snow, snow, snow

Oh my! We have had a dump of snow. If I could get it to you, Travis, I would! I drove home after visiting family in Ottawa, fortunately between storms. The snow sits on the Precambrian rock like layers of icing. Our railings are weighed down with the delicate crystals. Toronto, an hour and half drive to the south, had freezing rain and snow. We are too far north for that.

The lakes are covered in a thin layer of ice, with much snow on top. Back in the day, they used to cut huge blocks of ice out of the lakes for summer refrigeration. I cannot imagine! Lots of people seem to write about Muskoka's 'good old days'. A book I have yet to read, Browning Island: Lake Muskoka, speaks of the good old days of logging, tourism and agriculture. In My Life quotes a few people who were there is those days. They would store the ice in the ice house, covered with sawdust and pile them 6 to 8 feet high.

We had 43 cm (17") of snow in November, and currently 85 cm (34") in December. It is - 10 (14 F) this morning, but should warm up to a balmy -5 Celsius. I won't know until later, though, as I cannot find the plate-sized thermometer under the snow. Today the sun shines, and it is warmer, the snow blankets the earth and maintains temperatures for freezing plants.

The cats are really upset. Yesterday two of the cats ventured out, shaking each paw with the horrible cold and wetness. They come in, having navigated their way through the snow to go under the cottage to hunt mice. Sady, our tabby, insists on going out, 40 minutes in the cold. Oliver, the black cat, is hiding in a paper bag. Too upset to even look outside! Mitz has a perpetual scowl, she had kittenhood emotional issues we cannot address. She fears the other cats, despite being larger, and will not stand up for herself. We still love her! All three are cats from the Humane Society.

I keep digging the bird feeders out, as the poor critters cannot find the bird seed. I guess I ought to go out and do some more!