled and put the ice cleats on my boots.

The trails were perfect for the kicksled.  With the icy surface, I got more glide for the stride.  I moved forward further with each kick.  It was a fantastic day to be outside.  The sky was blue and the sun was shining.

Just before getting back to the parking lot, I met up with two ladies.  They were just heading out for a hike but they stopped for a chat.  Their first question was ' What is that thing?'  I get that a lot.  I got to show them how everything worked and they agreed that it was another fun activity to do in winter.  We finished our chat and both said they were going to watch as I headed back to the parking lot so they could see how the sled worked.  I was just hoping that I wouldn't wipe out!

Back in the parking lot, a couple of park staff were replenishing the firewood.  They watched as I removed my backpack, folded the sled down and stored it inside my vehicle.  I could tell that they too had never seen a kicksled before.

I wasn't ready to go home just yet so I drove to Elk Island National Park to check out the skating oval.  It had been cleaned off but was pretty rutted.  That didn't stop me from taking the sled onto the ice to give it a try.  I figured it would take even less effort to move forward on the ice than it did on the icy ski trails.

What fun it was!  It was safer to go out with the sled than with skates on.  I left the plastic runners on.  I had read that they should be removed to move across the ice but keeping them on worked great.  That could have been due to the rutted surface.  

The sun reflected off the smoother sections of ice.  I was the only person out on the lake.  The loop goes around Archer Island and back.  I could see a few dog-walkers stop to watch me glide along.

I love using the kicksled.  I can hold onto the handles and walk behind it, giving me some extra stability on the hard crusted, uphill surfaces.  I can kick and glide on the straight sections and ride on the runners where the trail goes downhill.  If there are no spots to sit to enjoy a view or take a rest break, there is a seat that travels with me.

I saw a newscast a couple of years ago about some family activities that the City of Edmonton was promoting.  During the report, a video of someone using a kicksled caught my eye.  That made me search the internet to try to find out more information on it.  When I found out that they were available locally, I had to have one.  There's been no turning back since then; just a lot of kicking and gliding.

The sled is great for all ages and abilities.  It provides another means of enjoying the winter season.  Some people harness their dogs to the sleds.  I don't have one and prefer to kick and glide by my own power.  

If anyone wants to try them out before making a purchase, they can be rented from the company that sells them in this area.  Check it out.  It's another fun way to spend a beautiful winter day!

http://www.kicksledalberta.com/

 

I had some fun-filled time off; so much so that there was no time for daily posts!  The weather cooperated so my grand-daughters and I could enjoy the warm temperatures and fresh air.  

Most of our time was spent at the outdoor ice rinks.  There are two snowbank rinks within minutes of my home and another that has been cleared on Astotin Lake at Elk Island National Park.  We made the rounds and tried out all three.

The day that we visited the local rink at the elementary school, the wind was warm but gusting.  The girls would start at one end of the rink, put their arms out and let the wind push them across the ice so they could land in the snowbank at the opposite end.  They picked up some pretty good speed by the time they reached the halfway point.

The rink at the Cooking Lake - Blackfoot Recreation area had some snow on it but that didn't stop the girls from having fun playing freeze tag.

This is the first year that we tried skating at Elk Island.  It is only the last couple of years that there has actually been an area cleared for skating.  This time an area is cleared off for anyone wishing to bring out the hockey sticks and a 'path' is cleared to skate around Archer Island and back.  The ice conditions were great and our timing was perfect; as we were leaving a number of vehicles full of skaters arrived.  The park staff have placed a fire barrel with wood close to the shore and moved picnic tables around it for visitors to enjoy.

It was great to see so many people enjoying the outdoors as much as we did!

 

What a difference a day makes!  Hooray!  It snowed.  My deck was covered with about 5 inches of fluffy white flakes this morning.  It covered the tray bird feeders with marshmallow-looking caps.  There was no chance for the little chickadees and red polls to get at the seed.

I scooped the snow out and added more seed.  It didn't take long for my feathered friends to swoop down from the tree tops.  A pileated woodpecker decided to check the feeder out.  The little birds scattered pretty quickly when that big guy came in for a landing.
 
I was pretty excited to see that nice layer of snow on the ground.  We needed more snow for the moisture but I needed it more for the outdoor fun that I'm going to have when my grand-daughters come for a sleepover this weekend.

 

I signed up online to submit bird observations for my backyard.  Reports for three days have been submitted so far.  This has made me realize that my favorite winter birds are slowly moving on.

One lonely pine grosbeak sang from a tall tree.  There used to be about ten of them.  The two dozen common redpolls that have been emptying the tray feeder are now less than ten in number.  I loved watching all their action outside my window.

I didn't want to believe that winter is almost over.  My favorite little winter birds are leaving but it means that my favorite little summer birds are not far behind.  I'll be waiting anxiously for the ruby throated hummingbirds to return.


The snow on the ski trails is almost gone.  The roads are dry, bare and covered in sand and grit.  My driveway is covered in a layer of ice that I have been trying to 'tame' with kitty litter.  I'm hoping that some snow will still arrive.  Maybe all the old snow will melt off making way for a fresh layer to play in.  I'm not ready to put the skis away but if gardening season happens to come early, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

The drive to work yesterday was littered with debris; the aftermath of the wind gusts the day before.  Most downed trees were old and partly decayed but there were some healthy ones that were snapped off like a toothpick.  

The wind combined with the warm temperatures of late have melted much of the remaining snow.  What is left is icy and treacherous.  The annual Birkebeiner Ski Festival has been cancelled.  There are areas where the ski trails are bare. 

The Strathcona Wilderness Centre trails are also taking a hit.  They are more sheltered than those of the Cooking Lake - Blackfoot Recreation Area but the areas out in the open are bare as well.  This mild winter has not been kind to the x-country ski enthusiasts.

I think I blinked and missed winter this year.  In town, joggers wearing shorts were out on the sidewalks.  There was action galore at the skatepark.  Who would have thought that the scooters and bmx bikes would be dusted off and in use on February 7?

I have a few days off coming up soon.  My hope was to spend some time snowshoeing and x-country skiing.  Looks like I need some alternate plans.

I gave up trying to post after the power flickered off for the third time last night.  This is year 14 of living where I do and I have never experienced wind gusts like those happening yesterday.  I was expecting my siding and shingles to be in the bush behind my house.

This morning I had to push the back door open.  The wind knocked over the broom and snow shovel in front of the door.  The covered stand that holds my firewood on the deck was blown over.  The little deck table was moved over about three feet.  The birds seed from the tray feeder was spread all over the deck.

When I finally made it down the steps, I inspected the rest of the yard.  The wind pruned branches from the willows next door.  They are now

on the ground in my yard.  There are numerous branches in my eave troughs.  The dead poplar in the neighbor's yard is minus some branches.  Some of them were on my deck and some are still on my roof.  That was most likely the cause of the power flickers last night.  The line runs right beside that tree.

I went out yesterday morning only to feed the birds and the cat.  The wind howled the entire day and part of the evening so I spent the day reading garden magazines, watching the birds try to make it to the feeder and setting myself up on ebird to begin participating on backyard bird counts. 

The weather reports said that the gusts here were over 90kmph.  I can't imagine what it is like for those living in areas where gusts such as these are common.  

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The morning began with a beautiful sunrise.  I love that my kitchen faces east.  I can sit at the table with a coffee and watch the brilliant colors appear between the trees.  The colorful dawn did not disappoint.

All the backyard critters must have known that my afternoon was going to be spent in the basement.  They showed up while I ate lunch at the kitchen table.

The nuthatches arrived first.  They are usually skittish when they land at the feeder.  The smallest movement through the window causes them to fly away; except for today.  One of them stayed put and entertained me by sorting through the nut feast that I put out earlier in the day.

The deer showed up shortly after.  This was the first time in weeks that they showed up in daylight hours.  Their visit is usually under the cover of darkness but four of them stopped in for a quick tour of the yard around noon.  They are looking healthy and have grown a lot through the winter months.  

I'm trying to get the indoor tasks completed before my full week off so I can take advantage of the warm temperatures and sunshine.  
 

On the drive home today, the talk show hosts on the radio were discussing squirrels.  Their conversation brought back memories and made me laugh.  One of them witnessed an aggressive squirrel chasing a crow round and round a tree.  The crow had grabbed food from the squirrel and was not about to give it back.  The radio host described how the crow eventually flew up into a tree and the squirrel followed it.

The conversation lead to talk of feeding the squirrel.  This in turn encouraged people to call and text into the show with their squirrel horror stories.  On fellow spoke of a squirrel getting into the cabin of his boat.  The boat owner filled 10 garbage bags with pine cones.  This conversation brought back memories of my own.

A squirrel got into my garage.  It chewed through the wood floor and got up into the attic.  When I contacted the county pest control department, they told me that I had to get rid of their food store.  This meant that I had to crawl into the attic.

I found a large 'ball' of chewed up pink insulation.  In the middle of the ball was a winter's worth of dried mushrooms, peanuts, sunflower seeds and whatever else that little rodent could haul up there.  I filled 4 large garbage bags full of insulation bits.  That did the trick.  It did not return.

For days after that, I found more stores in the garage.  There were dried mushrooms in the bindings of my snowshoes and behind the wreath hanging on the wall.  The birdhouse hanging on the exterior wall was full of mushrooms.

The squirrels in the backyard are entertaining to watch but can be very destructive.

The groundhog predicted an early spring.  I have my own indications.  The deer that were frequenting my yard daily through the winter, now come only a couple times a week.  It is easier for them to access their natural food sources since the depth of the snow in the forest has decreased.

My bird feeders are still being frequented by the redpolls but the grosbeaks have not been here since January 25.

The number of daylight hours is increasing.  It is so nice to drive home while it is light out and still have a couple of hours before the sun goes down.

I stepped onto the deck this afternoon and heard a chorus. The little chickadees were singing in the willow next door and the pileated woodpecker called from the top of a snag.

Last weekend on my travels to Fernie I saw flocks of Canada Geese feeding in the fields.

The warm temperatures have caused the snow on my metal garage roof to 'avalanche' to the ground.

I'm not a groundhog but based on my observations, spring will soon be here.

It is getting very noticeable that the daylight hours are getting longer.  Today was Groundhog Day and according to the friendly rodent, spring is coming early.  Spring?  We have had springlike temperatures throughout winter.  The pussywillows have been open for a couple of months now.  In my opinion, there really was no winter.

The effects of my weekend away in the snow have not worn off.  This was the second day that I was back at work and I caught myself glancing over my left shoulder with the hope that I would see mountains on the horizon as I drove into town.  Silly me.

That drive north on HWY 22, the Cowboy Trail, left me wanting more.  That glimpse of the Rocky Mountains beyond the rolling hills was just enough to keep me thinking of when the next drive will be.  The trip down that highway is like no other that I've been on.

There is open, rolling ranch land that leads into the foothills below the majestic Rocky Mountains.  Cattle

dotted the country side.  Ranch homes were spread sparsely along the way.

As I drove north on the Cowboy Trail, all I could think about was how much open space we have here in Alberta.  There are some people in the world that will never have the opportunity to experience this.  All I can say is we are truly lucky and should be grateful for this amazing landscape and the freedom to explore it.

 

 

The first and only time I had been through the Crowsnest Pass was in 1967.  That was a lot of years ago.  I did not appreciate the history of the area.  I do remember having a photo taken beside a big boulder at the Frank Slide site.  Since that time, an interpretive centre has been built there.  Visitors can stop and learn about the slide.

I did not have the opportunity to stop in during my weekend road trip but the Centre is definitely on the to-do list for the future.  I cannot imagine what the scene was like on April 29, 1903 when Turtle Mountain came tumbling down.  The landslide is said to have lasted 90 seconds and could be heard up to 200 kilometers away.  It fell under the cover of darkness when the residents of Frank were tucked in their beds.

The boulders at the slide site lay strewn on either side of the highway and either side of the rail line.  Some of them have been defaced with graffiti.  Trees are growing in between the rocks.

As I drove through the area looking at the slide site, I was in awe of the power exerted by Mother Nature.  



http://www.history.alberta.ca/frankslide/frankslidestory/frankslidestory.aspx