Snow: beautiful, dangerous

This is my world. 
We survived another big dump of snow, prefaced by pouring rain in the early hours.  Snow is amazing. It now coats the frozen trees branches. Pine trees sag in the weight of these little snowflakes, building up on sad-looking trees.  The trees are quivering in the wind. The sound is like tinkling glass, as ice wrapped branches crash into one another. Shades of Ice Storm '98. My World Tuesday   But snow can be even more dangerous.

1 body found after B.C. avalanche - and another is missing.

The body of one skier killed by a B.C. avalanche was found Sunday, but the search for a second was called off because of bad weather.

The avalanche struck at about 4:30 p.m. PT Saturday in what has been described as "very challenging" terrain on Tom George Mountain, part of the Howson Mountain Range, southwest of Smithers, B.C.

This past month: three deaths in one day: snowmobiles highmarking. 


Between 2008 and 2010, 31 snowmobilers died in avalanches in Canada, while only 17 skiers were killed during the same time period, data from the centre based in Revelstoke, B.C., shows.


Canadian Avalanche Centre 


This year, 13 locations.
Avalanche Kills, Highmarking Continues

INTERACTIVE MAP: Avalanche deaths in B.C.

IN DEPTH: Avalanches kill more snowmobilers than skiers

IN DEPTH: Avalanches

B.C. avalanche team recovers 3 bodies

Avalanche kills snowmobiler near Smithers, B.C.

Interactive Map: Recent avalanche deaths in British Columbia(2010)

Sunday snapshots

Twas a stormy afternoon drive last week!

We've issues with drivers running crosswalks.
Police are watching...

Save me from them!

Ladies coffee club at Code's Mill! Much fun...

Dunno, but sure was cute!

Why did the muskrat cross the road?

A trip to Carleton Place!

Day trips, that's all that is in our budget these days. Who has time and money to travel??? Besides, there are lots of interesting places nearby in Ontario. These are images from Carleton Place.

It's for rent! 

Old buildings intrigue me

Then the new ones

Smoked salmon and creme cheese

Salad

Aaaahh. Cappucino

Oliver, trouble, turkey, Tigger, too!

Oliver watches the birds at the feeder.

He's not hard to spot on the white snow.

I wondered what the deer were looking at.
For those who just want photos...
here they are.
The video shows the drama.

He was on the fence, finally, looking into what I call my 'totem pole'. There must have been a mouse or bird in there!

A silly set of logs, sawed apart by someone at my dad's house, bearing woodpecker holes, and I placed back together over a metal post.. On top is a pretty little frog holding an umbrella.

  

 

Here's my boy, sitting on the fence while Tigger, the yearling, watches him. I think they'd have a great time playing. Their curiosity is laughable. Tigger, who does bounce, is fascinated with Ollie. 

Plastic, garbage, pollution

2210: The Collapse is a National Geographic show. Quite startling as they posit what will happen to, for example, L.A., when they run out of potable water. There are lessons here.

We've been watching a show about the end of the world. I remember teaching Ancient Civilizations to my gr. 5's. It was very interesting. Drought, running out of trees (the Mayas), escalating warfare; there are many reasons for the collapse of these ancient  civilizations.

The Maya cut down the forest to produce plaster to decorate temples. Flash flooding, which meant soil erosion and drastic conditions led to disease and malnutrition. With an expanding population and diminishing resources, fighting began.
Warfare a symptom, not a cause of deprivation, they tell us.

But garbage concerns me. Taking a walk up towards Ian Millar's place, I spotted 16 deer feeding on recently exposed grass. I also spotted much garbage, including beer cans, bottles, plastics, on the side of the road.

Oprah's green episode for Earth Day (2009) started with sad footage and a description of a giant island of trash -- "The Great Pacific Garbage Patch". Horrible what we are doing.


What I found interesting was thinking about what they will conclude about us when archeologists uncover the crap we leave around.

What do our toys say about us?

Giant neighbourhoods, like this one in BBQhaven, with swimming pools holding enough water for a family in an undeveloped country for a year.

Then there are the toys we make out of plastic.

These I came across these plastic toys in a catalogue.

I couldn't stop laughing. I cannot imagine who might be the target audience for this one!

I have hopes that the next generation will make a difference.

Racing Granddads

Racing Grannies

Fighting granddads

I spotted this video on Kay's blog. It interests me, as my kids run their car on cooking oil. A converted Jetta, it also runs on diesel when necessary.
These are things that are possible.

Avalanche kills, highmarking continues

Three Albertans killed in BC avalanche  
BC avalanche recovers 3 bodies

And still they die. These guys were highmarking. Four were buried, only one lived to tell the tale.

So sad.


Police said the incident happened around 5 p.m. on Mount Gerald, when two men were snowmobiling with their sons in the Hope River backcountry, 70 kilometres west of Golden (A on map).

Alberta town mourning three killed in BC avalanche


Family and friends in central Alberta are grieving the loss of three snowmobilers who died in an avalanche in BC on the weekend. 
There were 24 deaths in 2008.

Avalanche deaths hold steady, despite a big rise in backwoods ...

24 Jan 2011

Snowmobile deaths are on the increase, however, says the article. Aren't these guys on sleds?!

Avalanche kills skier at Kokanee Glacier park

Rescuers busy as three deadly snow slides hit B.C. and Alberta during weekend (Jan. 17, 2011)

Interactive Map: Recent avalanche deaths in British Columbia(2010) 

Created on Mar 13, 2010 - Updated Mar 21, 2010

The video below shows a snowmobiler climbing a steep face in the Monashee Mountains near Valemount, B.C. The snowmobiler climbs past the high marks left by previous riders. Just after the machine reaches the top of its curve, the slope fractures and rider and machine are carried down in a very large avalanche. stated the Canadian Avalanche Centre press release.

Furniture hunting - shop till you drop!

I love auctions, and flea markets.

In the spirit of reduce, reuse, recycle, we haunt auctions and try to pick up pieces that others do not want. Rather like our cats, I suppose!

There are quite a few antique stores around Lanark County.
These marvellous old barns, refurbished buildings, including a new one in Lombardy/Smith's Falls, that used to be a gas station/dealership.

Some of the pieces ARE the worse for wear.

I'm not particularly handy, but it is fun to look.

I love the old knick knacks, even while trying to declutter.

The truly beautiful ones are well above our budget, but lovely to look at.
We've picked up presents for friends, e.g., newspaper of the day featuring the Kennedy Assassination.

The smell of these old pieces are incredible. Tucked away in attics and barns and lofts. The books, too, are amazing.

A new piece?

Beautiful desk, with shelf/drawers below

Three older pieces

Love the old sideboard and highchair!

A river runs through it!

The joys of living in a 'new' house are great. Each season brings new sights, and I like change.

Hubby has been getting up at daybreak every morn (when Oliver climbs onto our respective night tables and knocks our glasses off of the table) to grind up her pill into food, feeding Oliver in the closet so he doesn't eat the pill/food out from under her! It's complicated.








Good, old Sady has been reluctant to go outside. We're not sure if it is the BIG critters out there (turkeys and/or deer), or the fact that she's had an infection.

Well, the purpose of the story is to illustrate the beauty of the beasts, when they ventured out into 11+ C. temps, with the sun warming the concrete steps, luxuriating in the warmth and the apparent spring weather.