Monday, December 23, 2013

Icy!

First off, a reject concept for this year's Christmas card (I design our card every year!)...


So, a whopping great big storm passed through southern and eastern Ontario over the weekend. Toronto and the surrounding area are a big mess of power outages and fallen trees, as those of you living there know!

We were really worried we'd lost power, as we still don't have a generator. Without power, we have no water. We can run the furnace on wood but without the blower, it won't get the house comfortably warm. But we were lucky. We got some snow and a lot of ice pellets, and just a bit of freezing rain, so the power lines stayed up!

And it's very pretty...




Needless to say, the chickens and ducks and guinea fowl were decidedly uninterested in being outside.



I took the dogs snowshoeing and it was damn hard work. Deep snow with a thick crust of ice that I kept breaking through. But  we made it out to the beehives and back.


The trees are thinly coated in ice. That big tree on the right seems to have lost a large branch but otherwise our trees seem fine.



The ice-encrusted sumac was so pretty!



Sophie was waiting for me up ahead. Tristan lagged behind the whole way, wisely following in my snowshoe tracks. Every so often, Sophie would break through the crust and have to struggle out.


This big old tree was particularly pretty.



Iced prickly cucumber!


And a dog on a mission. She loves her walkies.


Cedar with prickly cucumber vines, all encrusted in ice. It was like a big messy spider's web.



Looks like some poor songbird got nailed from above. I've seen a Coopers or Sharp-shinned hawk hanging around our feeders (I can never tell them apart!)


And there are my poor beehives in the field!



But the bees are okay. I put my ear next to the top entrances and I could hear buzzing in all of my hives.



My little wooden bench is about to disappear!



Sophie helped out with bee inspection!




All the bees behind the garage were buzzing too.


Ya think it's gonna be a white Christmas?

22 comments:

  1. I didn't know Gordon had seven secretaries. Interesting! Your photos are great as usual. What a little piece of paradise.

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  2. You've been busy with the photos. As I've found out there's lots of photo opportunity with snow. You've got a good variety of winter shots...even the bees.
    Have a great Christmas.

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  3. Oh Ma Gawd did we get hit hard in Toronto. I so badly wanted to be out taking pictures of the ice sculpture-trees but we were stuck on the 14th floor of our building! Glad it's over... two days without power and water pressure!

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  4. You seem to have a lot of Sumac around; does it grow wild? Still pleasant here; cool mornings but with lovely sunny (above 10C) days.

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  5. I hope you and all your 2 and 4 leggers have a great holiday!

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  6. You are a mean grinch to do that to Gordon on Christmas. He deserves every single one of them::-)
    And the pics are looking great but I still happy without the snow and cold.

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  7. Anonymous7:59 am

    So pretty, but dangerous, too. We have soooo much snow. Definitely a white Christmas.
    You must get a generator. It's a necessity here.

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  8. It's absolutely going to be a white Christmas. Where was the photo of you with the scantily clad men - perhaps that was your Christmas card this year instead? After seeing your ramble across the property, can hardly wait to get out and do the same. Have a very merry Christmas! B.

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  9. Gordon's Gals? Not a patch on you!
    We need a generator too..blog friend Cindy is for ever teasing about it..hers is still in it's box!
    From all of us, to all of you.
    MERRY CHRISTMAS!
    Jane xxx

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  10. Gorgeous snowy pics. I'll just have to enjoy your white Christmas.
    Merry Christmas Natalie & Gordon. Jx

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  11. You know, you just might have a white Christmas this year :)
    It is so gorgeous with all the snow!
    Wishing you a Merry and warm Christmas!

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  12. Wow, it does look very pretty! I'm glad you didn't lose power. It's no fun when you don't have water! Your reject card made me laugh. Wonder if Gordon was pulling for that card this year? Haha.

    Merry Christmas!

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  13. We are having a white Christmas, too. You know dogs love their walkies! Glad the bees are doing well :)

    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Jenna and Terri!

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  14. No wonder hubby looks happy
    Merry Christmas knat

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  15. Nice Christmas card =)
    Beautiful, snowy photos!
    Glad you didn't lose power.
    Have a lovely Christmas!

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  16. It is wonderful to see beauty in all the seasons. We are having just about the same weather as you, here in Winchester. We braved the cold to drive a half hour to our DIL's church for the Christmas Eve Carols and Candles Service. We were so glad to get back home by the fire with a rum egg nog.

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  17. Meowy Catmas!

    Eat (ham) drink (cream) and Sniff Nip!!

    Love, The Katnip Lounge Kats and Mommy Trish

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  18. Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones! I like to think that all that buzzing is from a fantastic Christmas party inside the hives.

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  19. Hope that little bit of snow didn't melt before Christmas Day arrived. I've said it before, you live in a truly magical place. And I so love the view in winter... from here!

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  20. Anonymous11:37 pm

    It's been quite the winter and it's still December! Lots of beautiful sights. Keep warm!

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  21. Oh so beutiful !
    Glad your power stayed put !
    No snow in southern Sweden , so we are having a green CATmas.
    XOXO

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  22. Gorgeous pics Natalie.......can't believe the bees survive those freezing temps....hardy little critters.

    Claire Xx

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Thank you for all your comments, which I love to read!