It’s one of those days where nothing profound comes to mind but you look around and see quiet beauty.
I refuse to mention the weather anymore since we may have skipped Spring and we just have to get used to it.
There are other creatures besides ourselves (no it’s true!) who must be wondering what is going on and sometimes I sense them looking at me accusingly.
Just a few thoughts on a cold, snowy day…oops didn’t mean to mention the weather!
There are many creative ways to raise money for your community and I recently had the privilege of participating in an authentically Costa Rican event to raise money for local causes.
A ‘Cabalgada’ is a weekend gathering where local families get together in a group trail ride with the registration charge used towards their fundraising efforts. I was thrilled to take part with around 50 other riders in a three hour trek across mountain trails. We fortified ourselves prior to the cabalgada with a snack at a bar in a modest community centre and finished with a meal and dance in the field!
Cabalgata Cowboys mosey up to the bar
All ages participated in the festive, day long party and those of us who rode our horses paraded through the party-goers like conquistadors at the beginning and end – what a rush.
Dancing in the field!
It was nothing fancy, not in the guidebook and such a delight to be part of – life is so enriched by these kind of special encounters. With the sound of Spanish music filling the air we rode off home into a glowing full moon instead of a sunset! Perfecto!
Yours truly sporting her number.
I don’t want to anthropomorphize a dog but I did wonder what went through Bentley, the labradoodle’s mind as he sat on the back of the motorcycle. He’s ridden from Oregon, through the U.S, Mexico, Guatemala and Nicaragua on his way down to the tip of South America…and he doesn’t seem to be in a rush.
His humans Scott and Susan said they’d quit their jobs and sold up everything they owned and Scott built the special seat for him to join them as they all headed out for the adventure of a lifetime.
I was lucky enough to meet them all when we ended up on a trail ride together at Finca Caballo Loco (Crazy Horse Farm) in Costa Rica. That’s Bentley in the bottom corner watching his human Susan get up on her horse and I’m sure he’s wondering “okay the back of a motorcycle is one thing but the back of a horse?”…there I go anthropomorphizing again!
Have to admit the thought of unloading all your burdens – house, job and ‘stuff’ has a certain allure for me.
If you’re interested you can take a look at Bentley’s Big Adventure.com.
I’ve heard them singing for a couple of afternoons now and couldn’t quite see where they were. Taking a shot of a pretty church spire through the trees…
I spotted them and they appeared to be yellow breasted finches – not that I’m any kind of bird expert – pretty but nothing special in Costa Rica. Looking through my viewfinder confirmed my initial impression although there did seem to be a bit of ignoring going on from one side of this couple. She didn’t seem very interested but then again he was nice but nothing special.
He suddenly seemed to get all agitated – perhaps fed up with being ignored. I shot another couple of shots but from my distance couldn’t really see much even through my lens. Imagine my surprise when I downloaded the photo and this is what I saw…
Now that’s different, she seemed to say!
Amazing things are all around us.
Polar vortex, frost-quakes, ice storms and never ending white stuff…this is a winter only a snow dog could love…Yes that is a house disappearing behind the latest snow clearing efforts. It’s been unrelenting since early December. Sure, a walk on snow covered trails with my trusty polar dog has a thrill of it’s own but this winter it’s wearing a little thin.
Call me soft or just getting older but when there are chairs waiting in the sun just a 5 hour flight away why wouldn’t you make the great escape?
Those who escape the whole winter are called ‘snowbirds’ because they arrive from the North as the snow starts to fall. Those of us who get a shorter reprieve from the great white north could perhaps be considered sunbirds since that is what we are chasing just long enough to thaw out our toes.
So leaving snow loving dog with ski crazy son and granddaughter we arrive at a gentler, warmer place.
When you live in a northern climate you clearly can’t hibernate all winter however seductive this option may be. Of course there are times when the wiser choice is to clearly cocoon (see previous posts) but for the most part there is joy in a winter walk.
When you have a very active dog who adores the snow you have obligations too! To quote Dylan Thomas I have a “dog who desires thrown stones more than the bones of elephants”.
A local park waits for summer days…
…but a lively poodle waits for no woman!
I know it sounds like the name for a new brand of cereal but it seems to be the latest in our two week northern weather marathon here! A series of loud bangs that shook our homes, woke us up all over the city again in the early morning hours – we all arose to check our roofs convinced a tree had just fallen through…but no it was a bunch of cryoseisms – frost quakes!! Well it was -32c last night – apparently colder than Mars.
First freezing rain, then an ice storm and now a frost quake – what’s next? A ‘frostnado’!
We here in Canada tend to have a pre occupation with weather in the winter so if you want to know more have a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryoseism
Sometimes you need to convey an unusual message to the public in as clear a way as possible…sometimes the message is just odd. Over the years I’ve taken photos of some of these public information signs and here to start the new year are some of my favourites!
From South Africa here are some interesting contenders:
Yes it says ‘Dung Beetles’ and how do you check for them without going off the road?
Then look out for Hippos crossing the road.
Or Rhinos – here we have a notice that ahead is a bridge that discourages them from crossing…so I guess you run like heck towards it if necessary…but are you or the Rhino limited to 40?
Then there’s this bitingly clear warning from this beach just outside Durban!
In Canada we are notoriously polite – here we apologize for not clearing up storm strewn logs fast enough and apologize should you trip over them.
We’re a little clearer here in telling you you could be crushed.
Or the more confusing one where we tell you yes this is a Tsunami evacuation route but don’t try and escape too fast!
Anyone who says we don’t live in an interesting, challenging world just doesn’t look at the signs all around them.
They call it a ‘glitter storm’ in Newfoundland but here it’s just a dreaded ice storm! At first it was so pretty but we knew if it lasted too long it meant trouble and trouble we have…
…first you hear the unmistakable crackling sound and then with a thunderous crash, laden with their burden of ice the branches start to fall. It’s a sad sound and a dangerous one too as you hope it’s not the big shade tree that towers over your house in summer…and for some it is.
The roads are blocked and then the work crews turn up to clear them until another tree falls.
The power has been out now for many of us for soon to be 36 hours – I write this knowing I can’t post until we have electricity again but it helps pass the time. A power outage, which might have been just a nuisance in less frigid conditions becomes a worry, especially for the elderly, as we watch the thermometer in our homes drop.
With spikes on my shoes (often a must here in Canada), 
I head out to feed the birds who find their natural food sources now encased in ice and walk my dog. This too shall pass.
A calm has descended but then that ominous crackle and another giant is wounded.
On the shortest day of the year we are given a reminder of just how Mother Nature really is in control of our lives. That most beautiful yet terrifying of weather phenomena, freezing rain, arrives. While everyone slips along icy walkways trying to finish their Christmas shopping or visit their friends the world around us is transformed into a translucent, sometimes sparkling wonderland.
The poor Japanese maples who refused to shed their leaves in the glory of an Indian summer are weighed down by their vanity. Their slender boughs are coated in a heavy ice and they look as if they are melting.
The crabapples that escaped the migrating birds transform into frozen Christmas ornaments. The sound of tinkling is in the air as the trees rattle their icy chains.
Only the regal blue spruce, with stubby downward needles made for a climate like this, relaxes and enjoys the jewels it wears.
The world slows to a stop and a peace falls over our community on this solstice night . Maybe not a voluntary peace but one, if you’re in the right frame of mind, that is lovely just the same.
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