Beauty of Winter

C'mon Canada there's got to be something pretty out there!?!

Great shot.

Thanks Jean.......please, please, please post some pics of your breathtaking scenery!

Oh, that is just beautiful! You make me want to run out and take some pictures in the chill (9.6 degrees F)... of course, it's 4:45pm and almost dark outside! LOL! Yes, please, more pics! Here's a spruce bough from January 6, 2004.

LOL ;) It's amazing how pretty it looks when the sun is shining...........thanks Carol! Makes a person feel like shaking off the winter yech and getting outside. Ü

Two winters ago, I ventured out on a winter's day and contemplated the beauty of the season. I questioned why I do not take long walks along the snow covered roads and take pictures of the ice crystals. Almost within the instant of the thought, I stepped on an icy patch and landed flat on my back.

All I can recall hearing was the sound of my head bouncing several times on the ice. I had a pinched nerve in my neck that reduced me to digging through my medicine cabinet for every pain pill I ever acquired at any similar moment in my life. Nothing helped. I finally found that two bloody marys a day would give me some relief. I was glad to see the problem resolve itself, but I missed the bloody marys!

LOL, mmmm, looks tasty Weezi! Glad your neck got better, but I think you should reward yourself on ocassion anyway. "Just because"...

Yes, sometimes, when I feel my vitamin C level has dropped below the acceptable level, I indulge in one of these proud beauties. Of course, I have to add plenty of veggies to cover all the basic food groups for a complete luncheon meal.

And then an Alpine mist for dessert?

What is an Alpine Mist? If it tastes as good as the name sounds.....

I'm always fascinated by the way snow sits on branches, and I'm working on a winter stained glass design that will be almost totally shades of white--with some of the green and brown from the trees, and some clear textured glasses for ice, rivers. So I keep taking pictures for reference, like this one--in case I don't put idea to glass before the summer!

ok the recipe for an alpine mist is needed - you're holding out on us echoes

That pic ruminds me of a thread about a year ago Carol........I must embrace the cold like you do (I'll skip the head cracking falls however). At what temperature does alcohol freeze???

Rosemary that stained glass picture will be a knock-out! Please incorporate some of the blue as well.........the contrast is stunning!

We're waiting echoes.......

I've never left the Bloody Marys in the snow long enough to find out, but in other experiences, I've found it rather resilient to the cold.

Looks like you experiment with it pretty often. ;) I'll put a bottle out tonight and post the results tomorrow.

These bottles were in a pan of ice on the porch. During a warm spell, the cubed ice melted, and when freezing weather resumed, all were frozen in. As you can see, the white wine was still pourable.

I put out a partial bottle of 40% Russian Vodka.....cap loose for expansion/contraction.

As far as I know an Alpine mist is hot chocalate and Peppermint Schnapps. At least that what it is when I'm drinking it. Thought Weez told us about that one. It's always been good, just didn't know it had a name. Maybe it's supposed to have something else too, but......who cares?

Great pictures. Funny that you should mention your fascination with the way snow sits on branches Rosemary. When I took the dog for a walk on Sunday I took some pictures. I couldn't get over how the snow could form these snakes that were able to hold their form even though they had slipped off the branches. It wasn't like they had turned to ice. They were still soft and fluffy.

Looks like Christmas tree garland!

This picture was taken at this time last year(yes, we had snow the same time last year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). Just outside my back door.

ggd

I can't take credit for this picture. It was taken in the 60's somewhere in Saskatchewan. I scanned it off a slide belonging to a family member.

ggd

Taken on the old homestead in Saskatchewan, about 1985.

pure alcohol will freeze at -40 (the equal point on both the scales) the point at which other alcoholic beverages freeze will be influenced by the percentage of alcohol in the beverage

while wine will freeze at lower temperatures than h2o due to its alcoholic content; it's character will have been altered (for which read it will be kak) if it gets even close to 0/32 for any significant lengh of time

trust me the beverages don't last long enough around me to get a chance to freeze and i wouldn't waste a perfectly good bottle full of martinis on the experiment pam - get some gas line antifreeze or shaving lotion or whatever

ggd, those are beautiful photos! I love the snow-topped yarrow, and the other vintage pics, as well. Here's a frosty November pictures from a couple years back.

July 1, 2004,

What a view!

Hey crazy brug are you trying to tell us something???? July indeed. Humph.

Great pictures everyone--lots of fodder for stained glass ideas; am copying and filing under ideas!. Love the snow on the yarrow--what a fun glass picture that would make.

Lilypon, those frost flowers are exquisite. Remind me of tube worm "flowers".

This message was edited Jan 13, 2005 10:55 AM

I don't like winter so I'm wishing it was July.

Jeanne, are you just trying to hear us weep! Gorgeous shot! Gorgeous scenery!

Glenda I love that first one you posted looks like you are growing cotton balls!

Here's another shot of a snow laden evergreen.

Not to be outdone by Vancouver Island, here's some spring green--taken just a few weeks ago, in December.

Here are frozen tire tracks on the road... good wallpaper for the desktop!

Great, Carol--I collect photos of tracks and patterns

Here's one from me:

LOL........ leave it to you Carol!

Rosemary, Glenda and Carol what a treat to see some color other than shades of grey and white. Ü I must admit I do love the frosty tree lined lane shot as well. There has been a couple of frosty days here that I've kicked myself for not having the digi with me.

Jeanne your view is an oasis......what a view!

Lynn the vodka didn't freeze (it's very, very crisp and a little thick)........I set it in a snowbank so it wasn't an accurate test of our temps. Next experiment will be with something much cheaper. ;)

When I thought snow was nice enough

I've always liked this photo of the tops of the cottonwood one snowy January morning.

I was watching the news this evening, and they were saying that Victoria is colder than Toronto. With the windchill tonight, we should be about -14C. I know it's not much to most of the country, but it's out of the ordinary here. I've even had to wear socks this past week!

You folks in the prairies, bundle up if you're going out, or better yet, have one of those drinks mentioned above and stay by the fireplace.

Watching the weather on the news tonight, Toronto had a high of 18 C. Good thing that Ceedub and Spklatt aren't showing their faces around here tonight. That's just not fair!!!

The news also featured the Butchart Gardens. Such a lot of damage, trees and other plants damaged and lost. Such a shame. Still a lot of snow there to get rid of before they know for sure how much damge was done by that wicked storm.

got the tractor stuck again this am - upper body workout accomplished befoe 8:30 am
the trouble i get into trying to do something nice for those cows and then they sneak out the gate when i'm not looking and my 'cattle dog' is off chasing bunnies or some such thing
but spent the rest of the day at the greenhouse seeding petunias of so many varieties my head is spinning. must have been 50 flats (of 200's for the waves and 396's for the fantasy, grandiflora, etc etc etc
all the seed geraniums i helped with last week are up and looking happy
interesting that i saw pansies already in bloom in the cold greenhouse
learned that they start a crop in november december and grow them cold so that they can start putting the baskets outside the end of feb on the nice days
apparently it inspires a huge sale of pansies in march when we are all sick of winter and want just a little color and green for our gardens and they can take most of our march temps just fine - smart marketing

You've got me smiling here Linda. I can picture you as a pampered cat that was put out in the snow for the first time. They look soooooooooo miserable. You really do feel sorry for them!

Hey echoes looks like your starting to warm up to the subject. ;) Very nice pic and I am amazed you braved the elements. I walked home today and decided the Great White North was only to be seen here in pictures for the next week or two. Unless the warming trend that they keep promising us does arrive.

Linda I'll take your advice.........trust me I'm either hugging the fireplace or sitting on one of the radiators. I'll send it free (no SASE required) to anyone that would like to experience it. :^))

Lynn you've got the right idea....a greenhouse is warm and humid! I think I should be phoning around and begging someone to let me help.