The winter that isn't.....

February 8, 2024

 We are just muddling through this winter that isn't. The few and far between sunny days are enjoyed. By mid-morning, the sun is slanting into our south-facing verandah, and I have been known to dress warmly and sit out there in the warm sunshine and read. What little snow we've accumulated, has settled from the mild temperatures and rain, and the surface is a hard crust that may or may not support one's weight, but the smooth icy surface is deadly to try walking or snowshoeing on.

Recently we took a day trip over to Algonquin to look up the Canada Jays. They made a brief appearance, then flew off before we could get the cameras up. The Chickadees were friendly.

 

It was a very dull, overcast day. We walked the Big Pines trail.

It meanders from one giant white pine, to another and circles around the sunken remains of an old logging camp, the foundation mounds fenced in for protection. 

Meanwhile, on the home acreage, the deer are pretty much all gone to the yard. This is a regular runway that they travel on.

There is just the odd fresh track around now. Earlier, they were scouting under all the apple trees for dropped fruit.

We seem to be experiencing an upswing in the rabbit population. We are seeing more rabbit tracks now, or we were, before the snow crusted over. A few years ago, they were scarce. Under the branches of this pine tree is all packed with rabbit tracks. They must have been nibbling on the needles.

I have been spending a bit of time crafting. The Fair Isle cardigan has languished a bit while I finished a pair of fingerless gloves, made out of sock wool.

I had fun making these pin cushions. The left one is a wrist pin cushion. I stuffed them with steel wool, polyfil and dried lavender. They smell so nice. The one on the right is just a tuna can with a weight glued into the bottom, and fabric glued over the can.

I made this cross-body bag out of old jeans, and just have to get a buckle for the strap.

I found the pretty lining fabric in a thrift store, and only had to buy a couple of zippers. The top zipper is inset into the bag. It was a fun build.