Nothing but Blue Skies

 When it seems like there is no end to winter, sometimes the best thing you can do is to just get out and take a walk in the woods on one of those bright sunny days when there are blue skies and crisp fresh air. So what do you do when you wake up and not only is it a grey winter's day, but it is also raining? Well, you do the next best thing, you make a cup of tea and have a look at the photos you took a few weeks ago when you actually did take that walk in the sunshine.

A Canadian Scene

There are not many scenes more Canadian than street hockey, especially on a snowy winter's day!

Welcome Spring!

When it is the first day of spring, and there is still lots of snow on the ground, what else can you do than go with the flow... and make the best of it!

Covered with Lace

Yeterday it rained, it rained so much that I actually had to use an umbrella to walk outside. It felt wonderful to need an umbrella again... a sign of spring. When I went to bed it was still raining... so imagine my surprise this morning when I looked out to see all that newly fallen snow.

Oh dear, one step forward... two steps back. So now I am trying to see the beauty in this new snow, to look for the silver lining. For starters, the way the snow fell makes it look like my blue fence has a lace covering. And that's rather pretty.

Build a Quinzee

Quinzees are great fun and much easier to make than igloos. Kids just love them and the walls are so thin that there is no danger if they collapse. They are an amazing shelter, are made with only snow, and they really do keep you warm. Knowing how to make a quinzee can save your life. There are lots of sites out there that give detailed instructions with photos, but here is a quick rundown.
1. Pile snow into a mound the size that you would like the finished quinzee to be.
2. Let the snow "settle" for a couple of hours.
3. Scoop out the snow, working, back, up and around. Clear out all the scooped-out snow as you work.
4. Snow should be scooped out until the wall thickness is about an inch all around. You will be able to see light through the snow.
5. Enjoy!

Behold the Beauty Beneath

We tend to miss the lusciousness of summertime trees dressed in their green finery. But stripped to the bone, they reveal their essence, the bare beauty beneath.

Exercise Outdoors

Whether it's skating, skiing, tobogganing or some other winter activity, try to get out in the air and get some exercise. Sunshine, fresh air and physical exertion all help to combat the "February blues".

Make a Snowman

How long has it been since you made a snowman? Whether it's a snow person, snow pet or any other snow sculpture, this traditional winter activity gets you outdoors to do something creative. As long as you have the right type of snow, this needn't take all afternoon. The simple traditional snowman requires little more time and effort than rolling three balls and adding decorative details with the use of items from around the house. But the old-fashioned result is so warm and comforting.

Try to place your cheery character in view of a window so that you can check on him from inside whenever you need a little pick-me-up. Snow figures are guaranteed to make you smile.

This charming fellow was made by a neighbour. It's time for me to get a little fresh air and make one of my own! Won't you join me?

Change Your View

Welcome to February. Now don't flinch. Yes I know, this most challenging of months is upon us. But fear not, for as I mentioned in yesterday's post, I have an idea a day at the ready to help see you and me through this month with a little less angst. These wee suggestions are simple things that hopefully will make this time of the year a little more bearable. And in 28 days, we'll be out the other side!

Let's begin the month by finding an alternate view of these wintry days. When it's cold we tend to walk about, head down, with only the goal of getting to our destination in mind. The view of our surroundings narrows considerably. If you look closely enough, you'll find that we are, in fact, surrounded by beauty. So grab your camera and go outside. If you have some woods, or other natural settings close at hand, off you go. If not, don't fret, there is beauty right under your nose. You just have to see with different eyes. These photos were taken in my garden, only steps from my front door.

So, has this altered your view at all? Will you go and seek the beauty in winter and record it?

Cold Beauty

Sometimes you come across a scene so beautiful it stops you in your tracks. It's a cold day here. Cold enough for the radio to issue warnings, to remind people to dress for the weather, and cold enough for the temperatures to make the front page of our city's newspaper. But look at what these cold temperatures can produce. This lovely scene greeted me this morning on my way to work. An example of Nature as artist.

A Different Perspective

I first noticed this painting in the window of the local thrift shop on one of my lunch hour jaunts. I was immediately drawn to it, feeling as though I was there underneath the snow-laden boughs, peeking out at the landscape that lay beyond. The snowy canopy reminded me of one from a particular afternoon walk along a trail when I had emerged from under a group of pine trees laden with clumps of snow, blue-shadowed in just the same way. I was so taken with the scene that I felt compelled to go into the shop (which doesn't take much prodding, truth be told, when it's a thrift shop) and fished it out of the window, to check the artist. As I suspected, it was Lawren Harris, one of Canada's Group of Seven. It is a partial view of his 1915 "Snow II".

What I didn't expect though, was the discovery that the painting had been placed upside down in the display. And right-side up, the scene was not nearly as interesting to me, just a group of snowy trees. What I took to be the trunks of the two trees at the centre are actually the tips. What I thought was snowy ground was actually the sky. Disappointed, I replaced the painting, careful to put it back in the window right-side up.

A few days later I was passing by the window and noticed that someone had shifted the whole display. The painting had been moved over a little and again was upside down. How peculiar. What is it about this painting that makes people see it so differently than they way it was painted?

Taking this as an omen, I decided to buy it (not really a major purchase at $1.99). The painting is a reminder to keep an open mind, to try and see things in different ways. Maybe we should all turn the artwork in our homes upside down now and then, just to see things from a different perspective.