210317 Big Thaw Snowshoes Snowstorm Third Thaw

 Mar. 17

This morning it was thawing once again. Although it was still only minus five the sun was hot and the snow was sliding off the roof in a big curl. Just after I took this picture the snow wave came crashing down.

       

Fig went out for a lengthy explore and now he is dozing in the sun:

*****

It has been a busy few days.

Thursday afternoon (the 11th), as the temperature climbed to 14 above, I snowshoed across to the tree-line to see the stream. Everywhere the snow was disappearing. I wanted to see the stream while it was only beginning to awaken.

This is looking east to Owl's Head, from the tree-line stream.

I crossed the stream over the bridge, sort of a land bridge; the stream runs through a culvert or a natural channel formed with rocks and boulders. There is a plinth in the middle of the stream. I like to think it once supported a statue guardian of the stream or the woods, a minor water god.

Here is a tree for Indre to climb. It will take her across the stream.

Here is a thorny tree-witch.

The stream running at her feet.

I was south of the bridge so I looked for a place to cross: Here was a solid path of snow across the stream and I hoped that there was something solid underneath the snow. I sidestepped down the hill testing my path with my ski-pole.

Made it across:

As I turned and headed back towards home, snowshoeing started to be second nature, it was as easy as walking on a road. (Or perhaps I was in a zen state.)

This is looking east again to Owl's Head and The Sleeper.

Here are the chalet and the barn from the lower meadow.

The third witch! I had almost forgotten she was here. She seems like the eldest of the sisters. She still had a single apple hanging from a branch. 

I said hello to the two other witches. I imagine that the right-hand one is blind. But perhaps they are all blind, being trees. The left-hand witch is the active, protector witch, she is always listening, she is so wise. But not so wise as the third sister.

Clouds over the ridge.

Good night to the eastern hills: 

Good night to the western ridge.

*****

On Friday, I went to Canac, a big Lowe's type hardware store in Cowansville, to get the right colour grout for the bread bowl mosaic. Of course I stopped at Friperie Karma on the way back, and the grocery store for a few things.

Friday night it snowed again and the wind blew. At 2 in the morning, K called to me to say the power was out. I rose and found candles and flashlights; we lit the fire to keep the house warm and after a little while we went back to bed, after extinguishing the candles and securing the fire stove. 

In the morning the power was back on and the sun was shining. But the wind blew down the meadow and raised snow ghosts that drifted like smoke towards the east.

At Karma I picked up, among other reserved items, a Robin Hood hat - very realistic looking, adjustable - and a brave woman wrote to ask, if I didn't want it after all, might she have it. Her son is going through a Robin Hood phase. Once I had tried on the hat and admired its authentic look, like old leather, I decided I wanted the little boy to have it. So it was arranged that I meet his grandmother, who lives near us, at Reilly House on Saturday. It was the boy's birthday this week! So Saturday I was at Reilly House and met this lovely woman and gave her the hat as a gift to the boy. Now I have another friend here! There is such a feeling of community here; I feel privileged to know these lovely people, generous and kind and full of love for this valley and its environs.

*****

Sunday we had another snowstorm; the valley disappeared and reappeared over and over throughout the day. I spent most of my time going out to see the snow falling again or to watch the blowing snow. In the morning the edge of the world had crept past the south tree-line.

A reprieve, the nearest south ridge appeared.

Then all was obscured once more.

The blowing snow rose like smoke from the valleys. The clouds hung low like forest-fire smoke.

And then the world shrank to the vineyard again.

As the sun went down it began to clear at last.

The stars came out that night and shone brightly. The big dipper is higher in the sky and no longer tangled in the trees on the hill. Orion looks bigger and brighter.

*****

On Monday the sun was shining. I did some laundry and some cleaning in the morning. Rain leant me a wringer for the clothes, but it is old and the rollers don't get out as much water as they used to. Even so it gave my hands some help, took most of the water out.

In the afternoon I sat on the porch and watched the shadows lengthen.

Just before the sun went below the ridge the valley was filled with golden light.

I didn't feel up to making much of a dinner, then around 5:00 I took a chicken breast and sweet potato dish out of the oven. I had cleverly put it to cook early in the afternoon. I felt energized to make eggplant and asparagus with lime juice, vinegar and maple syrup, but I wanted onions. So I made pickled red onions: sliced very thin and marinated in vinegar and a little maple syrup. I discovered something that I think chefs don't tell anyone. When you are slicing onion, you can't see past the start of the cut, but if you listen carefully you can hear the knife maintaining the thinness of the slice all the way through the onion. Who knew? (except those sneaky chefs!) Then I suddenly craved eggs. So I boiled half-a-dozen to bring to the table. It was a feast indeed.

*****

Tuesday - ah, what a long day! Went early to Magog to find the laundromat. I had some bigger items, and two or three machines worth of clothes. Just before I arrived in Knowlton I was stopped for speeding: heartbreaking because I am so careful to drive safely and at the speed limit, but I missed a first sign that the speed had dropped to 50; the moment I saw a 50 limit sign I slowed but not before the police person clocked me at way over it. Sigh. 

After stopping for a quick look at friperie Karma I continued on to Magog. It took me only 35 minutes in a ten block stretch to find the "lavoir". My google map took me (eventually) to a dry cleaner to whom I explained: "Je cherche un "laundromat" avec des machines dedans on "puts" des coins pour la lessive.", and I mimed putting coins in a slot. No-one I met in Magog (four or five people) spoke fluent English, two or three spoke none! However the dry cleaner understood me at last and directed me two blocks over to the lavoir. Without her I'd never have found it. It was ancient, but fully serviceable, with lots of machines and only two or three others using it on a Tuesday morning. It was too old and plain to even show up on google maps, the machines only took quarters, which I had to fetch at a dépanneur several doors down, even though the price for a wash or dry was $2.50. The change machine only took $10 bills and then only old ones, not the new ones. But the place was not decrepit, only old-fashioned; it was plain but clean and I was in and out of there in 75 minutes with most of the clothes mostly dry. Out of quarters, I folded everything and brought it home to finish drying. I used my new laundry butter from the all-local-stuff gift store beside friperie Karma. It worked very well, just a tablespoon or two and whether because of the soap or the water, the clothes came out lovely and soft without any artificial softener in washer or dryer.

Except for the speed trap, it was a nice day, and an enjoyable drive. I saw two deer, which was a treat.

*****

Today has been another lovely day. I sat outside for much of the afternoon and enjoyed the warmth of the sun. Fig came out and explored the bare ground in front of the chalet and then lay beside my chair in the sun. Last night's leftovers for dinner - delicious.

Be well. Thank you for visiting. 

Mumma Yaga