Winter Wonderland or Bleak Midwinter?

Snow pile this morning at 7:15 am

Jayne at Journey Through Grace wrote today about a solo she is practising with her church choir. It is the number one favourite carol according to a BBC poll as reported in someone else's recent blog post. (I cannot remember who). With all respect to Jayne's lovely singing voice, I do not think she can sing In the Bleak Midwinter with any passion unless she has experienced a real winter. Jayne lives in Georgia where people are lucky to see one brief snowfall a year!

My husband clearing the snow late at night

This morning I drove to the hospital in the dark for my physiotherapy session. We had several centimetres of fresh snow overnight and the roads were unploughed. No schools were cancelled and the day was starting as usual. My husband is getting a little tired of clearing snow almost every day and is making good use of our snowblower. He often uses it before he leaves for work at 6:30 am.

Our working dog

Our dog, Dakota loves the snow. He is a mutt, but has a typical Siberian Husky tail as well as a very thick double coat. We figure that is why he loves the winter and will stay outdoors for hours in the snow on squirrel patrol. He must have a Husky's work ethic but we have no sled for him to pull.

Some birds at our feeders
Red-breasted Nuthatch, Downy Woodpecker, House Finch, R-B Nuthatch

The birds on the other hand are having more of a challenge finding food with the frequent snow falls. The weather has been very cold and they are using more energy to keep warm. Cardinals, Juncos, Goldfinches, Housefinches, Chickadees, Downy Woodpeckers and Nuthatches visit thoughout the day along with a goodly number of nuisance birds. We do not have a great number of winter bird species at the feeders but I do enjoy their visits.

We visited a place called Misery Bay on Manitoulin Island this summer. I could not find out how it got its name, but recall thinking that winter there would be miserable indeed. It is situated on the west side of the island and would be battered by unhindered winter winds across Lake Huron. Very few people inhabit this area. I must say our area is more hospitable in the winter by far!

I doubt Jayne will pay me a visit before Christmas. It is more likely that I would travel south. But hopefully I have illustrated the meaning of...

Snow had fallen,
Snow on snow,
Snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter...

Getting Back on Track: Part One

It is almost three weeks since the arthroscopic surgery on my knee and my rehabilitation is well underway. I seldom share personal health stories here, but as a physiotherapist, this first person journey into a significant joint problem is worth reflecting on. I can safely say that in the thirty plus years I have worked, I have treated thousands of patients. Knee, hip and back treatment routines are as familiar as the back of my hand and I can give ready advice on all types of joint and muscle problems.

My surgeon reported that I have stage 3 to 4 osteoarthritis in all compartments of my knee. He tidied the mess the best he could and trimmed the torn meniscus that was blocking my joint movement. He hoped he had deferred a knee replacement for 5 to 10 years. While this news is nothing compared to a diagnosis of cancer or other debilitating illnesses, I was in shock. I walk a lot and my knee had never caused significant pain or stiffness until the month before surgery. I know I do not want a knee replacement. So this is the time to explore ways to extend the life of this joint (and others) and to see first hand if my advice works.


It was alarming to note how quickly I lost strength and endurance in the three weeks before surgery. My knee was in a splint and I was on crutches. Following surgery, swelling and pain continued to limit my activities. Within a month I felt physically and mentally depleted and realized the climb back to normalcy would be harder than the fall into dysfunction. Winter arrived at the same time with snow and ice making outdoor ventures risky on crutches.


A new arena and sports complex just opened up a short distance from our home and I decided to check it out. It features an indoor track above the ice surface and is open to the public free of charge. Six laps of the track equals one kilometer and nine laps equals a mile. I purchased a pair of Urban Poles to provide the joint support I still need. Nordic walking poles are gaining popularity as a general fitness tool as they provide a good upper extremity workout when walking. Poles are readily available at a number of local stores and a good pair costs about $100. I bought a pair that has various tips for use in snow, sand, mud and stone and is suitable for rough terrain and hiking. The store fitted me and gave me a lesson on their use and I also received an instructional DVD with the purchase.


I have been going to the track daily and have worked up to a distance of 1.5 km before I have to rest. As well as allowing me to walk without a limp and with a good stride length, the poles provide me with an increased aerobic workout and work the upper arm and back muscles safely. One half of the track has windows that look out on a wooded area. I am not ready for trails yet but the view gives me hope that I will be back soon.

I plan to post information on joint care and rehabilitation related to my condition about once a week and will discuss specific knee exercises and the importance of proper footwear. Here is a link about walking poles as well as an excellent site about the knee joint.

Urban Poling Inc. - This is a commercial site and I am not endorsing this product over others. However the site has good links relating to research, technique and fitting of poles.

KNEEguru - A British site with plenty of relevant information on knees. Click on the Information Hub when navigating from the main page.

Getting back on Track: Part Two

Christkind

Over the centuries since the birth of Christ, most cultures that celebrate Christmas have embraced a mythical figure who delivers gifts to good children. Before the Reformation, Saint Nikolaus day was celebrated on December 6th as Catholics revered him as the secret giver of gifts. Martin Luther wished to discourage the reverence of saints and needed a Christmas tradition for the new Protestant church. He moved the gift giving day to December 24th and named the Christkind, or Christ Child, as the secret benefactor. Christmas markets, once known as St. Nikolaus markets became Christkindl Markets, even in Catholic regions. These markets were often held in front of churches during the Christmas season.

Artists' depictions of the Christkind gradually changed from the baby Jesus to a sprite like angelic child who was still called the Christ Child. The city of Nuremberg, Germany produced tinsel angels and in 1933, a young girl in an angel costume opened the city’s Christmas Market for the first time. After the Second World War, Nuremberg’s tinsel angels became known as the Nuremberg Christkind. A young teenaged girl is still chosen to open the Christkindlmarkt in that city each year and Kitchener has followed the same tradition. It is also interesting to note that Kris Kindle and Kris Kringle are corruptions of the original name of the German gift-bringer Christkindl.


Our city is hosting its 12th annual Christkindl Market this weekend. Many similar markets are found in Europe. The market is held indoors and outdoors and vendors sell European style handcrafts and foods. On Thursday evening, people met in our downtown park for a carol sing with the Grand Philharmonic Choir. A candle-lit procession, led by Mary, Joseph and their donkey, marched from the park to the City Hall where where trumpets and church bells welcomed their arrival. The young Christkind, accompanied by two little angels, gave a reading from a balcony and the Christmas tree in the square was lighted.


It is bitterly cold this weekend with strong north winds and lots of fresh snow. The outdoor nativity with Mary, Joseph and two live donkeys is visited by the many people who brave the weather and come to the market. I enjoy this event and find it a nice contrast to the consumerism of the malls at this time of year. The emphasis on music, performances, crafts, good food, winter fun and community provides a more meaningful celebration of the season. I will post some more pictures from the market this month.

In much of the world Santa Claus has become a very commercialized secret gift giver who is unlikely to reward anyone with a lump of coal. Historical gift givers were more stern and judgmental of children's behaviour. In Latin America and other countries, the Three Kings bring gifts on January 6th.

Do your families celebrate other gift-giving traditions?

Friday Flowers: Special gifts

I have been fortunate to enjoy a number of fresh blooms in my home over the past few weeks. All have been gifts, except for the Christmas cactus above. My Christmas cactus has survived on neglect for at least ten years on a shelf by the window. It blooms faithfully every December and again around Easter.


I received this potted cyclamen from friends at our church. It is covered with blooms and has many unopened buds. Time will tell if it likes our indoor environment as we get little sun in the winter. Apparently they grow naturally in dry woods and shade so perhaps it will do well here.


My co-workers sent a huge poinsettia in a classic red colour. I generally have good luck keeping them alive through until the spring time and sometimes set them on the deck when the weather warms up. Throwing away plants (and books) a very difficult for me.

My cousins, Michele, Sam and Jesse brought me a big bouquet of yellow lilies that lasted a full ten days. They also brought me books to read. Their family is enjoying a Caribbean cruise this week and I am happy they shared a little sunshine with me before the trip.

Here is a quote for these times of financial uncertainty. (We may need to increase the penny to a dollar or two.)

When you have only two pennies left in the world,
buy a loaf of bread with one, and a lily with the other.
Chinese Proverb

Have a wonderful weekend!

Lake Effect Skies

Noon hour skies as the clouds start to roll in from the west

The Great Lakes, shared by Canada and the USA, are really inland seas rather than lakes. Their massive size allows them to change the climate many kilometres inland from their shores. We live under the influence of Lake Huron, the eastern shores of which are about a 90 minute drive from our community. Our prevailing winds are from the west and they cross over the water picking up moisture on their way to our region.

Clear mid-morning skies to the east

This is the time of year when we feel the lake effect most harshly. Winter has come, but the relatively warm water of Lake Huron is not yet frozen over. As cold air blows over the water, clouds form and move our way. Day after day thick clouds dominate the skies producing the "Great Grey Funk" as well as damp, chilly air, characteristic of our early winter months.

Sledders near our home late Saturday morning

We had one day of sunshine last week and all these pictures were taken on that day...November 29th. The morning dawned bright, cloudless and cold and the sun was dazzling on the white snow.We are on the very eastern edge of Lake Huron's snow belt. I drove about 10 km west of the city and watched the clouds moving east from the lake.

Snow fence along the highway

Work crews were erecting snow fences along roadways, especially those which run north and south. West and north-west winds cause major snow drifting problems when they blow unhindered across snowy fields. Most afternoons, these clouds bring snow flurries, sometimes light and sometimes heavy. But that was not the case this day. The sun was never completely obscured and we were treated to a spectacular sunset. No sunset is spectacular without some cloud cover.

Sunset at 4:30 PM

Once the lakes freeze over, the lake effect weakens, our winter skies are clearer and the air is much drier. But that will not happen until sometime in January and only if the winter is cold. Being on the edge of the snow belt, we get off easy compared to communities closer to the lake's shore. It was good to enjoy this beautiful day as we may have only a couple more like it in December.

For more Skywatch posts follow this link after 2:30 today.

Ancient Bloggers

My husband took this picture in Mexico of two young boys as they searched a garbage site for anything of value. Garbage disposal, recycling and other environment initiatives we value in first world countries are not a priority in poorer nations. While people in Mexico often keep their homes tidy and clean, the streets and empty lots in the cities and towns are full of trash. If our modern world was ever to be the object of an archaeological dig in future millennia, I wonder what conclusions would be drawn about our society?


Tim also took these pictures when they went to a desert area near Torréon in the state of Coahuila. They saw caves and rock faces marked with drawings from ancient times. These images have faded over the years and the rock has crumbled and shifted in places. I wonder what stories are told on these walls?


In the same area, these small artifacts were found...a couple of flint arrowheads, a piece of pottery, and a tool that was perhaps used for starting a fire. In all, the evidence pointed to a very simple way of life for these nomadic people, unlike life in the 21st century AD.


Man always has had a story to share. Modern society has documented itself in countless forms, but will any be as long lasting as these stone drawings? Millions of bloggers publish posts about their every day lives and opinions. These stories may vanish as the internet and computers evolve into some new type of technology. Will our language be understood by future generations?

Why do blogs have such a wide appeal? People have been "blogging" since time began, sharing stories of life, death, faith and hope, passing knowledge and experience from generation to generation.

Do you have a hard copy of your stories, perhaps not on rock, but in something other than cyberspace?

Almost Caught!

I like to think of myself as being somewhat internet savvy. I know how to check things in Snopes, particularly forwarded emails that warn of outrageous health and security threats. I am an internet banker and have pretty much eliminated my use of cheques. I change my passwords regularly and create a new email address when I start receiving too much spam. Unfortunately, one can never let their guard down. KGMom wrote recently about a scam in a cleverly worded email supposedly from someone she knew. And last week I was duped by a PayPal phishing scheme.

I use PayPal occasionally for internet purchases and gift giving. I received the above legitimate looking email informing me that a third party breach of my account may have occurred in April. The sender appeared at first glance to be PayPal, but I did not notice that the email address was not mine. I clicked on the link to verify my account and was stopped by the internet security I have in my web browser and my protection software. I quickly looked up "Paypal Security Centre Advisory" on Google and saw that this phishing scam has been around since at least 2005.

I forwarded the email to PayPal and took their little Phishing Quiz. Do take a moment and answer the five questions they ask to see if you can spot a phishing scam.


To end on a sweet note...my daughter decorated cookies on the weekend. They look too good to eat!

Red-tailed Hawk Winter Hunt

December 1st...
Winter settled in long before the solstice this year. Today is the first "snow day" for children who take a school bus as we had a heavy snowfall overnight. My husband spent an hour before he left for work at 6:30 am clearing our driveway and sidewalks with the snowblower. I am very thankful for him!


Over the weekend we did have some sunshine and I drove to the nearby landfill site which is being transformed into a park. This summer the city graded the big hill which has been popular with sledders for many years. They added a parking lot, benches and new fencing to keep children from sliding on the roadway. It was a nice place to enjoy the sunshine and get some fresh air.


I watched as a large hawk flew back and forth hunting for prey on the snow covered ground. A pair of Red-tailed hawks have staked this territory and are commonly seen in the neighbourhood. I have seen them in the air and on tree branches, but never on the ground. I followed the hunter with my binoculars and watched as it caught a mouse in a small area that was not snow covered.


It cannot be easy for large birds of prey to survive our winters. I saw a Coopers hawk over our bird feeders yesterday and would not chase it away if it targeted a meal in my yard. Our resident red squirrel alerted me the to hawk's presence as it squealed loudly and ran under the fence. Nature has its own checks and balances as the most vigilant and healthy creatures are less likely to be the target of a predator's attack. The hawk can have as many house sparrows as it wants, but I know it will not be selective by species.

How easy it is for us to forget what survival means as we spend the winter in heated homes and drive to the supermarket for food.