Tuesday, November 27, 2007

To the Top of the Wall

Now don't go dashing away just yet. The snow is falling, the temperature is getting downright cold, the lakes and rivers are freezing over and the car-accident rates are going up. It must be getting to be winter in Central Alberta.

Winter in the Sanctuary means getting out on snowshoes and listening to the Red Squirrels cuss you out for daring to be under their tree. Winter in the Sanctuary means tracking the local deer and coyotes through the grass by following their footprints. Winter in the Sanctuary means watching the pre-schoolers lying on their backs in the snow trying to catch the falling flakes; wishing that you had the time to join them.

It's a time to watch the Black-capped Chickadees lose their minds and try to breed every time the temperature rises a few degrees. Chickadees are nothing if not entertaining. It's also the time of year I catch myself staring wistfully out my office window, knowing that it will be dark when I leave work. This winter, I'll be sharing that view with the newly-arrived, previously-mentioned Daring Jumping Spider who has taken up residence on my desk. I'm betting that she is less wistful about the view than I am.

Enjoy the winter folks. It looks like we've set in for a cold one.

1 comment:

Marianne said...

Cold winter is right... here in Meadow Lake, SK, it has been -38 degrees celcius with windchill (-27 without) all week. I look out my kitchen window and see snow almost up to my knee except where they plowed our driveway (of course, AFTER I shoveled a lot of it away, I didn't know they were coming... sigh) All that work for nothing.. I just keep telling myself my frozen fingers are worth all the fun in the snow :)I am looking forward though to being back in the Sanctuary around Christmas doing the activities you mentioned. Thanks for reminding me :)