Just a mere two weeks ago, I was taking an Autumn walk, where I enjoyed a feast of sight and sound.
But now, besieged by a snow storm two days ago, we have been made captives by the fierce side of nature. We skid through icy roads and make it home only to perform our due diligence, the removal of mountains of snow on our driveway and sidewalk.
After two days, I am determined to break out of this physical and psychological confinement. If we are to have winter in November, so be it. Might as well embrace nature in all her facets. Donning a toque, gloves, winter jacket and snow boots, I ventured out earlier today. Here are some of the sights:
As I treaded through knee-deep snow, I came upon the place where I spotted my deer friend munching on his foliage just two short weeks earlier. And even just a few days ago, I saw his clan scavenging the dry grass. Where could they be hiding in this minus 15 C temperature? What would they have for supper? Where and how do they sleep at night with the fierce wind blowing at even colder minus 20’s?
Just then the sun broke out through the overcast sky, I seemed to hear my deer friend saying: Don’t worry about us. We’ve gone through numerous winters, and still able to raise a clan. As long as the sun comes out everyday…
Even the evergreens seemed to be waving at me, you mind your own slippery drive and cabin fever, we’ll be fine.
Yes, as long as the sun comes out everyday, we’ll soon see spring.
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Ripple Effects 
I like this – the communication between nature, humanity, weather and the seasons. It’s quite a vibrant discussion, isn’t it?
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aubrey,
Welcome! it’s going to dip down below minus 20 tonight… and I do think about the deer. It’s miraculous isn’t it that they can stand such weather while we can hardly go out without layers of clothing. Thanks for stopping by and hope to hear from you again!
Arti
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Oh my! Winter already. I hope the White Witch hasn’t come back to Narnia…
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Ellen,
This is unseasonable… even for us. So we keep our hope high in that this too shall pass, within a week to 10 days maybe. And as in every winter, we have the occasional Chinook wind which can melt all snow. 😉
Arti
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Arti, your photos make me gasp (I especially like the second one–the light, the grass stalks reaching)! So does the thought of all of that snow, and the bitter cold…
The message of hope at the end is lovely.
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ds,
Thanks for your kind words. I woke up to minus 20 temp. this morning. It’s character building I tell you, and learning to see beauty in it all.
Arti
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That is definitely a lot of snow for November! A little chilling even for me, who has a mind of winter. 🙂
We on the other hand have unseasonably warm weather, and not a single snowfall yet, which is quite unusual. I look forward to the beauty, as you show here, but I confess I am a little leery of the cold. 😐
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Ruth,
I warm up by visiting blogs like yours, see the photos of colourful Autumn leaves, or warmer still the sand and birds of the Californian shore in others… and be transported at least temporally to a warmer place for as long as I could. Then back to reality, I’d brace myself like a knight in full armour, and ride onto my horse to venture out, hoping that it would be reliable to carry me on the icy roads.
But I’m sure glad to have those warmer places to visit even for a little while. 😉
Arti
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Everything looks lovely. I’m glad Winter is really on the way, you can never be “cozy” in the summer, can you?
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Alex,
That’s certainly a positive way of looking at it… and yes, that’s how we live through it… filling our minds with positive thoughts. 😉 Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comment.
Arti
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Not too early to snow but too early for that much snow! We got about 8 inches in Minneapolis last week but it has become patchy and dirty because the days have been above freezing. Your snow looks gorgeous and your photos are lovely. Stay warm!
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Stefanie,
I spent a few days in Minneapolis years ago, and remember how damp it was (people used de-humidifier). I suppose it’s bone chilly damp cold in your winter. Here we have very dry climate. So even with the very low temp., it’s dry cold which I think is bearable, well… sort of. And with the sun out, I can even say it’s beautiful.
Arti
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We have to use a dehumidifier during the spring summer and fall but once winter settles in and tempertures fall into the teens and then single digits and then below zero, it gets as dry as the desert and we have to use a small humidifier in the bedroom at night to keep our sinuses from drying out.
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Arti –
Whew! Winter already. It’s a bit disorienting. We wish for snow, for the holidays, but do we really mean it?
I can’t get over the difference in the light in your pictures because of the sun’s angle but also and more so because of the snow and it’s reflection. Wintry indeed! Very icy clear. And on a grey day, (as pictured) the snow looks like it muffles things.
And I love the word “tocque!” I learned it in French as being the hat a chef wears, but I have since working with Canadian owners of my workplace that “tocque” is hat, overall. And pronounced…how do I write it, “touk?”
Wonderful.
And yes, snow would be great, but please do not send any our way ’til I get the Thanksgiving turkey in the house which will be on Wednesday!
Cheers!
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oh,
Toque or tuque, pronounced “tuke”… part of our survival kit. Anyway, life goes on. It’s -17C (1.4F) now. I can tell you the shopping mall is as crowded as ever, and even the public library parking lot is full. So you think because they’re indoors, eh? Well, there’s the CFL Western Final at the McMahon Stadium (outdoor, that is) just as I write this, they’ve sold 35,000 tickets for this ‘must-see’ football game: our home team Calgary Stampeders vs. Sask. Roughriders. Winner will play the Eastern finalist in next week’s Grey Cup, Canada’s Super Bowl.
And there are those who can’t help but smile at all this snow, the skiers and ski hill businesses. We’ll keep the snow up here for a while, so, enjoy your turkey and have a wonderful thanksgiving!
Arti
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I’m amazed at the amount of snow you already have. I saw a few timidly white caps this morning on my drive to work — we had our first wintry-ish storms over the weekend.
I like that your photos include cheery blue skies. Yes, spring will come again. But looking at that snow, it seems a loooong way off!
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nikkipolani,
We’re getting more and more snow and the temp. just dips down below minus 20C. But hopefully we’ll get back to close to zero by the end of the week according to forecast. And for Calgary, we’ll always have the warm Chinook wind that can bring in a 20 degree difference in temp. within hours!
Arti
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So cold, so winter – and so beautiful! Your photos are just exquisite. My favorites are the pair of trees, and the snow piled on the fence. Is it dry enough there for the snow to squeak? That’s the sound I remember from my snow days – but it had to be cold and dry.
We’ve moved at last from summer to fall, and there are hints that over our Thanksgiving on Thursday we’ll make the move to what they delicately call “more seasonal temperatures”. It’s time to dig my own woolies out of storage -I’ve pushed shorts and tees a little past their time, but even I have to surrender eventually!
I hope we don’t have the same interminable January we had last year, but I wouldn’t mind some real cold and rainy. I’m a great fan of “cozy”, and it’s almost eggnog time!
Linda,
I always believe that cold weather conduces to character building… if just for nurturing positivism. So, the hope here is, as Shelley had aptly put it, “If winter comes, can spring be far behind?” And here’s a realistic forecast: While we’re close to minus 30C now, we’ll gain 30 degrees and be back up to 0C by Friday. Good reason for sharing a thanksgiving weekend with our neighbours to the south. 😉
Arti
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Beautiful imagery, Arti! You live in a beautiful place. Easy for me to say, for the lowest temperature I’ve seen is 1 degree below zero. But, like you say, cold weather helps in character building. Helps you appreciate beauty in it all, despite, well, the cold. I learnt this through the other extreme. 50 degree weather in Rajasthan can be killing. But the desert can be painfully beautiful, too!
I hope the weather has let up.
Best wishes,
Priya
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Priya,
50C is a condition I simply can’t imagine! But I’m sure you’re right about the beauty of the desert. Thanks for stopping by and leaving your comment.
Arti
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