Last Cottage Pics

Before I move on completely from our little winter vacation, I want to post a few more cottage photos. It seems appropriate to show winter photos as we head back into colder temperatures in this area after experiencing some fairly mild ones in the past two weeks. Just the other day, I was almost basking as I waked through a parking lot with my coat unzipped with the sun making an appearance of sorts.

We found quite a few fallen trees this time, particularly on the less trodden pathways which probably haven't been cleared in the past few years.



Although snowshoeing can be quite exerting it can also be a lot of fun. Here Cuppa turns to bless me with her happy countenance.



It's amazing how one can find comfort in the great outdoors even in winter regalia. The cat-like Cuppa is a master of creature comforts.





One day, I found myself in the nearby hamlet shopping for provender and stopped to take a picture of the restaurant that we had visited while waiting for the cottage to thaw out. Also, a few days before, my BIL and I had cause to drive past, and there must have been two dozen snowmobiles parked outside. Seriously, the upper parking area was overflowing to the point that many of the machines were forced to park by the road. Sadly, I didn't have my camera at the time, but I did this time and had just taken a picture when the logging truck went by. I thought how Canadiana it was, and if the snowmobiles weren't going to come out to play on a work day, I could at least get something authentic. I managed to squeeze the trigger just before the truck roared out of sight.



On the way back to the cottage, I stopped the car by a little valley and took these pictures. While I'm not totally happy with them, they do show you more of the local geography: snow, trees, and water.

Winter from the Cottage

I posted a rather lengthy and tedious, narrated tour of the cottage after a visit last March, and I'm sure that no one, including me, could manage to sit through a sort of repeat, so I'll just share a few photos with short notes, this time around. Both then and now, however, I begin at the gate looking toward the house. I must take this picture on every visit in every season, and that is pretty well true for the rest of the photos too.



A plough has knocked the sign somewhat askew this winter, but you can see that the place has been named, Riverwood, which is certainly appropriate as a river forms the eastern boundary, and there are acres of woods throughout.



Looking southward: on a typical winter day, we'll stack our snowshoes in the space between the house and the shed. The remainder of the photos are more or less taken from that same space.



I turn from facing southward to northward, and see a gate beyond which a slope leads up to the woods. Our quaint snowshoe tracks lead off in that direction although they really represent out reutrn route in our treks of this last visit.



The snow was falling when I took the next photo just to the right of the one above. It's the garage/workshop.



To the right of the (almost looking east now) is a little shed that isn't really used for anything but always waits patiently and contentedly to lure the next amateur photographer into its picturesque snare. In this case it catches the low morning light.



The next photo looks southward from behind the house, across the backyard, toward the field that was possibly ploughed or at least grazed a few times in days of yore. There has been frost in the trees that morning, and there is still some remaining on the little trees in the middle of the photo (which you might see if you click through to the larger version).



Panning a little right from the above photo in a more southwesterly direction we see some of the backyard, including a red humming bird feeder, which, for some strange reason, was not attracting too many hummers last week.



Maybe I'll post another set further from the homestead in the next few days.

A Magical Snowy Christmas

We now have a wee bit of snow on the ground with, perhaps, a dumper coming tomorrow morning. It's arriving a little late this year — late for this area at least. This will be our fifth winter here in Eastern Ontario, and in other years we've had snow by now: sometimes quite a lot. I don't mind the snow, but I also don't mind that it has taken its sweet time getting here this year as it might feel shorter on the back end when it tends to overstays its welcome.

Snow at this time of year takes me back to a Magical Snowy Christmas five years ago. At that time, we still lived in Sarnia at the southwestern edge of the province, about a seven hour+ drive to Ottawa. It was about a week later than it is now when we drove partway to Eastern Ontario before stopping at the cottage. We intended to stay there for a week or so and enjoy a winter holiday before continuing the journey. Sarnia is almost as far south as you can go in Canada, and it isn't terribly cold or snowy (in Canadian terms understand), so we looked forward to enjoying a more wintry time at the cottage. We were not to be disappointed.



Once we were within about an hour of the cottage we began to notice some accumulation, which seemed to grow deeper and deeper the closer we came to our destination. The cottage region had received a significant snowfall over the previous night, and let me assure you that freshly fallen snow in the woods is, indeed, magically delightful. So, it was upon recalling that winter, I perused my archives, found the above photo of Cuppa in the snowy woods a few days ago and set it as the background wallpaper on my computer. Since I still can't stop thinking about it, I thought I'd share it with you too.

We had a lot of fun that week, even when Cuppa lost her snowshoe and got stuck in the drift along the riverbank. She required assistance, but I took enough time to get this photo before helping my lady in distress.



It was a memorable winter retreat that year, which we've never managed to duplicate. Perhaps, I will post some further recollections in the coming days.

Seasonal Charm

I promised you more pictures, so whether you like it or not, here they are. This is a bridge to nowhere. The property backs onto the Crowe River, and there is a large tract of forested land on the other side. Some of my BIL's hunt-loving neighbours built this bridge in order to access said land during the appropriate season, but the owner barred the way, so it remains as a Bridge to Nowhere. While I don't love the notion of hunting, I also don't care for the landowner's selfishness. I have seen this more than enough up there where there is an abundance of almost unused land. We're a strange lot, we humans.



Another snowy pine branch and cone very near the other in the previous post.



The previous two photos showed how sunny it was, but then, as I mentioned in the prior post, the wind whipped up the snow in some sort of devilish fury. It was sudden and strange and only lasted for a few minutes.



And this was was of those moments. That's Cuppa and BIL trudging through the driving snow. BIL's two dogs accompanied us, and they are both in the photo, but you might only see one in the size that I am showing you here.



So, you see, all of ye doubters, each season has its beauty and charm. Having made that point, I hasten to confess that I've just about enjoyed my quotient of winter charm for this year.

Home Again

It wasn't a typical winter retreat for us — a lot of visiting and appointments and little snowshoeing and picture taking — but I do have a few photos to post in the next few days. First, let me say that the Internet was horrible, but I did manage to sort of keep up with you through Google Reader. I read from there and stayed away from clicking on individual blogs.

The first shot (below) was taken by Cuppa on the drive in last Saturday, but I'll claim the photo anyway since I specifically requested that she take this shot. I really like it: the snow, the old truck, the winding road, the dim lighting.



Next day, we did go for a snowshoe walk. The sun was bright, and I took this shot of the fence shadows in the snow. Unfortunately, I overexposed, so it's not as good as it could have been.



As we snowshoed along the old logging road, I stopped to take a few pictures. In this one, a snowy pine cone overhang the path.



Suddenly, clouds covered the bright sun, the wind actually began to howl, and the snow kicked up. I quickly snapped this one and rather like it too.



Now that we've had our winter vacation, I'll begin to wish for spring. I know it's too early, and I try no to wish too hard until March, and even then it's too early. Oh well. See you soon with more photos.