Hanging in and dreaming of spring
We're still here, taking it day by day on the COVID (roller) coaster.
Restrictions were lifted a couple of weeks ago in our region, though I haven't rushed to go anywhere. I'm too concerned about all the variants, and the people from regions like Toronto and Peel, as well as Ottawa, coming here to go shopping, get a haircut, go to a pub, etc. I DID go to Dollarama early on Sunday morning, the first time in any store other than a drugstore or grocery store since before Christmas.
Below: Derry last week, unimpressed that I spend so much time upstairs at the computer during the days.
I haven't had a haircut since the beginning of November, and by the time I feel comfortable enough to return to my stylist, my hair might be shoulder-length. I already can tie it back in a stubby ponytail. But that's just vanity, a small matter in the grand scheme of things.
I had been out for a walk down to the swamp on the 15th (Family Day holiday) and saw the geese, above, on the only patch of bare ground on the side of the new overpass. That night, and into Tuesday, we got 27 cm of snow, so presumably the geese had the good sense to head south or west, away from the storm's track. I don't typically hear or see geese at this time of year, so it was a bit bizarre.
Early Tuesday AM, below:
I'm thankful I have a short driveway. That drift at the bottom was over my knees. We've had another 10 - 15 cm snow since, and I'm so done with it and with winter in general.
I've passed some of the time on weekends doing two more easy, quick jigsaw puzzles. I have several more that I could do, but the impulse has passed for the moment. (I do get bored very easily, always have, unless it's something I'm passionate about.)
I've been watching the new "All Creatures Great & Small" series on PBS, bought the season 1 DVD from Amazon.ca.
I loved, loved, loved it! Decades ago I watched the original TV series with Christopher Timothy, Robert Hardy and Peter Davison, and this is every bit as good. The new series fleshes out the "supporting" characters, filling in their back-stories, and I think it's brilliantly done. I highly recommend it if you haven't seen it yet.
As an aside, the actor who plays Mrs. Hall, the housekeeper, looked SO familiar to me, but I couldn't place where I had seen her. I Googled, and Anna Madeley played Lucy Steele in the 2008 version of "Sense and Sensibility," which I've seen a number of times (though not recently) and also have on DVD.
I presume there will be a season 2 at some point, and I'm looking forward to it! *Happy sigh*
So that's about all the excitement here for the moment. Take care everyone and stay well.
Peace.
Comments
Love the first dreamy picture of Derry at 'his' office but he did not look very alert, nor active...
What an amount of snow you've had to shovel away and indeed, luckily not over a very long driveway distance!
One wonders about geese or whatever bird in nature how they can exist in such cold weather, where to find food?
Wow, those PBS series about All Creatures Great and Small and we even found some books by James Herriot; what a special Veterinarian he was!
Here life is quite different from yours. We both got our 2nd vaccine last week on Thursday. Feeling well and the weather is starting to warm up and be sunny; today 25°C, Sunday even 27°C and next day thunderstorms and back to 18°C again. Sure cannot complain! We had our excessive share of rain and glad that stopped. Still wear my Le Chameau boots when walking the dog with a friend who walks one her other dogs, it is around a little lake, in nature. So, I'm prepared and keep dry feet at all times. Really enjoy this walk with her, she got 3 big dogs and she swaps the two for the biggest one to make another round. Not far, each round 1 km but with the strong tugging of large dogs, it is a great exercise! Pieter is not allowed to walk anymore, due to his knee cartilage being worn out. Biking is fine, since there is no weight put on the knee.
Tomorrow making the rounds again to Costco Wholesale, Whole Foods Market and Trader Joe's in Atlanta, a good two-hour one way drive.
Happy for having installed my new Mac on Sunday and working on it after having fought my MacBook which is no longer obedient in making Caps or special characters... Something with those keys is not functioning so I guess I will trade that also in for a new one. Did trade in my previous one that got checked up at Simply Mac on November 6 but I was not willing to pay hundreds of dollars for updating its hard drive. Went on line and figured what the trade in value would be and decided to do that. FedEx delivers the box you have to ship it in, not easy to handle without any 'handle' but we did. Than it took forever to reach Austin, Texas due to that snow storm... They have to inspect it if it still functions etc. and then approved the full amount for the 2014 model. Waiting till that gets processed and using that coupon while ordering the new one. That got shipped from Shanghai China to Shennan-Shi in Japan and straight to Memphis Tennessee. BUT the big snowstorm delayed it several days... so finally on Saturday by noon, I again had a Mac! Surprised to learn that it was not made in China (glad!) but in Thailand...
We had such dreary days that it was impossible to make any photo.
Oh, the Japanese Magnolias are opening, three buds have completely opened already, those that are looking towards the early morning sun. Such a joy, they are late as they have bloomed as early as February 6, on my B'day and always on Mom's B'day, February 12.
Never mind, we cannot complain weather wise!
Stay cozy and learn how to relax from Derry, our fur babies are such masters in that.
Hugs,
Mariette
We've never had a lot of restrictions here, at least not since last spring. But I haven't had a haircut since June. It's now 2 or 3 inches below my shoulders and I wear it up in a pony tail most of the time because I can't stand the hair on my neck. But I'm not heading to a hair salon just yet - we've had an uptick on the variant infections here so I'll keep on staying home for the most part.
Yikes that's an awful lot of snow. We haven't had more than a couple of cms. since early February (if I remember correctly). Just enough to cover the driveway and make it icy when it melted and froze.
Give Derry a snuggle for me. He's such a sweetie. Take care and stay well!
My daffodils are up from the ground and the jonquils are blooming.
Derry..what a handsome fella you are!
Derry does indeed look unimpressed. The expression is priceless.