We had the Polar Vortex two weeks ago, -28 C and a wind chill of -39 C, but the rest of February is supposed to be mild, as it was on February 13 and the rest of this week. It's a good walk on the hidden trail and then to continue to Meadowbrook Golf Course and home along Cote St-Luc Road. You don't want to waste this mild weather since most of the rest of the day is spent in-doors. This isn't walking just to enjoy being out-doors, to hear birds singing, to feel that spring is in the air, to feel the sun on one's face, to see the neighbourhood, it's walking to stay alive.
Wednesday, February 15, 2023
Tuesday, February 14, 2023
A good day to walk on the hidden trail
It was a sunny morning and a blue sky, it was +2 C, it felt like spring was in the air, so what better to do than walk on the hidden trail? Good news, only thirty days to the first day of spring.
13 February 2023
Sunday, January 29, 2023
Friday, January 27, 2023
Our 30 cm snowfall
Here is our 30 cm snowfall as seen this morning, several days after it fell. Soon the city workers will be out there plouging and trucking away the snow; it's been worse than this, one year we had so much snow that it was difficult for the city to find a place to dump the snow. It's also getting colder over the next few days, perhaps -20 C cold. Still, there is only seven weeks of winter left, the end is in sight, and it hasn't been all that bad a winter so far.
Tuesday, January 24, 2023
"The Snow Is Deep on the Ground" by Kenneth Patchen
Saturday, January 14, 2023
Yesterday's snow storm
Thursday, December 1, 2022
Last day of November
Photo taken on 30 November after a second pruning of these trees this month. |
A neighbour had this row of trees pruned, branches and some boughs have been removed; my hope is that this will give me more sunlight next year. |
Some rose bushes have been wrapped in burlap while this area has a layer of leaves and burlap covering it. |
Any gardener will tell you of the advantages of mulching; don't discard last fall's leaves, rake them onto your flower beds; in the early spring you'll see new growth where you raked your leaves. |
The end of November and these flowers, in a hanging pot, are all that is left in the garden despite the cold and snow we've already had and that subsequently melted . . . |
Saturday, November 12, 2022
The hidden trail in November
There are never many people on the hidden trail, perhaps one or two dog walkers, sometimes no one is there but me. Usually I am alone. We're moving along to mid-November and December and the inevitable, unwanted, winter months that follow; one faces them with a certain dread. What will winter be like this year? The forecast for eastern Canada has changed from more snow and colder than ever to quite mild, but our "mild" is most people's cold, long, winter. And that is the problem with winter here in Montreal, it's just too long; a month of winter, as they have in Vancouver, would be enough for most of us, but our winter stretches on from January (the coldest month of the year) to February (a short month so that is our consolation) to March (sunlight lasts longer but it is still very cold) to April (when April showers can be a last snowfall) to May (getting better). Even Toronto has one month less of winter than we do and the rest of their winter is milder than ours. Victoria has no winter, just more rain. Even Burlington, Vermont, just south of us has a milder winter than we do. And our winter can begin in early December, not all of us want a white Christmas, I prefer a green Christmas and an unlikely green January . . . well, that never happens. The thing is to get outside and walk, and it doesn't matter where you walk as long as you get some exercise, even fresh air is optional, we need to walk because it releases positive hormones and gives us a sense of optimism. Personally, I like the hidden trail but, all in all, I like walking anywhere; I like seeing people and their homes, I like walking by stores and restaurants, I even like cars shooting passed me, I like life and people. The hidden trail isn't for everyday walking, for daily walking I prefer the streets and places that are not special to anyone but to me.