Happy New Year!

We begin the New Year with a temperature of -16 ℃, an hour later it was -17! Let us see what the new year will bring. I hope it settles down for all of us. Too many have had issues that impact their lives. Even watching the news of suffering is difficult. There is so little we can do. It is important to have faith and hope. One has to look after oneself, as well. Put that oxygen mask on first.

I take solace from nature. I'd like to do forest bathing, shinrin-yoku, but it is awful walking on the crusted snow. Especially after our ice storm. [Forest bathing: what it is and where to do it] 

We had 15 deer two days ago. Yesterday there were 19! I enjoy watching them.

UPDATES: Now, I think it was a red-bellied woodpecker! Merlin heard them in summer. Both Caitlin and I spotted it when they were here. I do not have a single photo that I can find in my archives!!

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We had chats with our Vancouver kids on both Christmas Day, and the 26th, my birthday. They have just moved into a new house. Bernie the cat is outside on the railing (you can see him if you click on it). They have promised more photos once they are settled in. Buying the house was a bit of a surprise! It is a new, energy efficient home, just finished enough to move in to. There is some work left to be done. It was a short possession timeline. 

The grandkids told me by phone that Bernie explored the entire house in the first few minutes of arriving!

 

They have been so busy and stressed with all this, but they are clever, capable people.   

🥌 At the same time, Bryony and Cluny were in a panto in Vancouver.  The highlight, the girls told us, was playing curling stones, in which they twirl off the stage. 

They are at the same schools, that is good. They moved 10 minutes away from their old home, but the upheaval is quite something. We wished them the best. Things will settle down for them, and they will get back into their winter cross country skiing. 

⛷Speaking of skiing, Jordan and JL went downhill skiing, Aster went snowboarding at Calabogie. Too soon Jordan will be back at his residence at Queens. It was a great two weeks. 

I found the energy to wash floors, cleaned the fish tank, vacuumed, and made meatloaf for dinner. The next day I self-cleaned the oven. It's a lot easier than in the old days! 

I scraped the ice off of the sidewalk. Last night it snowed again! Back to square one...

We've been what my late mother called disdecorating. Slowly we've been putting seasonal things away. 

We've been enjoying the entertainment indoors. The table cleared, I put the cat toy box on the coffee table. Cinnamon gave it a good smell, and whacked them on the floor. Typical cat!