A Phenomenon

I couldn't believe my eyes this morning when I went out the front door to see my neighbour. What's this? How did this bottle get here....wait a minute, that's not a bottle...oh my word...an extremely slow drip from this faucet has obviously created this bottle shaped ice phenomenon.

Pictures taken at 8pm on Monday, January 26, 2009.

During the coldest weeks of winter Al always turns off the water to the outside taps since we've discovered the painful way that it is a good idea to do so. About ten days ago Al decided to wash the van to rid it of some of the accumulated dirt and salt since the weather was now above freezing. But then the deep freeze came again. He must have left a wee bit of a drip going...when I touched my finger tip to the underside of the tap it was wet but I never saw a drip actually dripping. In just over those days this "stalagmite" had formed. This is not ice bursting forth from a standing bottle...this whole thing is an ice-bottle. You can see a bit of a base at the bottom of the first photo indicating that initially there must have been a bit of a thick puddle happening.

I had left my camera at Hedy's yesterday and so it wasn't until tonight at 8 pm that I got these pictures. I didn't want to wait until tomorrow since it may just begin thawing overnight, although it doesn't feel like it at all.

Quite phenomenal...what do you say?

An Outing

Canada -US boundary marker-from here we are viewing the USA side of the border along 0 Avenue

It's always an amazing feeling for me to drive along this route with a mere marker and a tiny ditch separating these two huge countries - Canada and the United States. I thank God for the freedom we enjoy without having to endure unsightly barbed wire fences. May it always be so.

As we left Abbotsford I again tried for that elusive perfect shot of Mt. Baker. The panoramic view of that mountain range was breath-taking today. Al and I, in our van, enjoyed a delightful picnic lunch, complete with a thermos of hot tea as we just drank in the gorgeous view along Mt. Lehman Road just outside the airport. As we left on our outing, we were rewarded by West Jet flying low overhead preparing to land...another sight I enjoy.

Our outing will take us to White Rock. I've been waiting for an opportunity to get a good shot of the Golden Ears. My camera can't get that gorgeous panoramic view of both the Golden Ears and the Garibaldi's which we see so readily along Gladwin Road. Here's one that I like...also taken from 0 Avenue nearing Langley.

Golden Ears

It was a stellar kind of a day..nippy but clear and brilliantly sunny...although the fog started rolling in later in the afternoon. I was thrilled to get a good shot of Mt. Baker from the Pier, a small part of the beach, and White Rock's white rock from a distance...





One of many gulls- This little fellow was pecking away at the barnacles and finding some savoury morsel there.

Sailboats

The White Rock in the distance

The Pier



A small wedding party...only the couple and photographers looking for the perfect spot for a picture. Later, I saw them again. The bride must have been so cold in her strapless gown and bare sandalled feet. But they were beaming. The groom had been carrying her bouquet of white roses when I first saw them at the East side of the walk and now, at the west end he still held onto them as they left in their big black dodge truck.

The sound comes before you can see it...the train...so cool to see it winding along the curved rails, then straightening along the stretch along the walk it thunders past the milling crowds...into the distance. Hoping to catch a picture of the caboose as it sped away, this is what I got!

Winter's Surprise

It was exhilarating getting outside for a long walk today, after a hiatus of more than three weeks due to the snow. The air was fresh and almost smelled of spring. As I observed the stark deciduous trees bereft of foliage during the coldest months, this little poem came to mind:

The leaves are gone
The trees are bare
But next year's leaves are hiding there!

Such hope, such promise is borne in that last line. This hope of new life springing from what is seemingly dead is so comforting and engaging. I begin looking for signs of spring early in the year but was completely taken aback when on arriving home from my walk I noticed the ever-faithful snowdrops ready to burst with color among the red rock. Wow...I hadn't expected them so soon since we'd had a prolonged period of cold weather and lots of snow.

The Snow-drop,
Winter's timid child,
Awakes to life,
bedew'd with tears.
Mary Robinson

I decided to investigate my daffodils' home...yes, there they were...already a few hardy green shoots surfacing along the front steps. And so began my tour around the yard, something I love to do and do often but not usually in January.

Well there along the south walk were daffodils and hyacinths just surfacing ever so cautiously and all along the wall...bulbs springing up promising to bring such color and charm in just a little while.

January is the quietest month in the garden...
But just because it looks quiet
doesn't mean that nothing
is happening.
Sunset Magazine 1/99

Say it with Flowers

My terrific husband surprised me with flowers this morning! I was so completely surprised and delighted. It's not that he doesn't do this from time to time but this was so spontaneous and beautiful. I think it was a little incentive to keep me motivated in pursuing a physical fitness regimen. Al is so very fit and he's thrilled that I'm going along to the gym with him these days to see if I can't get into better shape after missing almost a month of walking because of the snow and indulging just a little too much in all those pre and post Christmas goodies.

Flowers are love's truest language.-
Park Benjamin

Going...Going...Go........

Remember the snowman? Here is day 1...

Day 4 - more snow had fallen...

Day 7...a week later...lots of rain and above freezing temperatures all week...

Today...Day 10...how much longer can Frosty hang around? He kind of looks like Snoopy, don't you think so?

The Snowman

Oh the snow, the beautiful snow was falling again this morning. While talking with our four year old grandaughter in Mexico early today, Grampa told her they could make a snowman together if she was here. Without missing a beat she said, "You make it and send a picture!" So being a man of honour good old Grampa with Gramma right behind him headed out after lunch and this is what happened!

Now what do we do next?
Ta-da...not bad for someone, Grampa who has probably never made a snowman before in his life! Oh the power of a child! And what glorious fun we had - fresh air and a bit of exercise, finally, after all that holiday feasting!

A Chubby Little Snowman*
A chubby little snowman
Had a carrot nose
Along came a rabbit
And what do you suppose?
That hungry little bunny,
Looking for his lunch,
ATE the snowman's carrot nose...
Nibble, nibble, CRUNCH!

A secret for Frosty? What could it be? Tell me if you know.

The Snowman
I made a great tall snowman
With two huge coal black eyes
And just to reach around his neck
Took two of Daddy's ties.
I put a hat of mother's
Upon his rounded head
And then I ran and left him
And hurried off to bed.
When I awoke next morning
Imagine my surprise
My snowman had run away
And left his hat, ties, and eyes!

*I don't have the author's names for these poems - from Children's Poetry many of which I used as a teacher and remember from the past.

Oh...the songbirds were singing and enjoying themselves in the sparkling sunshine flitting from tree to tree. Such a glorious sight and sound...such a message of hope and good cheer!
"Hope springs eternal in the human breast..." Alexander Pope-1733

January

January now is here
A fine new start
To a brand new year!
-anonymous

Hmmm-things don't look much different than the other winter posts. We had another snowfall today and while it was beautiful we were glad when the temperatures scooted up a bit, the snow stopped and we were able to get to the airport to pick up our friends. Now we are safely tucked back inside our home and Al and I are "battling" out a game of Scrabble. One more snowfall to come, they say.