February 11, 2008

It's always about the weather, these days. Today started out with a windchill of minus 29C so I dressed for it. Strategic layers, leg warmers, warmest mitts, a headband under the hat. I didn't carry my camera thinking, what's the use, the batteries would get too cold to work. As I turned onto the bike path and into the wind, I shielded my face from its sting with my hand. My eyes teared up and I closed them to narrow slits. Then I noticed a small brown puff of fuzz beside the path. I thought it must be a pompon fallen off something and took a step past it. Then I stopped and turned back, because I had seen the fur move in the wind, without the object itself being moved.

It was right in the junction of the vertical wall of snow and the path, as sheltered as it could be from the wind, without being really sheltered. I stooped to look more closely at it and realized it was a vole. I couldn't see the tail or evidence of the nose but that's what it was. I thought it must have frozen to death in the cold and felt a pang of sympathy for the poor, wee thing. I reached down to pick it up and it came to life! The creature tried to escape away from the snow bank and toward my feet, burrowing under the arch of one boot. I steered him back to the bank and he tried burrowing in there, little bare pink feet scrabbling. Bare feet!

I could see he wasn't going to make much headway, so I took my foot and stepped a hole in the snow about a foot off the path. The snow was about a foot deep there and I wiggled my foot at the bottom to try to get near the grass. Then I scooped the vole up against the snow bank wall and steered him toward the hole I had formed. He plopped down into the hole and began digging down at the bottom of it. I have hopes that he made himself a better shelter and can chew on some stems of grass until it warms up a little.

January 28, 2008

We had a successful weekend. We rented a car because Peter had to get out of town for a dental appointment and because we had it for the weekend, we got to get tons of groceries and go other places. After we used the car on Friday to go to the dentist, get a hair cut, renew my driver's license and get groceries, we finished up by walking to Marshy's for our usual Friday after work rendezvous.

Marshy's has a weekly draw of something hockey related and on Friday, I was the lucky recipient of a genuine NHL Senators jersey! My ticket happened to be drawn by a cutie with the lovely name of Skye so I got Peter to take our picture together.

Here is Brad after awarding me the jersey. Yes I am short but man, is he tall! Now I have no excuse and will have to go cheer on the Sens at a game - at the pub.

On Saturday we went to breakfast with friends and then, after doing laundry and such, we drove to Carleton Place to view a photographic art exhibit. Someone Peter knows was one of the exhibitors so it was a nice excuse to drive out of town and do something different. When we got to the tiny, owner-occupied gallery, we were greeted by a 5 year old Golden Retriever named Finnigan, who completely charmed me as much as he shed hair on me.

Today, the sun was appreciably warmer. Even with a high haze, you could feel the warmth of the sun getting stronger as we approach the Equinox. My cyclist spirit soars like an eagle. That's because it's not getting on the bike until March.

I've noticed for some time now that the construction on Centrepointe is finally more than just a hole in the ground, so I took a picture of the foundations.

It was a beautiful day for a skate. When I walked by the other side of city hall at 11 am, I saw this fellow heading over to the rink. I only saw one person on the rink but I bet it's crowded now.

I see I am not the only one to "rescue" lost woolies and put them where they might be spotted by the owner. This was a headband that had fallen out of someone's pocket or pack.

As I walked down the bike path, I heard a faint noise and stopped to listen. It sounded like a rodent chewing and sure enough, when I started looking at the ground, I saw a vole, busy with the bark at the base of a cedar bush. I watched him as I sneaked closer and took out my camera. His little tail made it apparent that he was a vole and not a mouse. Just as I got the camera ready, he whisked back into his snow tunnel! Rats! Voles! I had missed the opportunity. Just then, he poked his head out to assess the danger and I snapped this picture - no better than the poor one I took on January 6. Then he disappeared completely and did not show himself again while I stood there. So you'll have to click on the photo and then view it large to be able to believe me.

January 6, 2008

We are having a January thaw. It looks to last several days but I am sure it won't make much of a dent in all that snow we have had. The temperature was slightly above freezing yesterday and currently stands at 4C (39F). Monday it is supposed to be 10C (50F). That's jean jacket weather!

Mostly what a January thaw does is make things mucky for walking, although thankfully not life-threatening.

Unless you fall down and drown in this enormous puddle. I was happy to see that when I walked by it two hours later on the way home, the drain had been opened and it had (mostly) drained. It was about ankle deep prior to that.

This tiny mitten was there yesterday and since it was still there today, I took its picture. Someone had placed it on the top of the snow bank, to wait for its owner (or owner's parent) to return. I often wonder what the story was, when I pass these little vignettes. Did the child cry later when its hand got cold? Did the parent only notice when they got home? Do they walk here every day and so will they retrieve the mitt?

On the bike path behind the transit station, I noticed a tiny movement and as I focussed in on it, I saw it was a vole out eating some grass that had been exposed by the snow plow. As I hurried toward him taking out my camera, he scampered into a hole in the snow bank.

I drew up beside the hole and as I peered in, I realized he was still there at the entrance, holding his breath and waiting for me to go away. I snapped a photo and then stepped closer to take another and he vanished. It would have been better with a flash but you can't have everything.