Snow Day!

 

Snow days are few around here. I hope for snow every winter as I love the way it transforms the landscape, softening the lines of buildings and trees. It adds light to the day and I can often tell if snow fell during the night by the faint light filtering into the bedroom. 

Although I am no longer teaching, there was a frisson of excitement at the thought of school closures. Those days always seemed like gifts - a day free of duty to do what I liked. 

The Varied Thrush is an elusive bird and I see them only when it snows. Its normal habitat is the dark evergreen forests. This one hung around for a short while, long enough for us all to admire his orange and black colouring. 

Dark-eyed Juncos are regular visitors to the garden, so handsome with their sharply defined black heads. They are common most of the year here, but tend to go further north in the summer. 

Spotted Towhees usually feed on the ground, but like the suet, especially now when the ground is covered with snow. All morning, while the snowflakes swirled around, birds took their turns at the feeders. 

We collected the little girls this morning as their mother needed to study. They played in the snow, making angels, climbing the pile of snow shoveled to the side of the drive, and slid down the small slope in our garden. What fun!

Several Chestnut-backed Chickadees stopped by. I watched three of them for a long while, chasing each other through the bare lilac branches, swooping across the snow-covered lawn, and chirping among themselves. It looked as though they too were playing in the snow. 

Tall hats on dried flower stems. Colder weather is here for a few more days and the snow will stay, then quickly melt away. 

A snow day literally and figuratively falls from the sky, 

unbidden, and seems like a thing of wonder."

Susan Orlean

Five Favourites of the Week

 

This week has had many lovely moments. Nothing dramatic, but ordinary days have a sweetness all their own. 

Our hike on Monday was a highlight - all that fresh air, blue sky, and stunning scenery was a tonic.

I made a Leek Tart for the first time. Easy and delicious. Too much for the two of us for a meal, but leftovers are always welcome for lunches. 

Until the past week or two our temperatures have been quite warm and the poor roses keep trying to bloom. Still pretty even when tiny and frozen. 

Two loaves of bread, sliced and put into the freezer. Of course there is always a slice or two to be eaten while warm. 

A bunch of tulips made their way into my grocery cart. Isn't it interesting how tulips lengthen in the vase and have to be cut down every few days? 

It has taken awhile, but I certainly do know it now ­­– the most wonderful gift I had, the gift I finally learned to cherish above all else, was the gift of all those perfectly ordinary days.                            Katrina Kenison

A West Coast January Hike

 

While much of North America has suffered from intense cold and lots of snow, it's been sunny on the west coast of Canada. Frosty in the mornings, but pure sunshine in the afternoons. Tim and I decided to take advantage of these beautiful days by going hiking. 

One of the most scenic places we've found is the Coast Trail at East Sooke Park. Forest, sea, and sky combine in stunning vistas. The route follows alongside the Strait of Georgia. Rocks and inlets form a jagged coastline that can be challenging to hike with lots of scrambling up steep rocks, crossing streams, and rough terrain.

At one point along the trail my water bottle slipped out of my backpack pouch and we watched it bounce down the cliff, wondering if it would disappear forever. Fortunately it stopped and Tim rescued it for me. 

We stop often on our hikes, finding much to admire. For quite some time we observed three hummingbirds flitting from branch to branch in front of us. 

Reindeer Moss Lichen grows profusely in places and its pale and fluffy appearance looks faintly like snow from a distance. I love how it catches the light. 

When hiking in this park we generally travel five to six kilometres. This time we challenged ourselves to go further, to Cabin Point where a Fish Shack built in the 1930s stands as testament to the people who fished along the coast. The trail is more rugged and we felt it. Steeper climbs, longer descents. The going was slower, but the scenery more magnificent. In all, we hiked 10 kilometres. 

The sun has some real warmth in it while being in the shade was chilly. Little succulents grow in rocky crevices and on the sunny side of rocks.

We ate our lunch perched on rocks overlooking the water that changed from blue to turquoise to cobalt. The only sound for much of the day was birds chattering in the trees, the occasional cry of a gull, and the constant waves lapping or crashing onto the shore. 

To say we were tired when we arrived home was an understatement. Dinner was a simple meal and we spent the evening reading until we could no longer keep our eyes open. Sleep was sweet. I'm pleased that I'm still able to do these longer hikes. We hope to do more such hikes in the future. 

Today was spent more quietly, occupied with home tasks and writing. The weather will change in a few days and our sunny weather may end abruptly. 

Home Pursuits and a Tour to a Mountain Town

 

Frosty mornings this week, but sunny skies. I won't complain at all as I much prefer the brighter days, even if chilly, to dull grey and rain for days on end. The Hellebores are blooming, and the snowdrops. 

Since returning home earlier in the week there's been laundry to do, groceries to purchase, and cooking. Soup, granola, brownies, plus regular meals. It's good to get back to my own way of eating. 

One sunny morning in Mexico we boarded a sprinter-van with three other couples and drove out of Puerto Vallarta (PV) to San Sebastian del Oeste, an old silver mining town. I learned that PV was once the port for shipping the silver back to Spain in the time of the conquistadores. The road up the mountain was very steep in places, narrow and winding around dry canyons and dusty mountains. Our guide gave a running commentary on the landscape and economics of the area we drove through.

We stopped at an artisanal tequila factory just across the bridge in the above photo. I'm not fond of tequila, and tasting it in the morning just seemed silly. The other couples happily sipped away. Next stop was La Quinta Mary, a family-run coffee plantation where they grow, roast, and sell their coffee beans. I'm not a coffee drinker, but we purchased a bag of coffee beans to grind and serve here at home. The rest of the family loves coffee. 

San Sebastian is a well-preserved town with cobblestone streets, adobe houses, and colourful bougainvillea draped over walls and softening the landscape. 

Through the arch above is the original jail for the town, a dark and damp place. One bed is still there, used by the night watch. 

The local church was light inside, very pretty with blue and white walls and ceiling. Saint Sebastian is venerated as the patron saint of athletics, archery, and plagues. That's quite the portfolio. January 20 is his saint day and the town was gussied up with bunting in red and white. 

Wandering through the streets with narrow passageways, wooden gates, and tiles roofs reminded us both of the mountain villages in Ecuador. Isn't that blue sky beautiful?

The tour included a delicious lunch eaten on a shaded patio. A quesadilla, beans, fresh corn tortillas, chicken with molé sauce, and of course, rice. Fresh guava water was a refreshing accompaniment. 

We've found that taking tours is a great way to learn more about the places we visit. We use Viator - a platform that coordinates with local guides who are very knowledgeable. It's all done online. Our tours in Iceland last summer were organized this way, too. 

I'll be puttering in the house today, but definitely going outside to enjoy the sunshine! 

Arriving Home

 

After a trip, be it long or short, how wonderful it is to walk through my own front door. All the rooms seem to welcome me, enfolding me in familiarity and warmth. The amaryllis above was not at all open 10 days ago. Now it's in its glory and a second stem will flower soon. 

We arrived last night with time to unpack our suitcases before laying our heads on our own pillows and pulling up familiar covers and falling into deep refreshing sleep. 

I've spent the day doing laundry and buying groceries. Roasted a pan of cauliflower and one of butternut squash. Made a creamy broccoli soup with a hint of blue cheese. After doing no chores for awhile, I am enjoying slipping into the routines of house and home. 

Now, as the sun slips lower on the horizon, I've made a proper cup of tea (no tea bag dragged through hot water), and will enjoying catching up with a few blogs after writing this post.

Earlier, I ventured out to the garden to take a good look at the snowdrops now blooming despite the chilly temperatures. 

The Hellebores are also in bloom, heads nodding downwards so that I must tip them up to see them properly. 

Our visit to Mexico was lovely. Tim's sister and her husband live in Puerto Vallarta, and January seemed like a good time to visit them. We stayed in a hotel, spending time on our own as well as with family. It was fun to speak Spanish again, and to be part of the Latin American culture once again. 

I'll share some of the sights we saw on our trip in future blogs. For now, I'm reveling in being at home. 

Popping in to say hello

 

A quick post from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico where the sun shines most of the day and the temperature is pleasant, but not hot. 

Sunset over the Pacific Ocean. 

Art on the Malecon walk. 

We’ve been walking a lot and climbed a very steep hill to the viewpoint of El Cerro de la Cruz. Gorgeous views. We’ve seen whales and dolphins, lots of different birds, and iguanas. 

Posting from my phone - my excuse if things look wonky!  

Slow and Calm

 

Happy New Year! I can still say it on this Epiphany, this 6th day of January. Slow and calm describes the past days here, days filled with reading, gentle housekeeping, walks between the daily rainfalls, and visits with friends and family. A lovely week. 

The book stack above is of my new books, some gifts, some purchased by me. I've finished We Three Queens, and am dipping into A Garden A Day every few days or so. There's another stack of library books I returned today and hope to update my reading list on the sidebar soon. 

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, 

for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: 

it is the time for home."

Edith Sitwell

Our winter has been unseasonably warm thus far. I had a pot of paperwhites on the porch, but they were slow to open, so I brought them inside. Their fragrance isn't as strong as I remember, but still sweet, giving a hint of spring. 

Isn't that a lovely fox? I received a spiral bound notebook for Christmas with the cover drawn by 5-year-old Iris. The drawing was guided orally by the teacher, but the work is Iris' own. Notebooks and other items with the drawings (by each of the children) are fundraisers for the school. I find it so charming, but have not yet decided what to write in the notebook. 

It's taken me all day to write this post between various tasks, and as evening draws in, it will also be slow and calm. I wish the same for you.