Winter musings

We've been having some odd weather to say the least.   Two days ago, I had to run into town.   When I left home, it was -15C and there was heavy fog, with almost no visibility in some places.   By the time I figured I could turn around safely, I was almost to town, and it was starting to burn off.    It was fine in town, and I ran several errands.  Heading home, the fog was just starting to burn off in the rural areas.   As I got closer to home, the trees were covered in ice from the fog.  So pretty but odd too because it was so very cold.

Yesterday, on my way home from taking a walk, there were motorcycles out!  It was 3C, as in above freezing.   Today, it sluiced down rain most of the morning.  One minute it was raining and the next, there were huge flakes of snow falling.  It's been snowing mostly since then and we are supposed to get 30 cm or more overnight.

Hubby needed to start up the snow blower because we didn't have to use it much last year.   The warm temperatures yesterday softened the snowpack and he was able to blow out a path to the chickens and then my walking track around the property.   I had missed having it this year.

We have a family of crows who visit us during the winter.   I know that at least some of them are the same because there are a couple with distinctive white markings on them.  They've been coming for years now.  It is a little weird when you peek out the window to watch them and there is a group on the ground, munching on the corn I leave for them, while a whole other bunch of them sit in the trees surrounding the house, keeping guard.   Sometimes they swoop down on the fresh snow, leaving beautiful crow snow angels.

A couple of days ago, on another very cold day, which was weirdly sunny and windless.   I found this pinecone.   It was on a flat area near where crows congregate to pick through the fire pit.    There had been no wind overnight.   The pinecone wasn't there when I'd done evening chores the night before.   It was just setting on top of an area of pristine snow, not covered by any snow at all.   Around it, although several feet away, were crow tracks and prints.   Sometimes I find interesting things that shouldn't be in the place where I find them.  I think that maybe, they are little tokens from the crows.   This pinecone,  a little twig with some pine needles, and recently, a stick under the bird feeder where I sprinkle some of the corn.   I'd picked up the stick and tossed it out of the way.   The next afternoon, it had been retrieved and placed back under the feeder!  It was definitely the same stick, due to a unique and odd shape to it.

I'm redoing the toe of a new knitted sock project for the 3rd time.   This is because instead of checking the size on my foot, I went by a recommended sock size knitting chart.   When I realized it was the wrong size, it was almost 2 inches too long!   So I tried again, and got it wrong again.  I've ripped it back and have set it aside until tomorrow.  But that is another story for another time.   It's pretty yarn though; the colour of summer skies, calm lakes or ocean vistas.