Gotta Get Out On a Day Like This

Another stunner, cold and sunny, with lovely rich light, perfect for a little scuff on the snowshoes. Did a small trail thru the woods back of house, then along another path that skirts the shoreline just back in the trees. Here's a pic from one of my favourite vantage points, looking across Conception Bay towards Kelly's Island and Bell Island, with the Portugal Cove shore in the background. About 15 minutes from the house...

Booah today - hanging in very nicely at 16...will hit 17 in dog years in May...that's 119 in human years!!! - lot of miles on the ol' clock, but like a solid old beater of a truck, she just goes and goes and goes...she can run the legs off me anytime at all...

...but she does enjoy her LazyBoy at the end of the day...

Misty Day on The Bay

BOO!

Been a while - lots has changed, but all's OK. Been spending time at the cabin, mostly feeding the woodstove and taking things easy. Weather's been nice. Here's a a few pix to hopefully get things rolling again at the Point.

Visitors Centre, Saltons Brook TNNP

The Narrows, Saltons Brook

Malady Head, TNNP

Malady Head again, this time from the water

Been A While...

Three years, to be exact - and there's been a lot of changes since then.

Firstly, finally, and most importantly Chris is gone, after 35 years of wonderful togetherness and a mercifully brief battle with breast cancer. Miss her every minute of every day...

Since then, my friends, and most especially our two daughters and their husbands, have carried me forward with their concern, companionship and love, for which I am deeply, deeply grateful. That's all I want to say on this, because there is really nothing more to be said, except that we should cherish those we love every minute we have with them...

I wanted to start Ballyhack Point again now because life goes on, and there are still many, many things in life that remain beautiful, fascinating and to be celebrated. In the months ahead, I'm hoping to post  occasionally about things that matter to me, be they major or minor, and to add a few more thoughts and pix about the incredible island where I'm blessed to live. We'll see how it goes...

The Winter What Wasn't

Been a mild one this year - very little snow, no real cold snaps. Lots of rain, freezing rain, drizzle, freezing drizzle, fog, freezing fog, flurries, wet flurries with hail and freezing fog or rain,  and the odd capful of wind...but nothing that would pass for a  good old-fashioned, half-decent winter...

Notice the lack of white stuff - there's only been snow enough in the woods to use the snowshoes twice this winter, and we didn't really need them either time. Haven't even bothered to wax the XC skis...

 

This is the view from our daughter and son-in-law's deck, taken Boxing Day - really, Boxing Day - not enough snow to make a  snowball...

 

We did have a few dirty days, which was great - got to do at least one short snowshoe run when the wind was driving a few flakes across the Bay...

The one big storm we had dumped about 30 cms., which was enough to make it worth getting the new-to-us snowblower out and running. It ain't no Honda, but it does the job - and just as well it does...

 

Booah seems to have the best approach to this sort of weather...

when it's fit to be out...

Get dressed and get out...

  

 ...And enjoy while it lasts,

'cause there's a  time coming when it won't be fit...

 

To put a dog out....

Look Who Dropped By

A few seeds, a sharp-eyed friend drinking tea, a Christmas camera with lotsa zoom and a lady who knows how to use it - voila, you've got yourself a very nice pic of a very rare bird.

This Chipping Sparrow isn't supposed to be here in the Gullies. Both The Birds of Canada and Birds of Atlantic Canada show its range no further east on the island than the Codroy Valley area, which is about 900 kms. west of here as the sparrow flies; Birds of Newfoundland doesn't even list it.  Thanks to Rod for the initial I.D., and to Tony for confirmation.

(Photo: C. Mousseau)