Warmer weather at last!

Tt seems that a warm March is upon us.  The temperatures have been above zero during the days -below zero at night -perfect to start an early maple sap run!!  The creeks are opening up and flowing with meltwater and we have seen the sun every day the last week!!

When I left for work the other day a sheltered bit of flower bed was still a mound of snow -but at night....the first snowdrops!!!

We are off this Saturday for our annual March Break Florida trip. It has been cool this year so I hope it warms up for next week!! I love the Matlacha area of Florida where JJ's sister has a home on the Matlacha Pass Aquatic Reserve.

Look out beach....here we come......back on March 21......hope that the Manatees are still hanging about!!!

The snow just keeps falling here in my corner of the world.  Nellie loves it of course...she rolls, and rolls and shoves her face itos the drifts snowplow style every few feet. It has been a mild winter, not too many days in the minus 20's or 30's. But with that....lots of flurries, snow, cloudy weather....very dreary.

Last night's flurries were heavy and wet creating this snowball bush - in winter.  I envy those bloggers from around the world who have frog spawn in ponds and the first flowers up. That is still months away here. March can be dreadful or mild and quite delightful...it is shaping up to be one of the delightful March's. My fingers are crossed!

The river was frozen over only for a few weeks this year.  40 years ago it used to freeze over in late November, we skated on it at Christmas and the ice didn't usually begin to break up until mid to late March......climate change....I think so.

Proud Canadian

Jeff Foxworthy’s has something to say about Canadians

If your local Dairy Queen is closed from September through May,
You may live in Canada.

If someone in a Home Depot store offers you assistance and they don’t work there,
You may live in Canada.

If you’ve worn shorts and a parka at the same time,
You may live in Canada.

If you’ve had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number,
You may live in Canada.

If ‘Vacation’ means going anywhere south of Detroit for the weekend,
You may live in Canada.

If you measure distance in hours,
You may live in Canada.

If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once,
You may live in Canada.

If you have switched from ‘heat’ to ‘A/C’ in the same day and back again,
You may live in Canada.

If you can drive 90 km/hr through 2 feet of snow during a raging blizzard without flinching,
You may live in Canada.

If you install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both unlocked,
You may live in Canada.

If you carry jumper cables in your car and your wife knows how to use them,
You may live in Canada.

If you design your kid’s Halloween costume to fit over a snowsuit,
You may live in Canada.

If the speed limit on the highway is 80 km – You’re going 95 and everybody is passing you,
You may live in Canada.

If driving is better in the winter because the potholes are filled with snow,
You may live in Canada.

If you know all 4 seasons:
Almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction,
You may live in Canada.

If you have more miles on your snow blower than your car,
You may live in Canada.

If you find -5 degrees ‘a little chilly’,
You may live in Canada.

If you actually understand these jokes, and forward them to all your friends,
you definitely are Canadian and proud to be.

...and so it begins....

        "She decided to free herself, dance into the wind, create a new language.  And birds fluttered around her writing "Yes" in the sky.  It is here where she must begin to tell her story."

....and so it begins again, my blog that is, with words from a new journal I bought in December.  The journal was purchased to record events and thoughts about spending "Christmas holidays" away from home for the first time in my 55 years.  Not a word was written in the journal...too busy enjoying the view, the people, the sights, sounds and smells of Dominican Republic. (not to mention the hot days, warm starry nights, warm ocean, the rejuvenating sunshine, long walks on white sand beaches, meeting new people from all over the world....Fantastic Time!!!

.......why spend Christmas away from home and family????   The main reason was that neither of my sons were coming home this year.....one is in Edmonton and it so expensive for him to fly home during peak traveling time, the other, spent Christmas with his girl friends family a 5 hour drive away. My side of the family are all over an hour away from where I live and enjoy a simpler celebration of holidays. Christmas with my husbands family is a week long event of overindulgence in every  sense of the word.  I just can't handle the excess ....the food, gifts, gatherings, parties etc.    When we returned I had everyone over for an afternoon and dinner of exchanging small gifts, visiting and a great but simple oven dinner.  It was fun, simple and over in less than a day!.  I don't like the commercialization of this holiday or any other holiday.  As I grow older, I find my path turning towards a simpler observance of the changing seasons -not one dictated to me by the stores and Hallmark Cards.

......and so my story begins again.  In the absence of posting I have still read my favourite blogs.  So much has happened.......loved ones ill or dying, beloved pets passing on.  Unfortunately 'tis the same here......This past summer we have lost several neighbours and high school friends all to various forms of cancer....still others are enduring the hardships of treatment......such a hideous disease.

......I have adjusted as well as anyone can to having M.E.  Recently I was diagnosed with asthma and degenerative disc disease as well. I've learned to pace myself....sieze the days I feel good and do the things I enjoy the most. I love to travel and we have decided to do more of that.  We spent a wonderful week in Cape Breton Island with our best friends and the dogs in August.  Emile was born there and has lots of family...stories for another day......I'm off to Florida for our March break with my husbands sister....a story yet to come.....

This is the most unwinter day today....leaden grey skies...40mm of rain so far today with a big freeze coming tonight......but it was warm and misty....soft drizzly rain and snow fog when I walked Nellie this afternoon.....