Thursday - must be Ospreys with Muriel!

I was standing not 20m away from the nest.

Don't look too closely at the wiring or one might think I am elsewhere! (I sometimes think I am elsewhere!)

We then drove further along that road, past several other osprey.
Finally into the setting sun I saw another osprey on a nest. Then I caught sight of a second bird and a third, if you know what I mean:

And as if that were not enough ... but I'll save that photo for another time.

W O B

Pea Soup

Now, don't get me wrong - I like pea soup.

I came down to ground level to get beneath some of the layers of fog - mist actually because it was raining.

4 photos of the Leacock peninsula, and the last/above to toward the public beach just 200m away but out of sight this afternoon.

I then went for a walk in the lake and a swim in our pool.

W O Birrrd

Melting Winter

Before I met the Cardinal on my walk on Sunday, I walked along the old CN station platform and was taken by this flow of melting snow from the station roof.

The drops landed on glazed tiles making quite a visual impact:

There were several areas where the drops splashed:

Each different even from drop to drop:

W O B

A Question

I went for a walk accompanied by this solo artist.

Does this count as having attended "church"?

W O B

Sue Coleman tribute

It was June 1999 when I walked into a book shop in Victoria, British Columbia.

The book was called "Sue Coleman" photo "Artist at Large Along The South Coast of Alaska"

The photo attracted my attention - pictograph of an otter in the First Nation - West Coast "style", too vague, I recognize, but I do not have the names - above her painting of an otter eating a sea urchin.

So yesterday, when I was walking along the shore near Stephen Leacock's home, I saw a scene

that brought back those memories:

And now to be able to paint the emotion, in water colours, on a cruise ship to Alaska.

Inspiration - and a lot of perspiration!

W O B

Its a ill wind that blows no good.

The images on Monday were taken on Sunday. The images below were taken yesterday at various times. Let me start with the blowing wind bending an icicle; the warm air then caused it to melt, at times continuously - redirected rain, actually:

So much for the idea of wind - what about the "no good"?
Well, in the afternoon, Vicki persuaded me to work to work out down stairs. Around 2:30pm. I thought about taking the camera but decided against it.  We were just 10 minutes into our exercises when I saw thes 2 Canada geese flying low over the ice on the still frozen part of Lake Couchiching with a largish bird ahead of them landing on the ice. Maybe 150m away from us, looking like a Snowy Owl. I continued to work out because the Law of Nature and Camera-shy Bears states that this bird will fly away when I try to take a photo. However, as I neared my finish and the bird had not moved, I decided ... to go get the camera.

Not taking any chances I took the first shot from the balcony:

You have seen these branches in other blog entries - sometimes framing a boat, sometimes a kite or wind surfer. (Arni, clever how I arranged the branches to frame the owl - I learned this from you!)

With one Owl in the bag, I went down stairs and outside in my bare feet to see if I could manage a closer image. I might wish now to have a bigger and better "Canon" as well as my "Canon" insulating coffee cup! Or have NF here to take the proxy. My feet were beginning to hurt from the buildup of snow between my soles and my clogs.

I then went inside to capture the initial views we had from the fitness room - the treadmill view:

and then the closeups between the trees:

So nature comes to those who stand and wait.

W O Birrd

What is white and liquid? And wheel-spinning allover?

I have just been onto the balcony to try to find the Cardinal I could hear singing. It is raining ice pellets, and the icicle is melting - sounds like "Summer time and the ..."

Then I saw I had made my "mark":

and I recalled a song, a Chritmas carol, "Heat was in the very sod which the saint had printed"
and thought I would pass along some history/tradition on this dismal day.

All hope is not lost. At 3am this pair of lamps from Rock Lake, 2012, were still shining:

Quite impressive for operating without any direct sunlight for more than 6 months. (And there was more snow on them at 3AM than now at 10AM.

W O B

More Impressions

I have tried to capture motion and temperature - wind chill. Was I successful?

Wise Old Birrrrd

April, April, can't stand that ...

This is maybe unexpected this morning, -4C and snow since 5:06 AM prayers.

Snow on the yule log, but nothing on the Rock Lake fairy lights. There is clear and present danger.

And there were signs of the yeti:

And the wind, the wind chill and the drifting snow:

I was out here in bare feet and shorts, short-sleeved T-shirt ...

Winter Storm Warning

Significant snow with ice pellets continuing today into tonight. Freezing rain Guess I won't put the picnic table together just yet.

W O B - as in its chilly!