A Bit of a Leap

Yes, 29 days to this February. According to Wikipedia, February 29th is a date that usually occurs every four years and is called leap day. This day is added to the calendar in leap years as a corrective measure because the earth does not orbit around the sun in precisely 365 days.

I think we have leap days just so that we can catch up on our "to do" lists.  Not that that works with me.  I probably need those days just to revise or update my lists (when I can find them). You know, to delete those things on the list that I don't even remember what they were or why I wanted to do them someday, maybe.  Personally, my "to do" lists would be better named "procrastination lists".

I think I'd be better off just listing the things I normally do every week.  Then, I could cheerfully check the items off every week and feel good.  "To do" lists are so depressing because they seem to only increase in length.

If you're reading this and smugly thinking you use a "to do" list and you get everything done, then let me know and I'll send you mine.  Maybe, because you're so organized, you can come to my place and work through my list. Tomorrow, being the 29th, might be a good day.

Time flies ...

... when you're having fun. So fast that you forget to write about what's happening. It's been nearly 3 weeks since I last sat down and wrote a post. Part of the time, I've been having 'body work' done. Visits to my doctor, dentist and optometrist were included in my body work.

Plus, the usual weekend dog walks and photography at nearby Beaudry Provincial Park. And, two more birthday celebrations. And, speaking of 'celebrations', we took in another show at Celebrations Dinner Theatre. And, then, this weekend, we got away to Lakeview Inn at Gimli.  Just to get away from the city for a brief spell.

Over the past 3 weeks, our weather has been up and down like a yo-yo. Some days exceedingly warm for February in Winterpeg and some days very cold and blustery (like today!). Tonight, we're having Marg's family over for supper. Tomorrow, Marg and some of them are off to the 2012 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games near Edmonton. One of Marg's nieces is competing in the snowshoe event. Maybe, she'll get to compete in Korea later on.

Me? I get to stay home and watch the dogs. But, the Panama escape is our horizon now. Ten days to go before that adventure.

Wonderful Weather

Over the past few days, we've had fantastic weather.  Unusually mild weather is so welcome to Winnipeggers in February.  Yesterday, it got up to +6 C.  I drove the two mutts out to Beaudry for some 'off leash' time in the sunny, tall grass prairie. They really love to run free and sniff for new smells in this familiar area. And, I love to watch them romp free. Such weather helps me get through the usually long winter, here on the Prairies.

Every Cook Needs a Dog

I had this thought recently, after making a big casserole that was just 'okay'.  Not special, just 'okay'.  Personally, I rarely enjoy leftover food.   Maybe, one more time, I'll eat leftovers.  That's all.  So, it's great that the mutts love it when their kibbles get a healthy mixture of leftovers added. To the mutts, my 'okay' stuff is scrumptious. They lick their bowls clean and then they look up at me as if to say "that was great: can we have some more?"

Winter Fun

Snow tubing at Adrenaline Adventures last night, before and after having dinner in their great restaurant. The Celebrations Dinner Theatre staff Christmas party was a hit. Almost everyone went tubing (except for the unofficial photographer, me) and had a ball.

You get pulled up the hill in a tube hooked to a tow line and then slide down on your tube. Last night, the weather also cooperated, with unseasonably warm temperatures. Here's a photo of some staff members being towed up the hill (lower portion of photo) while another one heads down, over the bumps.

And, in this shot, you see several tubes tied together going down the hill.  Tying the tubes together gives extra weight and a faster ride.

 This would be a great adventure for a family with several young kids.

And The Beat Goes On ...

Things are slowing down a bit for me. That's good because that's the way I like it (because I'm a lazy hermit at heart). After several birthday celebrations last week, a night out to see the show "Two and Two-thirds Men", a trip to Beaudry with the dogs, and a baptism on Sunday, I'm "get a life" outed. Tonight, Marg and I are going to the Celebrations Dinner Theatre party. Dinner and snow tubing at a nearby winter fun park. And, no, I'm not going tubing! I'm the unofficial photographer. It should be fun.

By the way, my latest winter images from the Beaudry trip are now posted on my Flickr page (link given at upper right of this page).

Keeping Busy

Almost every evening this week, there have been things to do.  Dinner out with just Marg and I at Rae and Jerry's one evening, an old establishment restaurant in Winnipeg.  The posh interior, great food, and excellent service  hasn't changed in the 30 years I've been going there.

Shopping at one of the malls one evening with Margaret, including purchasing some books to read during our coming trip south in March and buying a present for Marg's birthday.

Attending Margaret's company Christmas party at a downtown restaurant.  Having a couple of double Dubonnets on ice before dinner.  Haven't had that drink in ages.  I was even surprised that the bar stocked it.  A very 'retro' drink.

Grocery shopping last night at Safeway.  Restocking the larder.  Deal of the night?  Bags of my favourite treat, Poppycock, on sale, two for one.

Happiness is ...

It's so cold here ...

... a brass monkey came to the door this morning, asking if he could borrow my soldering iron. -25C takes your breath away.

But, I plugged the car in early this morning so that I can get it started and make a grocery run this afternoon, maybe. I'm actually taking stock of the larder now to see if the trip is really necessary.

This weekend it may warm up to -7, permitting us to take the dogs for a long walk at Beaudry. The two dogs are not happy with the short evening walks they have been getting the last couple of days, especially Holly.

They get out in the backyard often, of course. That's a mixed blessing. They consider the rabbit droppings out there to be icy treats. Yuk!!!

Wintry Walk

We drove out to Beaudry Provincial Park this afternoon. We almost turned back because the snow was falling so heavily in our area. But, we persevered and were glad we did because, once outside the city, we only had to contend with some ground drifting.

While Margaret took the dogs out on the trails, I took my camera into the woods. I got a decent shot of some hawthorn berries (posted to my Flickr page) and some shots of the new snow on the branches of bur oak trees along the first part of the trail.

I also took a shot of the woodland trail so I would remember what it looks like in winter.

Although the weather was mild, about 0 degrees C, it was still nippy because of the wind. I was quite happy to get back into my vehicle to await the return of Marg and the dogs.

Down Memory Lane

With the wintry wind blowing snow across my driveway this morning, I remembered worst conditions a few years ago when I still lived near Carman. Back then, I grew to hate strong north-western winds during the winter because, invariably, it meant I had some serious snow clearing ahead for me.

In those days, it meant I had to clear part or all of my lane of snow. That lane was one-third of a mile long and, sometimes, it was all covered in a foot or more of snow.  With the snow-blower, that meant I had to clear one mile of snow while making three passes up and down the lane.

Other times, only the gate area was plugged with snow.  That could be equally hard to clear because the drifts across the lane at this point could be very hard. The walk-behind snow-blower I had would just crawl over the tops of these concrete-like drifts.  That meant I had to use a shovel to break the drifts into cubes up before I could use the snow-blower.

This photo is a good reminder to me that not everything rural is always wonderful. Life could be very hard at times.

The Old Hay Rake

In many farm yards across Canada, you'll find an old hay rake. They used to be used to collect cut hay or straw into windrows for later pick up or baling. The common early horse-drawn hay rake was called a dump rake.  It was a wide, two-wheeled implement with curved steel or iron teeth usually operated from a seat mounted over the rake with a lever-operated lifting mechanism.

Now, such rakes may be slowly rusting away in some weedy corner or they may be proudly displayed in a large flower bed. Most rural flower beds are large enough to hold a hay rake with lots of room to spare.

When I moved to an old farmyard near Carman, on a small acreage, the old hay rake was pulled out of a weedy corner and centred in one of the big, new flower beds near the woodworking shop. Over the years, as the perennials grew thicker and larger, it became hard to see all of it as the summer months passed.

In the fall, a long extension cord was run from the shop to one end of the hay rake.  Then a long string of Christmas lights was woven through and between the wheels. It was quite attractive at night, especially as the snow got deeper and deeper.

Now, that old hay rake belongs to the new owners. But, it will live on in my memory, thanks to these old photos.

"Like Scotty Dogs"

When I was a pre-teen, growing up in rural Southern Ontario (Musselmans Lake near Stouffville), we had a series of collies as pets.  One winter, a stray Scotty dog wandered into our lives.  He was a great little dog, accepting our welcoming hospitality and affection for several months, until one day he just wandered off and we never saw him again.  As kids, we were saddened for a while but, fortunately still had our faithful collies (and a host of short-term visits by baby rabbits, raccoons, and foxes).

Later in my adult life, when a seemly long-term friend wandered out of my life, I would think of that little Scotty dog.  At first, I'd wonder why it happened.  Was it something I said or did?  Then, I realized that some people are like that Scotty dog.  They bring warmth and fun into our days for varying lengths of time and then, because of their nature, they drift away, looking for new friends and adventures.  Now, rather than fretting over their loss, I simply put it down as one of life's many and varied experiences, remember the good times, and watch for the next Scotty dog to appear.

Gleeful

Last night, Margaret and I went to the closing show of "Jump for Glee" at Celebrations Dinner Theatre.

One word sums up the show, Energy!  All six members of the cast were great.  The packed house was energized by their fantastic singing and dancing. Our table of four included Marg and I, a regular CDT supporter and friend, and a leading star from the show, "Hair Spray", that we had attended a few months ago.  She also was fully energized.  Wow!  It was a great evening!

A New Year

Yes. Okay. That was yesterday's news. But, better a day than a week late, I suppose. Looking at Flickriver images over the past two days has been fun. I've never seen so many photos of fireworks. And, they're not as easy to make as you might think. Here in Winterpeg, we have our own New Years Eve fireworks display. They start at the Forks at 10 p.m., making it easier for the kids to stay up and see them. Precisely at that time, I heard them start. Unfortunately, I didn't see them. I had other things on my mind. One was simply a determination to stay awake until midnight. Curled up in a warm bed with a book, I just smiled when the New Year was reached. I even read for a little while longer. I think that reading a good book is a great way to start a new year. It's almost become a tradition with me.

On New Years Day, I lazed around the house, reading, napping, and snacking. I did make French toast for breakfast and an Italian sausage and spaghetti dish for supper. Marg tended to laundry and taking down the Christmas decorations. My sore back precluded me helping her with these chores. Now, our living room looks relatively spacious and uncluttered (that won't last).

One of the treats of the day was the wonderful blooming of my amaryllis. Beautiful, large red, trumpet-shaped flowers (I'll post a photo soon). Three flowers per stem on the two stems that bloomed. There's one more stem yet to bloom.

What a great way to start a year. Happiness is ...