Georgie and the tapioca snow

It was mild overnight, above zero and as the sun rose, it looked like the overcast skies would clear. By breakfast, bits of blue showed through the clouds. However, the temperature dropped a few degrees, just below freezing and the wind picked up.

While we read the news after breakfast, the golden grand-dog was getting anxious for her walk. 

 

Georgie's idleness lets us know it's time to hit the road or trail for that daily adventure into the great outdoors, regardless of the weather.

"Watch the black ice," my husband warned. "It was icy in spots early this morning." The local weatherman warned the same on his twitter account. I put on the footwear with the most traction but not the ice grips. I was not prepared for the flash freeze.

As we headed out, it started to snow from a huge black cloud over the neighbourhood. Tiny snowballs fell all around and covered us. This type of snow is known as tapioca snow or graupel. 

 

 

With the wind as it was, drifts of snow crossed the road making the ice more difficult to see. The pavement was a tapioca covered skating rink.

I gave Georgie some lead so if I fell I wouldn't land on her. That was all she needed. She pulled and when she did, off I slid, propelled by the wind at our backs and the brute strength of a golden retriever. Georgie had no trouble negotiating the ice as her claws dug in with every step. 

As I slid past the houses I was terrified. Frantic, I watched the road and the dog, hoping no cars would happen by as I was forced to go where my slide dog took me. In a panic by now, with images of the emergency room in my head, I looked for a way out of the dilemma and noticed the lawns looked safe. As Georgie swung by the curb, I jumped onto the grass. We walked there until we reached the house behind ours and crossed home through the backyard. 

Georgie, my heroine, slept most of the day. A well deserved rest!

 

The harbour ice at low tide

The ice in the harbour at Summerside, Prince Edward Island this time of year is fascinating.

 

During our last walk there this week, ice was left behind by the retreating tide, aground and fractured. 

 

Pans of ice are piled on each other in places and have a hint of red colour from the island sand.

 

They abut the shoreline near the range light and the beach along the inner part of the harbour. 

 

The ice stands out against the red rock which prevents erosion along the shoreline.

 

Meanwhile, further out in the harbour, along the shipping channel, there is open water. 

 

The port has been busy this week ahead of the freeze up of the Northumberland Strait.

Soon all will be frozen for another winter.

The damage

We had a wind and rain storm last week, with sustained winds over 100 kilometers an hour. We lost shingles from the roof and siding off the shed. Our neighbourhood is strewn with bits of shingles as roofers make repairs before the next wintery blast. 

Meanwhile, the trees along the boardwalk by the bay show devastation 

 

in the wake of the storm. 

 

The boardwalk has been cleared of debris but the greenbelt has not and the damage is obvious.

 

I fear there will come a day when the boardwalk will not be lined with trees because all will have been destroyed by high winds. 

 

We have another wind and rain storm today.

 

Discovery

One of my favourite Christmas experiences is to sit by the fire reading, 

 

or to sit peacefully in the evening, with the Christmas tree lights, the fire and a few candles lighting the room. 

The evening is a great time for reflection, to consider the past year and whether to make changes for the year ahead. In the last year, it surprised me to discover things about myself I did not realize. It is as if my conscious mind caught a glimpse of the self my spirit always knew.

My husband and I spent time this year exploring places new to us on our island home of Prince Edward. After the tourists left, the trails, beaches, and heritage roads were empty. We didn't meet another person during our explorations, as if we were alone on the planet on these occasions.

 

At such times, the stillness of nature will envelope you if you permit it. Allow it to enter and you become one with the breath of the earth, the rhythm of the living world. 

 

The cycle of life from new to old unfolds all around you. A river or stream babbles so as to report its delight in its condition and by its motion reaffirms the cycle.

We have walked busy streets in various cities around the world, such as New York, London, Sydney, and Paris. We enjoyed the hustle and bustle on the streets, the opportunities to explore and experience new things. We may do it again.

However, I have learned that for me, nothing compares to the feeling which comes with time in nature, walking a trail or beach and sharing a beverage, often a thermos of tea, with a loved one. The tea is almost a sacrament, a symbol of the serenity which bathes the body and inspires the soul. The air is fresh, and the sounds of the water, the birds, the wind in the trees all soothe the mind and body. 

 

Self discovery is an important part of aging. Better late than never.

December sunset

It started as a miserable day. We had snow, enough for the streets to be plowed and the driveway shoveled. By late afternoon however, the sky cleared, the temperature rose above zero and the snow on the roads melted. Most noticeably, the wind was absent. However, storm clouds were rolling into the city.

We parked by the harbour in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, to observe the fireball in the sky as it settled below the sea. 

 

The ice on the harbour, formed in the last few days, was visible because of the last rays of sunlight.

 

 

As the sun disappeared, the bank of clouds advanced in an effort to cover the entire harbour. Twilight held onto its colour as the threat of an impending storm gathered. 

We paused and took in the beauty. 

 

As the sun sets on 2016, I wish you a New Year filled with health, peace and contentment.

The love in Frosty

In September of 2012, my husband's parents, Melvin and Sylvia, travelled from Corner Brook, Newfoundland to visit us in Prince Edward Island. At that time, they had one great grandchild, our granddaughter, Sylvie, who was one year old. 

 

While they were here, they recorded a story book which they dedicated to her. The next year, Melvin died.

 

On Christmas Eve this year, Sylvie and now a second great grandchild, Caitlin, listened to the story read by both of their great grans. Caitlin was mere weeks old when she met her dying great grandfather. However, she knew his name and was thrilled to hear his voice. She recognized her great grandmother's voice immediately. Both girls loved the book and hearing the voices was special for them.

 

I was with Melvin and Sylvia the day they recorded the story. Though he did not realize how soon he would depart, Melvin was emotional as he did his part that day. The implication of the gift was not lost on either of them. As I listened to the story with the girls on Christmas Eve, I knew the book had accomplished what Melvin and Sylvia had hoped for. The girls felt the love and affection their great grandparents had for them, across the miles and through time. Frosty melted the heart.

The tree

Last week, two days before Christmas, we decorated the tree with our granddaughters. If not for the girls, we probably would not have had a tree this year. However, their enthusiasm and interest made us pull out the old artificial tree again this year. 

 

They did a great job; we left the tree the way they did it.

 

I remember when my grandmother lost interest in having a Christmas tree. She gave up the real tree first and bought a seven foot, silver tree on which she put the old ornaments, without the lights. As she aged and began to lose her memory, my uncle replaced that tree with a small table top one. While my uncle was alive, Nan had a Christmas tree, even when she didn't remember what it was. She enjoyed it though and pointed it out when you visited. 

Long after Nan was gone, my mother scaled down her Christmas tree too, from real to artificial at first. Then she had a table top tree which we coaxed her to use and decorate. She did so to please her family but she had lost interest in the festivities. 

Now, I know too. When we put up the tree for the girls, I thought of the women in my family and finally, I understood how they felt. When I was encouraging Nan to decorate for Christmas, I was a child caught in the excitement of the season. "How can you not have a tree, Nan?"

With Mom, I was in the child-rearing phase of life, caught in the flurry of life and events we create for and celebrate with our children. Nan and Mom had done that same thing, in the way common for their prime of life. As they aged, they went along with the decorating because they were part of our family and wanted to please us.

Our tree has some of the ornaments from family Christmas trees of years gone by.

 

The ornaments have been passed along, wrapped with care and used on various trees over the years. They have no monetary value but they tell their own story about the circle of life. In that way, they are priceless.

 

 One day, my daughter will understand too.

 

                                       The women in my family