Coltsfoot

Usually among the first plants to come up in spring - this aster - Coltsfoot - is bright among the leaves

Photographic Surprise

Taking photos of trout lillies (Yeah! the first I've seen this year) is not always easy. You have a choice between lying belly down on the forest floor or you have to take the picture and hope you get what you want without looking through the viewfinder. I took about 10 pictures, hoping that a few would be in focus. For the most part, they didn't turn out, but this one - in spite of me missing most of the flower - was not only in focus, but contained the image of an insect I hadn't noticed when taking the photo. Go figure.

I'm excited about spring. I actually got out hiking on the Bruce trail twice this weekend. I went to Hilton falls on the way to Guelph yesterday, which was nice despite the line up to get in and I went to Mount Nemo (my new favourite place to hike) today with Gabe. Between us, we have about 120 pictures of turkey vultures (and I have about 15 - which leaves Gabe with the rest.)

Anywho... I'm back in the photo days. Silver Creek is one of my next hits and maybe somewhere next weekend to... I'll post some photos. As for probably one of the longest gaps in my posting - my apologies. Things have been a bit wild around here and I've been trying to spend less time on my computer and more time exercising.

Here are some of my goals for the summer:

1. Get another 20 crest sewn on my blanket
2. Make a small, simple quilt
3. Exercise a little every day - and in the end - be in pretty good shape by the end of the summer.
4. Cross stitch - I bought my first real cross stitch a few weeks ago and I'd like to finish it by Christmas
5. Organize my files better - this means tackling the filing cabinet first and then the boxes of papers in the basement - and perhaps throwing some old stuff out.
6. Get as much of my ruddy thesis done as possible this summer - so that I can escape by christmas.
7. Spend some time with friends and phone some people I owe phone calls and create a book that has current phone numbers of people in it.

Cheers,

Jennith

Cross One Bridge at a Time

This time last year, I was watching the sun rise (well, very occasionally) in Fredericton, NB over the Saint John River - and its funny but I miss the river and the walking bridge and a part of me would really love to hike around Killarny Lake. On the other hand, I spend too much time peering over maps and I have a hole list of provincial parks that I'm dying to see this summer. Things have been a bit nuts here - try living without a fridge for a week while you have company and you'll quickly and you'll understand. Ok... I'd better go find my watch... it seems to be hiding - probably in the kitchen.

More updates later.

Jenn

Hilton Falls

The Weather is Confused

I must admit that I've never been a real fan of spring. Its usually to wet to hike and until the trilliums and trout lillies emerge - not the best time of year to be in the woods. So I played with the photo editor and made this one look a bit more appetizing. The weather, promising a week ago, it threatening snow and while I am used to snow in April (a common occurance in all the places I've lived the past 11 years) I was hoping for an early spring this year now that I'm down south. :D I keep checking the weather channel in hopes that they've changed their minds about the sub zero temperatures and flurries. I guess I should be glad to be facing a few flurries rather than threats of 25 cm of snow, but then again at least you can ski on that (says the girl who only went skiing once this winter).

I also discovered the weather network website which I've always turned my nose up because it wasn't environment canada - but they have way good maps that show temperature, snow depth and precipitation giving a country wide overview. So I think I may visit there more often - and they have more detailed predictions too.

Alright.. no one really cares what I think about the cold or the weather network website. In more entertaining news, I was dreaming that I was swimming laps to prepare for my NLS recert (I wonder if you can burn calories by dreaming that you are doing something athletic) when my FRT radio went off which resulted in me going under and ending up with a mouth full of water in my dream before waking up to a dry and beeping reality. In the good old days, I'd have been half way down the hall running full tilt before I work up.

:D

Jenn

Reflections on Spring

I made myself take time and go for a hike today. I can't say that this is the most beautiful time of year, but still the shapes and colours of the woods are more relaxing than concrete no matter what the colour or surface treatment is. The photo depicts a vernal pool, likely created by a culvert with inadequate capacity to pass the rain, but it was pretty none the less. Surprisingly, there was little birdsong or frogsong although around my house there is ample samples to prove that the birds are up to no good this time of year - but they seem to prefer dawn to 6 pm. It was nice though. I only met 2 other hikers - so even though the trail was roadlike, it still was nice. I'll have to visit Mountsberg soon.

I'm looking forward to field season, I'm sure I'll be glad to be outside lots. I'm trying hard to get back in shape - hoping to get the bike out soon and yeah I'm in Ontario this year and won't have to wear a helmet. I know it is a safety thing, but I can never get the straps right and the are always either choking me or the helmet is sliding into my eyes.

Anywho, the pond reminded me of spring in Kash where the sound of frogs was deafening... at least the ones that Lola hadn't dug up and eaten during the winter.

Goodnight.

Jennith

Lanky trees reflect
In emphemeral pond - naked
Dancing a frog's song

Rapids

I wandered onto Andrew Desmond's live journal for some reason tonight. I guess he's surfaced a bit more in my mind this week owing to it being his birthday, or maybe it was just hanging out with highschool friends or people I've run into on facebook. It somehow seems less angry now than it did when I read it last year - I guess it just made me think how he never had much luck, every time things started to go well, some crazy thing would sideswipe him. I wonder if he ever worried just because things were going good, the pattern was that strong. I still regret that I didn't drop by his work on that Saturday, like I meant to, since clearly Tuesday was too late. Then again, maybe this would be that much more horrifying if it had happened after re-establishing contact with him - knowing him as I did - he'd probably have said something infuriating and iratating and left me feeling grouchy at him. Its all beyond changing - so I scatch my head and wonder at the cruelty of fate. Hope there is still cake and ice cream on the other side.

The FRT end of year party was tonight. We enjoyed a snazzy dinner at a restaurant and some awards. It was kind of nostalgic - not a bad bunch of people really even though living out of town has limited my social interaction with them in general. I'm on shift now, hoping for a quiet night.

Ren and family visited the other day, leaving a small pair of shoes behind should they be wondering where they go to. I made some pretty good spagetti sause, even for me. Unfortunately I'm starting to feel sleepy and should catch some zzzz's, since I can't remember the rest of the list of things I wanted to say.

Night

Jennith