Winter Delights

       

Again we have a cold day. Temperature this morning is minus 37 Celsius and the weather report says that in some areas it is even colder. That’s the prairie for you.

One of the things we enjoy about winter are the flowers we usually have around the house. At this time of year we have a fair collection of beautiful spring flowers that grace our windowsills so that we can enjoy their beauty. 

On this picture, arranged with the Cyclamen you see the beautiful logo we used for the 2010 Canadian Shetland Sheepdog Association’s National. I was the lucky recipient of Gail Pope’s work captured on wood. The designer of the logo was Catherine McMillan.

To brighten our winter months the picture features one of our hyacinths of which we have various colors. Usually we have a nice display of forced amaryllis as well, but we managed to overlook buying the bulbs last fall, so we were out of luck for indoor amaryllis this year.

I have included a picture of a beautiful Clivia that blooms every year for me. The “mother plant” I brought back with me from Germany many, many years ago when smuggling a plant in your coat pocket was no problem. These days that would be impossible so I really treasure it as my mother used to grow these impressive plants. Many of my friends are growing offsets from it blooming as beautiful as the picture shows.

          

This morning the temp. was -27 when I got up with it feeling more like -30 with the wind. Despite the darn cold I needed to get out and do the almost daily snow-shoveling since it had snowed again overnight. I had to stop shoveling, not just to get in the house to warm up but to get my camera to take this lovely picture of the morning sunrise. I still hold to my theory that winter can't have a whole lot left to hit us with, now that March is almost in sight. Oddly, it was really only this past week that I've felt the cold and experienced a little reluctance to venture out to do my normal day to day activities. Up to now, the winter really hasn't had much of an effect on me at all. Go figure.

Winter

What's on everyone's mind these days is of course the winter weather. When it's so cold that the air itself freezes, winter driving becomes an act of faith. Car exhaust creates a cloud behind the car in front of you and you can only assume that the car ahead  of you is moving. So you drive blind right into it.

Just because the temperature may be cold and the ground may be white, there is no reason to lock ourselves indoors. Dressed in layers and appropriate clothing I headed out the other morning with my four legged friends for a walk, which just proved to be the remedy for the winter doldrums.

New Beginnings

"It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves"

A well said word of wisdom written by Edmund Hillary.
I have to overcome the fear of writing. Often using my German background as my clutch, I don't try. This blog will give me a chance to write about the happenings around me and my beloved shelties.