Spring Arrives...Sort Of

If I have been reluctant to give up on winter, so too has the winter been somewhat reluctant to give way to spring. Yesterday was the first official day of spring, yet it came on the heels of a winter storm, and morning temperatures that were still in the minus 20's. On my weekly shopping trip, everyone was commenting on last year's spring, that saw the temperatures fly into the high 20's - that's PLUS high 20's. This year is quite different.

I feel like I don't quite know this spring. I am eager to see the changes that will come, but don't quite know what is coming. Back at the dome I knew where to look for the earliest shoots, which areas would flood, and which areas would dry the quickest. Where to walk to hear the sounds of the first returning red wing blackbirds, and where the early robins would most likely be. We knew where the red tail hawk was nesting, and where the raven's would be gathering sticks for their new nest.

When I was outside of the post office this week, I was excited to hear my first sounds of red wing blackbirds in the fields below, and I heard them again on the other side of the river later in the week. Some geese have been flying high overhead as well. Slowly this new spring will reveal itself to me. We had a brief thaw that already showed us where to expect some muddy navigation with our truck. We were pleased though to see that the new road appears to be dry and draining well.

There is a sweet spot along the river, sheltered from the wind by the trees, and in the early afternoon if the sun is shining I can sit, cozy and warm and listen to the river. As the river opens up, it slaps against the ice at the shore, and sounds like drums. I could sit and listen all afternoon, but as the sun slowly changes position in the sky, it gets chilly.

This is where I sit, perched on some logs. Maybe this summer we can get some kind of a bench or seat built there.

Although this is a nice spot too....

This week as I came back into the cabin I happened to look up the roof line and saw all sorts of colours in the clouds above. I will guess it was a sundog, as the sun was hidden behind the peak of the roof. It only lasted a few seconds, and it was gone before I could go find Rob so he could see it, but I did manage to get a quick photo.

As the snow around the cabin slowly sinks lower, we notice there are a lot more animal tracks around. One afternoon I caught sight of something out the window - possibly the mink, and went out to find an incredible line of tracks that ran around the base of the trees and all along the river's edge. There are wild turkey tracks along the shoreline, and sometimes it looks like we are living along a rabbit highway. I finally caught a glimpse of one of the snowshoe hares, still cleverly disguised in it's coat of white, but getting a clear photo of it before it hopped away was impossible.

This afternoon I was puzzled by some new shoreline tracks, but as I followed them along, I discovered they belonged to the two Canada geese standing at the edge of the ice.

 

They didn't allow me to get very close before they flew away further up river. I was glad I followed them though, as I also spotted a duck further up, and when I came home to try to identify it, discovered I had seen my first male breeding common merganser. I hope I see him again, and get a photo!

We have been teased with a few warms days, but mostly this March, we've had cloudy and snowy days, and our brief glimpses of bare earth have been quickly covered by snow again. We have however, had a few snow squalls when the skies are blue and the sun is shining. I've heard of sun showers when the rain falls on a sunny day, so not sure what to call this - maybe sun flakes?

While I am out looking for signs of spring, Rob continues to work upstairs on the house plans. As well, the off grid/on grid discussion continues. I think we would both really like to be off grid, but we have to be realistic about the up front cost. If we were just a tad bit younger, say, in our twenties, (o.k. maybe 40's ....) then going off grid would be a good choice, as over the long term, it would be cheaper. The estimated costs for going solar not only include the Solar Photovoltaic Panels, batteries, inverters, charge controllers, and wiring etc., but we have to look at the costs of some of the things we would have to buy to make proper use of the system. We would likely need a propane system, propane stove, propane dryer, and possibly a DC fridge and or freezer.  We would also need a different method than an electric hot water tank to heat our hot water.

We are getting estimates on running hydro poles and lines this week, and that may make this decision a bit easier. It's hard to make a decision when we don't know all the costs.

Rob has been busy redoing the house design this week after deciding that some of the timbers needed more width. He's been working on our bathroom design, and the kitchen design as well. I keep hoping he will have time to post details on the blog, but I can fill in with some of the basic details in the meantime. We decided our living areas should be all on the main floor (again with that age thing...we apparently aren't getting any younger, and we need to plan for not being able to always climb stairs) With that in mind, the living room, dining room, kitchen, guest room, guest bathroom, our bedroom and bathroom are all on the main floor along with - yes - my mudroom !! We did go with a small second floor area that will provide some storage, and hopefully, despite our declining (or is that accelerating) age, we will be able to use that upstairs space for some time to come. It sounds like a lot of space, but the square footage is still less than 1400 square feet. He has also been working on the screened in porch plans, and of course the placement of the adjacent workshop. And researching, researching, researching.....Plumbing, wiring, concrete finishes... There's a lot to think about!

There is also the matter of interior decorating. When my super sis commented lately on one of my outdoor photos and asked whether I shot it in black and white, (I hadn't!) we realized that we do live in a beautiful, but somewhat colourless world this time of year.

Rob and I both love warm and vibrant colours, so will have to work some into the new house for sure.

The sun, when it shines, does make a difference this time of year, bringing warmth, light and colour back into our world. It comes in through the windows differently, casts different shadows on the walls, and definitely perks us up when we are outdoors. One day last week we watched two ravens playing in the sunshine, under glorious blue skies and white clouds, talking all the time. It was lovely to watch them.

I came home and threw a load of washing out on the line. They didn't dry completely, but I thought it was lovely to be able to hang them out, and it was a good reminder of the warmer and sunnier days to come. And with the snow on the ground, I could reach the entire line with no problem!

 

Discovering November

Well I must say these past two weeks have flown by and yet somehow stood still at the same time.  I guess we wanted to hurry up and move, but also needed the time to do it.

We've had cold, wet and windy days, we've seen snow squalls and hail, and we have enjoyed sunshine and warm temperatures that made us think of summer again.  One day this week I could not get enough of being outside, it was so warm and pleasant, and I was out in a long sleeve shirt and jeans. The next day I woke up to snow, and was back to wearing a winter jacket and gloves and toque. Typical November weather I guess.  We watched the weather carefully these last two weeks though, as Rob was in the process of transferring the last of our stuff, and didn't want to load or unload in the rain if possible. For a while it looked like that wasn't a possibility, but the weather suddenly changed in our favour.

We were incredibly fortunate that two of our neighbours, Sam and Dane, gave up an entire day for us and moved our heaviest stuff last week.  We are so excited to be on this new adventure, that we don't really think we will miss much about our lives all those years in the village, but there is no question that we had some truly wonderful neighbours, and we will miss them.

Although I walk with Jet 3 or 4 times a day, it is still not possible to spend time taking photos while I am out with him. He really requires lots of attention, and isn't one to stand quietly (you can probably hear Jet sighing now - because I am going to say that he doesn't stand quietly - NOT LIKE THE LAST DOG .....)  But it's true. Zuni would stand still, on leash, for ages, and quietly, while I approached herons, rabbits, beavers - you name it.  This is definitely not Jet's style. At least not yet.

So after we finish playing with him, and walking him, I usually go out by myself with my camera and have a good long walk. This is such a different time of year, and I haven't spent much time here in November before so I find it really wonderful to be able to wander around.  With most of the leaves gone, we can see the reflection off the river from many different parts of the woods. We can see much deeper into the woods, and walk more easily into areas that are usually too thick with vegetation during the summer (and thick with poison ivy!)

I can also clearly see the paths that the deer use. And other animals. There is a lot of "scat" around. (I'll spare you the photos)  My brother pointed out that during the winter I will be able to see a lot more tracks in the snow, and I'm looking forward to that. I'm not very good at "scat tracking", but maybe this winter I will be able to use the combination of tracks and scat to figure out what is living in the area around us.

The grey and brown tones of November always seem to make me somewhat reflective. One of my Flickr friends says I should view the falling of the leaves as replenishing the soil ready for spring growth, and I am trying, but I still find it to be a rather bleak month.  The sun is low in the sky, the shadows are long, the days are short, and the birds are few and far between. With this view I walked this week, and tried to look closer at the natural world around me with a different eye. Sure enough, I have discovered that there are logs lying in the fields and forest that are covered with a multitude of lichens and mosses. I will have to read up on it as I don't have a clue what I am looking at. But they are beautiful, in a variety of colours and shapes and sizes. Some of them make me think of coral.

Yesterday Rob and I heard the sound of the Ravens, and looked up to see 15 of them just above the cabin. The talked, they soared, they barrel rolled. Talked some more. They circled around and around, before they flew off, mostly in groups of two, but some in three's or four's, and slowly went off in different directions. I didn't take any photos. I simply stood holding my breath I think, and watching, in awe of them. I've never seen a group like that before.

Later in the afternoon, I heard Ravens in the forest on the other side of the main road, making a variety of sounds I have never heard before. Then 2 flew up, joined by 3 smaller ones who I guess were juveniles, and they proceeded to fly and talk, and roll and it was just amazing to watch. The two adults flew side by side in a variety of movements (sort of like watching the Snowbirds in action - but much better !) One of the younger ones flew higher and higher and further and further away, and I could hear the adults talking as they disappeared over the trees. Then some urgent sounding calls. Maybe calling that young one back?

I took some photos of them flying as I think I would like to play with the silhouettes and then print them onto fabric. Of course, I will have to make an effort this winter to learn a bit about photoshop first! This is just one I played with for a little while.

Walking back I was smiling, feeling pretty fortunate to have the time to watch these activities. Then a flash of red in the trees next to me made me stop as a brightly coloured bird flew past. I watched for a while and a more yellowish, olive coloured one followed. I took some photos and looked them up, and it seems they are Pine Grosbeaks, a male and female. Pretty common, but I've never seen one! It's a fuzzy shot as he was hiding mostly behind the branches, but came out long enough that I could see his wings and the bands of white on them.

I also discovered one of the "No Hunting" signs that our friend Frank erected on our property years ago in an attempt to keep the deer safe.  I was surprised to find it, or what is left of it. It is high on an enormous pine tree, and so many trees have grown up in front of it since, that you would never know that you could once see the sign from one of our roads.  I miss Frank, but it made me feel like a bit of his spirit lives on in these woods.

We visit the area where we hope to build almost every day. It's good to see the changes in the sun and shadows, as we are hoping to harness some of that solar energy and need to know how much the sun changes with the seasons.  Although we are still in drought conditions, the river is finally higher, whether due to the rains or changes at the dams further upstream.  I can no longer stand on the rocks in the river, so have to be content to stand at the shoreline.

 

 

Last week I spotted a coyote in the field where the cattle usually are. I of course look for it there every day now, but haven't seen it again. As soon as it saw me, it ran off across the field. We hear them howling most evenings and again in the early morning. It's an amazing sound.  The other day when I looked there were no cattle or coyotes. But I kept feeling like someone was watching me. Sure enough when I got past the treeline, there was one lone cow in the field. He ran off bawling for the others a few minutes later.

I spend a lot of time in this area as the birds seem to stop here on their migration routes, and there is a good view this time of year across the fields. I also discovered that with the leaves gone, I can see the main road, and catch sight of Rob's truck a few kilometers away when he's coming home! You can just see a glimpse of the road on the left, but I now know that I can see it again on the far right as well.

We had heavy snow squalls one day last week, and I stood here and watched as they came over the tree line and up the hill. Wished I had my camera, it was quite a sight.  We had snow again this week, and in the areas where the sun doesn't shine through, it has stayed. It stayed on the roof of the shed for quite a while. We want to put solar panels here, so obviously this is the wrong side of the roof to use!

The ground was hard and crunchy this morning as we had a deep frost, and my feet were cold in my shoes when I was walking Jet.  But I am snug and warm in the cabin, the sun is shining through the windows, I can see the river flowing, and every now and then a chickadee lands in the tree outside. I think we are going to have some nice days in here this winter. We already have some books on the shelf ready to read, books on wood working, photoshop, digital photography, tree care, forest management, timber framing, house design.... and lots more!  We are almost ready to hunker down, put our feet up, and get ready for our next project.