Leaf's Bench

Okay - I thought this was an illustrative picture - there are at least the logos of 6 corperate sponsers in this picture and a bench full of desparately worried players...

My second think - what a great job the coperate sponsers did of providing interesting entertainment in the form of of advertisments. The ring of TV that circled the entire rink was really cool (and I actually mean that) and it was used well. The comercials during intermission and pregame on the TV were quality adds, but felt a bit like they were taking advantage of a captive audience who'd payed a fair bit to be there already - a touch tacky - but corporately saavy.

And in final thoughts - I hope the Leaf's make it next year - I like the Senator's, but really its not the same.

First NHL Hockey Game

Thanks to a kindly gifter of tickets, I got to see my very first hockey game at the ACC. I had a great time - but I came out of the game with two thinks. First - I'm not sure professional hockey is enough to justify their staggering ticket prices. Granted the Leafs had a brutal and devestating loss to the Bruins (so I wasn't seeing them at their best), but I certainly remember the energy at some of the Varsity Reds games in Fredericton where there was more excitement and energy in the stands. I mean they had to have celebrities prompt the crowd to "Get Loud" and we had to confiscate air horns (dangerous to other members in the crowd) and keep the kids from pounding on the glass. Maybe its just the city or the crowd - the type of people who can afford tickets probably don't have any energy left to cheer.

Still - a great experience which has certainly seen me reading more sports columns the last few days. I guess I'll be cheering the Senator's for the 3rd straight year through the playoffs.

Regenisis

Well, after a long winter scraggling along indoors, one brave geranium plant has burst into flower this week. There were some casulties of winter and under watering, although my dead mint seems to have decided it no longer feels dormant.

I will have to figure out how to convince my crocuses to spring up, in spite of being stored indoors all winter, I think I'll put them in the garage for now and then see what I can do about planting them in the thawing soil.

Waning Winter Woes

In spite of 2 cm of snow this morning, I sense that winter is waning and spring and all the changes it brings is coming quickly. The above photo was an unusually unpainful self portrait I took while skiing. My geraniums are hanging in - one is even threatening to flower although most of them are threatening to die from lack of water - which I hear is easier to cure than root rot from over watering.

I'm in the throes of thesis writing which is about as pleasent as breaking rocks with hammers and less good for calorie burning and cardio.

Yesterday, I paid Gabe back for all his help with my field work by playing assistant while he took so shots for his school project at Philosopher's Wool in Inverhuron. The people who run it are really cool - and while Gabe was snapping some pictures of sheep, Ann managed to teach me to knit 2-handed fair-isle so quickly that I was pleasantly astonished. They have a lot of good thinks - especially regarding sustainable agriculture - and beautiful sweater kits. So, once I've cleared a few nearly finished projects from my needles, I'm going to tackle a Kilim Jacket in the Night Sky Colourway - which I'm going to try and finish for next Christmas and then maybe try knitting some matching socks or something. Stupidly, in spite of bringing a camera - I didn't take any pictures for my blog. So maybe I can con one out of Gabe later.

It was a good change of scenery even if we didn't add to our provincial park count, I suspect I'll be back in that direction at some point this summer to do some hiking.

The Sight of Silence

Albion Hills... somwhere open.

Sunlines

ahhh... sigh... beautiful.

Snowshadows at Albion Hills

My last ski for the season was at Albion Hills. I did somewhere between 6-9 km (probably closer to nine since I only lopped off a tiny loop) through hilly forest with a few views of clearings and farms. I went nice and early so I got some neat sun effects and some good pictures. Overall, it was pretty nice, but a bit icy in places and the tracks were well worn. It was actually probably the coldest day out this year - it was below zero.

Aroo wearing my Irish Hiking Scarf

I borrowed this pattern from hello yarn and then modified for my big, fat, chunky wool. Aroo says its his now, and I'm going have to knit another one if I want it for myself.

ROM - PPM reunited

Well, the gruesome threesome of the LU EFRT were actually in the same place at the same time for the first time since A. went overseas I think. So - after much discussion we decided to go to the ROM - since only I had been there in recent years at all - and I hadn't seen the new crystal. I'm sad to say that I was a bit disappointed. The displays looked nice, but they seemed totally lacking in the usual explainations that you find in museums. Even the dinosaurs had little in the way of interpretive signs. What there was in abundance were small label cards identifying the artifact and giving some numbers - like date found and location, possibly the period where appropriate - but I didn't learn anything and I found it difficult to read the cards without focusing my energy toward it - perhaps they just haven't finished that part of the new exhibits. It seems a lot less geared towards kids than I remembered. Crazyness!

chickedee on branch

Chickedee Enjoys a Snack

Yum!! Seeds!

I spent about 10 minutes trying to get a good shot of the birds, but this was about the best one. Better luck next time for something unique and cool.

Looking Up River

Here is the scene just above the falls. :D

Frozen Falls

Here I am looking over Hilton Falls (safely behind the fense and still on my skis). I was amazed how frozen they were.

Holy Tree Batman!

Some wood pecker (Piliated is my first guess given the size) has been at work on this tree at Hilton Falls Conservation Area. Now that the snow is back I might get to do the Beaver Meadow Trail.

Prints in the Snow

These prints were among the last pictures I took of the day (shortly before dropping my camera in the snow - but don't worry - it's okay).

All in all a wonderfuly day - I highly recommend this area and I am seriously considering planning some day hikes south of the border in this area. It was very pretty.

The View from Christian Hollow

Here was the one clear view of the hilly upstate New York landscape and yes, the sky really was that blue.

Winter Wonderland in Allegany State Park

It was a perfect day. The weather was beautiful, the snow was good, the people were nice and the view filled my heart with peace and gratitude that I could be there. I did 4 trails - Leonard Run, Christian Hollow, Sweetwater and Patterson - which totalled 13.6 milles or 21.8 km. Not bad. It was all fairly level stuff compared to Mansfield, Highland's Nordic and Hilton Falls (the other locations that I've skied this year). Patterson Run was particularly nice as we met the bus at the bottome of the hill and it was a gentle glide all the way down requiring nearly no effort and infinite enjoyment of a beautiful landscape as we descended into the valley.

A brief escape to O-town

Well, I drove all the way to Ottawa and back (and stayed there for about 3 days) in a snow storm (both ways) and this is one of the only pictures I took. I knit the hat myself and it was well recieved by its recipient. I even had company going in both directions. I did try and get some pictures of the moon last night, but without a tripod or any manual control of my focus - I gave it up for a bad idea (since it was cold) and went back to annoying visiting (and expecting) family with a toy dinosaur.

Back to gabbing briefly about Ottawa, I had good company for the drives and the snow was pretty. We had yummy subs in Omeemee (becoming a favourite stop on highway 7). I actually worked the entire time I was in Ottawa - so even though it was lovely and winterlude - I didn't see any ice sculptures or ski. It was still a good trip, but I thought I'd do more. I did manage to round up a small fraction of the Ottawa folks I know for Coffee - which was a good time. In particular, I hadn't seen my roomate from Fredericton in about 3 years and another old friend I definately haven't seen in almost 2.

so... maybe next year.. I'll actually go visit Ottawa, stay there and be a tourist. :D I still have to visit my Aunt Isabel.

Jennith

Snowing Falling on Cedars

It is amazing how a little snow can make a place seem so quiet and peaceful and make a short hike into a much more arduous one. Yeah for snow and winter... :D

20 km of Blissful Skiing

A day of skiing at Nordic Highlands was well work the early start (I was out the door by 7 am and at the bus pick up for 7:15 (nearly an hour early - between green light luck and it being closer than I thought in the first place and aiming to be early at any rate). I skied for about 4 hours, learned about nano fibers of carbon and how they can lighten a ski and throughly enjoyed the wonder day. The people were super friendly and aside from having to frog all of the work I did on my sock on the bus because I seem to be short 3 stitches (grrr) and having more blister than heel, all was winterly perfect. Gabe popped over yesterday at the last minute and we greedily watched the last 4 episodes of season 1 of Heroes - my new favourite TV show - until long after we should have slept and now I have a reason to be irked about the writer's strike!!! This morning, my altruistic descision not to put the garbage out in the pouring rain (to save the garbage persons from having to heft a box of soaking newprint) bit me in the butt. I started the morning hauling my recyling across the street to meet the truck coming down the other way, dropping the dry, but still heavy box of newsprint (which also happened to be falling apart). The bottom of the box shattered, scattering my now sopping wet newsprint in a big, wet, puddle. I did however get most of it recycled, hauling it to the truck in my arms, then going back for the remains... joy... So, I have a 3rd of a box leftover, but that isn't so bad - or it wouldn't have been until I realized that I'd managed to lock myself out of the house in the process. Fortunately, my mom was up at that point and the rest of the day went smoothly and pleasently - which means I got to drink my coffee when it was just the right temperature and I survived wearing only one pair of socks in rainboots in snow...

Monora Moments

Following a rain-on-snow event and warmish weather, I decided to see if I could record some high flows up at my field site. It made for a pleasent change from fighting with software that likes crashing more than cooperating - and in spite of being practically in the middle of a subdivision, its a pretty spot.

Snowy River Banks

Ahh... beautiful winter

Goose on the loose

Its funny, nearly every time I've gone to Caledon since the beginning of October the weather has been inclement... so here is a picture of a goose trying to fly in strong winds over the 24. It was fun driving that day - I actually slid a bit on a hill doing under 10 km/hr. Nothing happened because I was really nearly stopped, but I was glad to get the winter tires on the following week.

Gabe taking notes at Wilmot

I don't know what I would have done with Gabe - he kindly gave up about 6 weekends to help me complete my fieldwork this fall including taking some great Coarse Woody Debris Pics

Periscope Up

Here is a nice little mushroom viewing the world from a log (CWD) suspended over one of my field sites. Measuring the characteristics of coarse woody debris was one of the major things I did in the field this year. So I thought I'd catch you all up by posting some field pictures over the next few days. Hopefully, I'll have some nice skiing ones to post by Monday.

In the meantime, it is snowing, but the weather is threatening to turn wet sooner than hoped - so join me in begging the artic air mass to get its but down here in time to make gobbs of beautiful fluffy snow. Then it should hang around for a while so we can keep the snow in question!