From the Weather Book

November 7

November 8

November 9
A wet, cold and grey day.  Very high water this fall.

November 11
Snow, rain and wind.  So cold. 

November 13
A cold mornig at -10C.  Hovered around 0 for the rest of the day with some sun.

November 14
 A wicked wind overnight, rain.  A grey day.

November 16

November 17, 18
Wild, wicked winds for 2 days.  Snow, ice, rain.  Power out for a short while Tuesday late afternoon.

November 19
Cold!  Very light snow on a sunny morning.

November 20
A sunny, bright day.

Missing

I am missing writing and I am missing sharing pictures with you.  Yesterday morning the world was crusted with frost crystals and it was breath-takingly beautiful.

 

I had many errands to run, however, and the camera never made it out.  On one of my trips out of the house, the frost crytsals were raining down from the trees as the sun's heat loosened them from the branches and needles.  I'd never experienced anything like that before.  It was magical.  Upon my arrival home from that particular errand, the frost on the grass had melted, but the in the shadows, the ice remained.  Again, something I hadn't seen before.

 

I hope to be back soon.

Hike to the Falls

 

 

Rare

Interesting evening skies over Maple Lake can be a rarity.  We look out east over Maple Lake so the sun sets above the fields across the road.  Sometimes we are lucky to see some of those sunsets reflected in the clouds over the lake.

 

Here is the moon rising a few evenings ago.

 

 

The wispy mare's tail clouds (scientifically known as cirrus uncinus) tell of rain soon to come.  The evening that followed this was full of heavy rain, lightning and wicked winds.  That is a lesson I learned from my Granddad, and one of the many reasons I think of him when venturing through the natural world.

 

 

 

A Mountain of Cloud

Sometimes, having rain overnight produces the most interesting sunrises.  Not every beautiful sunrise is bright and fiery.  I often find the most beauty in the cool blues and purples and creams.

 

 

Over

Although it isn't true fall yet, summer is officially over.  The lake is quiet once again, and the days are growing shorter and the nights cooler.

 

My summer went by in a flash.

 

A newborn baby and a toddler will suck your time away like nothing else.  It is time well spent, and I know that even the trying moments are worth it a million times over in the end.

 

The last August sunrise -

 

 

 

My sweet little time sucks -

 

 

A Few Mornings

These days have been busy days for me, but not so busy that I haven't been taking my morning photos.  It's no secret that morning is my favourite time of day.  Here are some shots from the last few mornings.

We have had a stretch of warmer weather lately, but soon the days and nights will cool, bringing ice and snow once again to Maple Lake.

I am looking forward to the changes the new season will bring.

From the Weather Book

November 9
- mild

November 10
- mild, rain all night



November 11
- WARM!
- a gorgeous day

November 14
- pink sunrise
- wet, heavy snow and light rain in the morning

November 15
- sunny and mild

Changes

The sunrise is once again perfectly positioned to give us glorious shows every morning.  The sunrises over Maple Lake are at their best in the late fall and winter months.

Throughout the Spring and Summer, the sun tracks south along the eastern shore of the lake.  When the seasons start to turn again, the sun tracks north once again. 

It's now positioned in the northeast corner, which provides and optimal vantage point for us in terms of the amount of sky the bright morning illuminates.  The best sunrises are in the winter.

From the Weather Book

October 27
- cold, grey day
- sunny evening

October 31
- wet, wet, wet!

November 1
- wet snow, rain
- hovering around 0 all day

November 2
- snow on the ground in the morning!

November 4
- very cold!

November 5
- beautiful sunny morning

Mystery

Last week I noticed something strange on the driver's side front door of my car.  A paw-print.  Actually two paw prints.  One was very clear, while the other was smudged as if whatever had made the mark was scrambling or slipping a bit.  It was rather large.  Too large to be a stray cat.  It was large enough to make me think that whatever made the print was looking into my car window. 

But why?

And what was it?

 

 

 

My first thought was feline.  The pads are more round than oval, in particular the centre pad.  There is also no evidence of a claw register.  Now, a claw register likely wouldn't show up on a print left on a car, but the complete absence of one made me think cat.  The reason why the claw register is important is this: a cat retracts its claws when walking, therefore leaving no claw impressions.  A canine doesn't, and the claw registers in a print.

A visit with my granddad confirmed my suspicions.  He believes it was a bobcat, too.

 

Now.  Do I really think a bobcat was roaming around by my house and looking in my car?  I don't know.  There is certainly plenty of bobcat habitat around here - but why would one come so close to our house, and what would it want with my car.

 

But was else could it be?

 

In referencing my tracking book (Tracking and the Art of Seeing: How to Read Animal Tracks & Sign by Paul Rezendes), I concluded that by the size of the prints, it could be one of three things: the aforementioned bobcat, a large fox or a domestic dog.  The prints measured 2 1/4 inches by 2 1/4 inches. 

 

 

 

 

 

We have plenty of fox, and they do come close to the house, so it certainly could be that.  There aren't many dogs around, though, so I'm hesitant to say it was a dog.  There is also the shape of the print to consider.  It is quite round and symmetrical (as evidenced by the measurements!).  Cat prints are typically more rounded than canine, and there is still the issue of no claw register.

 

I suppose I will never know what left the prints on my car that morning, but I will always wonder, and be aware, in particular when I am leaving to go anywhere in the dark!



From the Weather Book

October 1
- sunny, warm, gorgeous

October 2
- gorgeous

October 3
- rain, sun, cloud

October 6
- sun, rain, cloudy, windy

October 7
- sunny, lovely

October 11
- torrential rain

October 16
- rain, rain, rain

October 17
- lovely fall day

October 18
- wicked rain

October 23
- rain

October 25
- warm, sunny, beautiful

Brand New Day

We've had a few lovely fall days.  Hopefully this is the start of another.

Hope

I know this is a recurring theme in my posts, but it's one that I believe in deeply and turn to in times of doubt or uncertainty.

The sun rises every day and we are given a great choice - we can face the day with a positive outlook and a heart full of hope that we will overcome obstacles, both internal and external.  Or, we can dwell on yesterday.  The mistakes we made or the disappointments dealt to us won't fade unless we let them go.

Every day I try hard to make the choice that fills me with happiness.  Choosing to look for the positive makes my heart light.  Sometimes it's a hard choice to make, and it can be almost downright impossible.  But as the sun comes up every morning, I try to take a moment to reflect, and be hopeful for a day full of joys and successes. 

The Old Logging Trail

This morning we set out for a hike along the old logging trail behind my in law's  house.

 

The trail was (and still is) used as access to the woodlot, and about twenty years ago was logged commercially.  The ruts you see in this picture were created twenty years ago.

We supplement our oil heat with wood, so the trees back here are of interest to us.  Rick and his dad cut selectively, only taking trees that have come down on their own, or are old and dying.  There are some very old trees here, some far too large to cut down.

Running parallel to the trail is the small river that connects the beaver ponds.  We were beyond the second beaver pond when I heard water rushing.  I made my way toward the sound and could see farther up where the water opened up into yet another beaver pond.  We didn't go much father than this, but there is still plenty of exploring to do.