If any month can be labelled fickle, it has to be February 2022.
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| February 26, 2022 |
Temperature-wise February dished out everything from a frigid -31C up to a balmy 6C.
February 26, 2022
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| February 26, 2022 |
Precipitation alternated between snowstorms so heavy it reminded us of the lake-effect blizzards we endured while living in St. Marys to drizzle and/or freezing rain that seemed more in sync with life on Vancouver Island. These extreme conditions were not a one-off either. They occurred numerous times this month.
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| February 19, 2022 |
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| February 19, 2022 |
That's not to say this month has been a disaster. Far from it. On many days we were blessed with clear blue skies and brilliant sunshine that hinted of spring. Just last week with the above freezing temperatures we caught our first glimpse of grass as the snow melted at the base of tree trunks and one day we even went for a walk in the rain. And odds were that if a day began dark and dreary with overcast skies it would often end with a brilliant sunset. This February has definitely kept us on our toes!
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| February 1, 2022 |
Fickle month or not, throughout it all we were determined to get outdoors and enjoy the Ottawa River Pathway.
While John likes to alternate between skating, cross country skiing, walking and snowshoeing, I've focused on plain old walking this month and I'm so grateful the Ottawa River Pathway is maintained for multiple modes of recreation.
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February 7, 2022
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| February 7, 2022 |
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| February 7, 2022 |
Three short days later the skies were overcast and yet the sun managed to break through the clouds.
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| February 10, 2022 |
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| February 10, 2022 |
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| February 10, 2022 |
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| February 12, 2022 |
There were a few times this month when I chose to leave my iPhone at home and just enjoy the serenity of being unplugged. It didn't matter how many steps I tallied nor did it matter if I didn't snap a photo. Just being surrounded by Mother Nature was enough. On a few occasions John and I would go our separate ways...him on cross country skis or snowshoes and me on foot.
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| February 15, 2022 |
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| February 15, 2022 |
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| February 15, 2022 |
My choice of footwear focused on a little more grip than slide! These slip-on cleats work quite well, especially if there happens to be underlying ice.
The highlight of February is Valentines Day, of course, and this year it was made all the more special by these beautiful handmade gifts from (and made by) our daughter, Sarah. 💗💗💗
And, another beautiful sunset!
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| February 15, 2022 |
On numerous outings we've met birders with their humungous camera lens and tripods.
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| February 20, 2022 |
One birder explained a Northern Hawk Owl (photo courtesy of Wikipedia) was in the area and we've been fortunate to see him (or her) almost every day we've ventured out. This owl is the definition of snowbird as he lives in the Arctic and flies south to Ontario to spend the winter.
The freezing rain we received last week turned everything into a skating rink and made walking treacherous. Still, we were hopeful we'd be able to go for a short walk and drove up to the parking lot adjacent to the Ottawa River Pathway. It was a sheet of ice and even with the cleats on my boots and snowshoe poles for added balance, we knew it was an accident waiting to happen so returned home.
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| February 23, 2022 |
It wasn't a total waste of time, however. Even without the sun high overhead everything glistened thanks a thin layer of ice that covered every tree branch.
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| Aviation Museum, February 23, 2022 |
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| February 23, 2022 |
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| February 23, 2022 |
Yesterday we received another dumping of snow. The good news is not only is the result beautiful, but the additional layer blanketed the ice and made walking or skiing all the more enjoyable.
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| February 26, 2022 |
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| February 26, 2022 |
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| February 26, 2022 |
Being Saturday there were a few more other people on the trail. Some were skate skiing, others cross country skiing and even a few on those wide tire bicycles that are so popular. This particular stretch was the closest thing we encountered to a traffic jam.
Another fun note, as we were walking I received a text from Katherine in Nice, France. I responded by sending her a quick selfie. Talk about the benefits and wonders of technology. Gotta love it. And let's face it, we enjoyed this February as well.
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| February 26, 2022 |
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