Off the Beaten Path

Sue's prompt for the day was Off the Beaten Path. Since we already had to go up the highway, we eschewed the actual highway and opted for the back roads. It wasn't a long journey in either case, for rural roads are plentiful as soon as we are outside of this town,

Are soon as we swung onto Drummond, we spotted a snowmobile trail leading who knows where. Sue hopped out to get a picture while a stayed in the car on the road to the right  

As it turns out, she didn't use that one for her post, but I think it is a good one to share here.

While I was parked, a snowplow approached (you can see some snow blowing around in the distance, above). I was beside myself with anticipation for showing you all a rural Canadian snowplow in operation. I shot a sequence through the car window, but I liked the two closest photos the best.

How great! Sue got a photo, and so did I. We continued along that road to where the trail crosses Drummond. This is the same trail that we walk in town, the one with the bridge. It is part of the OVRT (Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail).

The 296km Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail is a multi-use corridor stretching from near Smiths Falls to just shy of Mattawa, passing through Lanark County, Renfrew County and Papineau-Cameron Township.

Below, we both are out of the car and photographing each other as well as other things. I think I neglected to mention that it was another bitterly cold day (the old zero, haha), especially on our naked photo hands.

the plow is approaching in the distance

Sue's photo looks south along the trail. Our town, Carleton Place, would be a little farther along. For her post, Sue picked a photo similar to this one, but she chose a landscape (horizontal) orientation while I preferred her portrait (vertical) orientation.

Meanwhile the plow had turned around. Since I already had plow photos from our first stop, I opted for a short video clip this time. (I can't tell how this will display until I hit Publish, so I am not sure exactly what you see, but the video should be there somewhere. lol)

The Darn Dam

As I mentioned yesterday, I did not expect to post today, but having snapped two very new photos for me, I might as well do my thing and drop them here.

I have obeyed the Please Do Not Trespass sign behind the apartment building for two decades, but I ignored the sign yesterday. As a result, I saw the dam from a different perspective than ever before. I will add that it was an extremely cold day when intelligent people would have stayed home if they could. 

And that is all that I have to say today.

Miscellaneous Winter Photos

People were wondering how Sue would fare in her quest for her seasonal photo. In her 4th return to the bridge to photograph the downriver view, which is more or less eastward, the conditions were right, and she nailed it.

That is pretty grand, and she will return there in the other seasons to try to capture the same scene. But she did get another great photo — below.

I do not have any photos of a similar ilk, but I do have two from town hall that are very Canadian, eh.

While Sue was taking her wonderful photos, I was having coffee with the boys. An old neighbour walked by. As we talked, I grabbed his photo to show Sue. Al is 92 years young. He was having coffee with friends after playing the dobro guitar at the seniors centre. Back when I was trying to learn the fiddle, I jammed with Al a few times, or tried to.

As is out custom, we took a couple of selfies as we roam about.

The previous selfie was quite obviously a car coffee. So, I took one more photo of the tree in front of us by the river. There was just enough snow on the branches to make it more interesting than usual. 

If I may show one more while I am at it, because I probably won't have anything to post tomorrow, here is the scene from my den as I have gazed out on many a January morning. So often there is another thin layering of snow on the cars from overnight. While we haven't gotten too many huge dumpings, it all mounts up over time as you see on the roofs and beside the driveway.

It remains cold, but that is typical January weather. February will soon be here, but it usually isn't much better except maybe near the end of the month.

Winter PIcs

If you haven't seen photos of the storm in Toronto, I'll post just one from X.

Environment Canada confirms that the 46 cm at YYZ is highest daily snowfall on record and Jan. 2026 snowfall total of 88.2 cm is snowiest January and snowiest month since records began in 1937!

For once, we got off relatively easy here, but there was enough to bring out the plows. This is what I saw from my den window in the morning.

I think I have posted this guy twice already, so I will try to refrain from going on and on all winter, but it is such a joyful sight in the morning, well worth the $500 (with tax) charge (for a short driveway). In fact, it is a necessary expense at this point in our lives — one of the costs of being a senior.

That's about it for the most recent storm, but I'll post a few other winter photos that I have previously overlooked, starting with these two shots from the nearby, frozen pond. We tend to often revert to minimalism in winter.

Fox tracks?

Determination

The old mansion and reflection on that very cold day by the bridge.

Speaking of the bridge, Sue keeps dragging me down there to look for a composition for the four seasonal photos that she'll need to post this year. I don't think she's found the right one yet, and I believe that her winter photo needs to be posted on Wednesday. 

The Warming of the Cockles

We were watching tv after supper when we heard a beeping. As the scene changed, we realized that the beeping was occurring in our house and not in the story.

It was the microwave. After more frantic beeping, the poor thing gave up the ghost.

That was on Wednesday, so on Thursday we nosed about online to see what we could see, but it was a bit confusing.

We recalled that Danica has an employee discount from her parttime job at Canadian Tire, which is a good Canadian store with which to deal. That store, by the way, sells much more than tires.

Danica decided that she would pick us up at 1 o'clock or so on Friday and take us where we needed to go. She drove over here but switched to our car where she felt that grampa, with the bad back, would be more comfortable.

First things first, though. We went to the Blue Spoon Atelier for scones and coffee.

Sue and I had scouted the microwaves at Canadian Tire in the morning, so Danica, with a little assist from me as the ladies are very concerned about my back issues, got the appliance loaded onto a cart, and we were soon paid and, on our way.

Danica soon had the microwave set up and working.

Here's the thing. Sue and I could have managed on our own although with some difficulty, but the kid stepped in and willingly took the lead role for the afternoon.

After that, she sat and talked with us for quite some time.

Danica is a really good kid that reminds me of Sue, who has always been the type to reach out and be generous and helpful and an all-round good person who both likes and is liked by people.

She warms my cockles, I tells ya.

The phrase "cockles of the heart" refers to the core of one's being, often used to express feelings of contentment or warmth. It is derived from the resemblance of the closed shell of a cockle to a heart, suggesting a metaphorical connection between the heart and the emotional state. The idiom has been used since at least the 17th century, with the expression "warm the cockles of the heart" meaning to evoke feelings of happiness or joy.

Why There is No Ice

Yesterday's post prompted a very good question. In effect: "Why isn't the river frozen at -30℃?

The Quick Answer: Because the water is flowing very fast.

The longer answer is that the river does freeze where the river flows slowly. In point of fact, about two miles upstream, they can drive their trucks onto the river and set up their huts for ice fishing. You can see ice huts in the distance in this ↓ picture that I took way back in 2013.

To further explain, I grabbed and annotated a map view from GMaps.

I took yesterday's photo (first one today too) from Bridge Flows Fast, pointing toward the top of the map, looking downstream (the direction that the water flows).

The second photo with the ice huts was taken from the bottom red rectangle at Hay's Shore. The width of the river results in a slow flow, so the water freezes. It is wide enough here that we call in Mississippi Lake.

As the river narrows, the rate of flow increases. The middle red rectangle is approximately where the conditions change from ice to water, somewhere in Riverside Park from where I post a lot of photos over the course of the year. This ↓ photo from December shows mostly ice, but there are a few spots of water. Shortly after this, if we were to get nearer the bridge (off the photo to the right), there would be no ice but open water. The line where it changes from ice to water is variable, depending on how cold it is. I imagine the ice extends quite a long way right about now.

The Coldest Day

We have good windows that we upgraded to a few years ago, but when it gets this cold, they still ice up a bit at the bottom.

Lacey used to love it when this happened. She'd lick the ice to her heart's content. It seems appropriate to mention that on a Caturday.

The temperatures dropped in to negative 30s overnight. It doesn't much matter whether I post in farenheit of celsius at that point because the two scales are quite similar and even identical at -40.

There will be no walkie today, but there was a brief excursion for photos as Sue wanted to test out a site for this year's seasonal photo challenge. She will need four photos over the course of the year but will have to settle on this year's scene with the first posting coming up next week. She has decided to post from the main bridge, like she did last year but looking downriver instead of upriver. 

I don't know whether she found a composition that she likes, but I took a few quick shots of my own. As we expected, mist was rising off the warmer water, and that frosted the trees as you can see best in the third photos.

It was just about cold enough to set me to coughing when I beathed-in by mouth, and although we dressed warmly enough, my fingers began to freeze quickly when trying to take those few quick photos. I was glad to promptly stick them back into my heated mitts.

Back to the car we scurried and then went through the drivethrough at Tims for large coffees with double cream. We shall remain inside for the rest of the day.

Sleeping Less and Feeling Better About It

I am linking to a short article on MSN: Sleep after 65: Here's what this expert recommends, which quotes a Dr Estivill The upshot is this: "for people over 65 . . .   aiming for the famous 8 hours is not only useless at this age . . . but can even harm the quality of sleep.”

It only takes a few minutes to read the article that I linked above, but, regardless, I will post these summary points for your convenience.

• Sleep about 6 hours a night, if the sleep is continuous and restorative.
• Take one or two short naps during the day to complete your rest.
• Maintain a regular routine: get up and go to bed at fixed times.
• Avoid screens and stimulants at the end of the day.
• Don't feel guilty if you sleep less than before: it's neither a problem nor a pathology.

It makes me feel a bit better although I don't do nearly as well as I would like with the recommended daily napping. Somewhere along the line, I seem to have lost my ability to enjoy my once-usual, ten-minute nap. However, I do doze for very short intervals sometimes, which can be annoying if I lose the thread of a tv mystery, for example.

I will also not refer the article to Sue who, for some reason, nature has forced into the opposite direction, her requirements in seniordom having increased, not decreased.

========================

Having read the article, I kept track of my sleep via the Sleepwatch app for seven days. While I almost always check the reading in the morning, I usually only just look, shake my head despondingly, and go on my unmerry way. This time, I have paid attention over a longer period.

I slept less than 5 hours on 3 of the 7 nights, the lowest being 4:20. Two of three 3 nights were consecutive, which is far from ideal. One other sleep was not much better: only 5 hours right on. I managed 6 hours 3 times, the longest being 6:40. While that isn't bad, the other 2 were just 6:00 and 6:05. I feel better about life when the first digit reads 6, but that is just a mental comfort, for I sometimes note that I seem more tired after my longer sleeps.

A little more math revealed that I slept an average of 5:40 over those 7 days, so I guess that puts me almost in line with the article although it does recommend 6 hours/night.

The Speech

Prime Minister Mark Carney's speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos drew much attention and praise. I've embedded it below. It lasts for about 15 minutes, followed by another 15 minutes or so of questions and answers. Well, that is a lot, so I have noted some excerpts below, in addition to the full text. I think it is good for Americans to have a bit of a glimpse into what leaders in the rest of the world are thinking and saying.

Direct Quotes from the Speech

Let me be direct: we are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition

We should not allow the rise of hard power to blind us to the fact that the power of legitimacy, integrity, and rules will remain strong — if we choose to wield it together.

And it means reducing the leverage that enables coercion. Building a strong domestic economy should always be every government’s priority. Diversification internationally is not just economic prudence; it is the material foundation for honest foreign policy. Countries earn the right to principled stands by reducing their vulnerability to retaliation.

Canada has what the world wants. We are an energy superpower. We hold vast reserves of critical minerals. We have the most educated population in the world. Our pension funds are amongst the world’s largest and most sophisticated investors. We have capital, talent, and a government with the immense fiscal capacity to act decisively.

Canada is a pluralistic society that works. Our public square is loud, diverse, and free. Canadians remain committed to sustainability.

We are a stable, reliable partner—in a world that is anything but—a partner that builds and values relationships for the long term.

The old order is not coming back. We should not mourn it. Nostalgia is not a strategy.

But from the fracture, we can build something better, stronger, and more just.

Link to the text of whole speech. (supposedly, but I am not sure if the link will hold)

If you need more Mark Carney, here he is with his cat.

A Very Weak Sun

After a terrific walk on Sunday that I posted about yesterday, Monday's perambulation was of the more miserable sort. Although the thermostat read warmer, the biting wind sure made it feel colder. Fair to say that the sun was weak.

Indeed, the day was dull.

Looking south from the trail bridge

Looking north from the trail bridge

As a bonus, I present another icicle photo from the much nicer previous day.

Blue Monday

Welcome to Blue Monday. No, I don't mean any ole blue Monday, I mean The Blue Monday. 

. . .  the folklore of calling the day Blue Monday came from a travel company, which encouraged people to take a holiday vacation during a normally quiet travel period. (Blue Monday 2026)

The third Monday of January has been referred to as Blue Monday, the bluest day of the year, by some since it was used as a marketing ploy by a travel company back in 2005. While there is no clinical evidence that this is the case, it does make some sense. To wit: the lights and festivities are long over while so many continue experience darkness and cold without much of a break from routine looming on the horizon, the single MLK day in the USA today notwithstanding. 

Yesterday's walk was anything but blue unless we are speaking of the very nice, blue sky. It was another cold and bright January day, but not as cold as my previous posting with temperatures not falling too very far below freezing.

We were passed by a number of snowmobiles on the Bridge Trail, but they came and went so fast that I couldn't extricate my phone in time to snap any pictures. I'd get the phone out too late and stuff it back in my pocket, but then another group would by, and I would miss again. Finally, I caught one when we off the trail but approaching it from underneath. I had no time to zoom, but at least I captured something, right where I wanted the snowmobile too — in the centre of the bridge.

A local FB group has been asking for ice photos. I found a few icicles on old buildings near downtown.

It was a good day, with no singing of the blues.

Après la Tempête

It wasn't the greatest storm ever, but it was great enough. So, what comes after the storm, après la tempête. Actually, it was all very normal out there. The roads were clear enough. Secondary roads like ours were snow-packed but drivable. Major throughfares were largely down to pavement.

I was slightly early to meet the photo boys for coffee, so I detoured up to the neighbourhood park. Unfortunately, not much snow was sticking to the trees, but there was a bit on some branches.

The same was true at Riverside Park, but there was some on the very distant trees by the boat house across the river. So, I stood on the road by the park, zoomed mightily, and got this.

I met with the lads for two hours, and then Sue and I went for a walk to our park after I returned to the fold.

Some good-hearted local denizen has blown a path though the drifts.
I don't know why the town won't do this for us, but
praise be for good-hearted neighbours

The temperature was hovering around -18C/0F. We just call it the Old Zero from being brought up in ancient, fahrenheit times. It's hard to explain to non-Canucks, but those are delightful walking conditions when it is bright and calm and when the snow is freshly fallen.

When we arrived back home, I took my first photo of the rising snow field on our front lawn. Many will recall that last year, the pile extended well beyond my 6' height. I don't have a reference marker, other than the stakes for the blower people, but it will do for now.

I haven't measured the two markers for the snow contractors,
but I think they are about 4' tall, and the snow in the
middle of the yard is approaching that height.

All Clear

Sue though she heard the snow guys just after one o'clock. I headed to the garage, hoping to clear the patch just in front before the blower got there. Alas, I was late.

He got pretty close to the door, so there wasn't much for me to clear.

Luckily, I did get my yearly shot of the blower in action. They more often than not come in the middle of the night or when I am not aware. The process is so quick that unless I happen to there with camera at the ready, they will be done and gone before I can react, even if I suddenly realize that they are there.

They took a little longer to get to the kids place, so we did a little messaging with them assuring them that the plow would be there soon. I often just speak my messages on the phone rather than type, especially if I am sitting down to watch tv. Note the spelling of plough/plow.

yes, the plough will come

That surprised me. While I use the British our and er endings, and while I dutifully double the consonants, I am a plow dude and not a plough guy. When I tried to explain this to the kids . . .  well you'll see.

I just noticed that when I dictated plow, I got the proper CANADIAN British version not the American version. But this time when telling you that I got the American version.

Poor spellcheck. Poor me. Poor little Canadians are we. 

I go out periodically to push the snow away from the garage and off the walk. I push it a little way down the driveway, for the plough/plow to blow off the driveway and onto the lawn. I took some night pictures that show the pile near the garage. I know it doesn't seem like that much, but recall that the driveway had already been cleared once already.

I did one final pushing at 11. Snow was no longer falling, and the driveway is clear this morning. They will return one more time if the town plows us in, but the plan to meet the boys for coffee this morning should come to fruition. I see that JJ gets another day off, and Danica doesn’t have classes on Fridays this semester. Shauna will still have her drive, but she'll be fine.