Early winter November 2011

Environment Canada Severe weather warnings or watches in effect for:

Places in my life in Quebec.

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Granby -  the zoo.

Cowansville - a good friend of my mom lived there

Sainte Hyacinthe - my mom’s sister (my aunt) and her husband

Saint Lazare - a horsy place

Sorel-Tracy - a former work colleague

Pincourt - a Weight Watchers friend

Mirabel - an airport I passed through several times

Saint Jerome - the hospital my mom was in a couple of times; I got my driver’s licence there

Lachute - where I grew up and so many memories there

Montreal - where I was born and went to boarding school and university

Asbestos -  my uncle who was married to my dad’s only sister

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Or course Ontario and Ottawa is on the list too.

Am I ready for winter?

Is Abracadabra ready for winter?

What is happening around Vancouver where my sister and brother-in-law live?

Winter woes or delights

Going out the door is a much more time consuming process. Where are my boots and hat and mitts? Is it cold enough for my wonderful fur hat or my bunny scarf?

Is it going to be very cold during the night and my 10 year old Toyota would appreciate being plugged in.

At the barn - I hope the heat works in the arena. Do I have my warm socks on? Abracadabra is all set for any weather. In fact she warms up quite nicely after a few rounds of trotting around the arena. Then she is ready to be wrapped up in her blanket when we are all done. She does look quite cute.

I have just rediscovered my snow shovel. I had to use it yesterday before I went out. By the time I came home the various snowploughs - sidewalk and street had been by and filled in my driveway. So I got out my shovel and was busy when my nice neighbour arrived and took care of everything with his snow blower.

I hope my young neighbour on the other side does better with her snow removal than last year. They came but on their own schedule. I can easily help out by sweeping off her steps or banging the snow off her Christmas decorations.

Let it snow…

October 30 - I started to write this - so I am looking backwards.

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So what happened last night in Ottawa?

It must have been a Halloween joke. I have still not raked up all of my leaves. My winter boots are not ready yet - they are still in my basement. My car is not quite ready for winter - he has an appointment to have his winter tires installed on Thursday this week.

Yesterday the flower arrangers at the church took some final flowers from the church garden. They are now in vases behind the chancel altar. They were prepared.

Of course Abracadabra is ready for winter.

The sun is coming out as I write this. Perhaps the snow will melt.

Abracadabra: ready for winter

A friend asked my mom recently - how is the horse?

My mom said - fine. She is getting ready for winter.

How does a horse get ready for winter - the friend asked.

I am going to tell you.

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My winter coat has grown in quite nicely. I feel warm and cozy even on a damp cool day.

For occasions when I need to dry off some - especially after being ridden - my blue wool blanket is hanging on my stall door.

I am not eating any more than I was - I think the diet is continuing. Carrots and apples are always welcome as a snack from my mom.

My mom does not complain too much as she does up my girth. I cannot help it if I have a thick fur coat - that is the way I am.

The rings are still quite muddy. Sometimes in the morning there is some white frosty stuff around - but it is not snow yet.

With the shorter days I like to take extra naps. There is always time for this activity in my calendar.

There is a new black cat around the barn these days. I will have to get better acquainted before Halloween.

That is all for now. Where is my breakfast?

Love and hugs

Abracadabra

Olympics - what sport

I was asked that recently - what sport was I interested in watching. I said the skating.

I just discovered CTV Olympics on Youtube. There was a video of the Chinese women curlers. My mom would have been much interested.

In fact when I was in Lachute at St. Simeon’s Judy came up to me and told me that she was my mom’s curling partner. Did she get my mom’s broom when she retired from the ice? I told her that I have the older style of curling broom in my garage. I see it often. I only just realized that it has my mom’s name on it - in her own writing of course.

Ho Ho Ho

A mixed bag of weather gifts from Santa for Christmas Day.
So although the Christmas weather is less than ideal for Santa and his trusty Reindeer, Rudolph and some pre-flight de-icing should help guide Santa through any rain or freezing rain.

From Environment Canada
　
Finally, media from all over the world rely on NORAD as a trusted source to provide Christmas Eve updates on Santa's journey.

From Norad Santa tracking

More snow

So this is Dennis the Bear in Vancouver. The snow is quite deep for him - 22 inches!

I was reminded of something from my past this week. There were record snowfalls in the U.K. Everything was shut down - airports and schools. There were at least 6 inches of snow.

Vancouver still has snow on the ground. I hope Dennis is liking it.

There are big piles of snow in Ottawa. There was no January thaw and now it is February. My composter keeps on disappearing in a snowdrift.

The city came this week and removed the snow along my street. It was a complex operation that took a couple of hours during the night. Now I can see more easily again as I come out of my driveway.

We were reading a Jane Austen book when I was school. Snow was mentioned as being a problem. There were 2 inches of the white stuff.

In reality this week there were more than 2 inches in the U.K. this week.

A winter Sunday in Lachute

I was awake early and I went downstairs to take the Montreal Gazette out of the mailbox. It arrived very early in the morning. If there was snow on the front steps I stepped very carefully with my slippers on.

Then I went back to my warm bed where I read whatever seemed interesting. As I got up to take my bath, I left the Gazette on the top railing.

As I splashed around in my bath I could hear my mom getting up as well. I could hear the distinctive noises of her opening and closing her dresser drawers.

Then my mom headed downstairs and I could hear her putting on the coffee in the percolator on the stove. She would get out her juice making machine to squeeze some oranges for some fresh juice.

When I got downstairs I set out the plates and cups and utensils on the dining room table.

There was homemade muffins and homemade jam.

My mom poured the coffee from the silver pot with the squirrel mitt on the handle.

After a second cup of coffee it was time to get ready for church. I drove her in my car. It took about 10 minutes to get there and park on the side street near the church.

After the service we stopped next door at Econo - the fruit and veggie store - to pick up some needed produce - especially that on sale.

When we got home, I brought in some more firewood and got the fire started in the fireplace.

My mom made the lunch which we ate on TV trays in the living room. Because it was Sunday, we each had a glass of sherry served in the little cut glass glasses on the little black tray which came from the USSR via Expo 67.

Later on I curled up on the couch while my mom sat in her favourite chair to read the Gazette. Then she took the crossword puzzle and went to sit at her big desk to do it.

Later on but not too late so I would get back to Ottawa before it was too dark I packed up my bag and made sure I had turned down the electric thermostat in my bedroom.

As I drove away up the street my mom was standing waving goodbye from her inside covered front porch.

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All of this is gone from my life except remembering with fondness the time and the place and being there with my mom on a Sunday in winter.

P.S. The coffee pot and squirrel mitt is now in Vancouver.

The Econo store is closed.

The sherry glasses and tray are in Ottawa.

My mom’s favourite chair is in my living room in Ottawa and I sit in it often and think of her.

Living through disasters

I was thinking about the folks in Toronto who lost their hydro and other utilities this week.

So what have I lived through?

The big ice storm of 1998.

The major power outage that hit Ontario and places in the U.S. This was in the nice weather and I sat out in the evening with my neighbours and chatted. Betty who was a fan of taping tv programs said she would have to go in to put on her tape of her favourite program. Hum...

A major power outage that hit downtown Ottawa. Something got wet and the local Hydro station went down. It was a while getting it all restarted.

There was a Christmas ice storm in Ottawa - very pretty to look at but not so nice to be out and about in. Of course it was hard on the trees.

A flash flood in the east end of the city. Fortunately this was before I finished my basement because I lost most of my indoor/outdoor carpets. The neighbours helped me to move them out and they even took them to the dump for me.

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My mom lived through the ice storm.

There was a fire at a local plastics factory. She had a knock on her door and there was a police person asking her to leave. It was her bridge night so she asked her hostess whether she could come and bit early and bring her toothbrush and stay overnight.

Kathi and I both saw a news clip about the fire on the national news.

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Of course, both Ottawa and Vancouver are in earthquake zones. There were some that were easily felt in the Ottawa and Lachute area. It depends where you were and what you were doing when it hit whether you felt it or not. Then you could compare information with your friends and the local media.

Abra's Christmas

I got a number of Christmas cards.
I got a lot of Christmas wishes in emails - whatever those are.

I had some very special wishes from my cousin Red Serge - Kathi's horse in Vancouver.
I had a bag of carrots from the friend that my mom had Christmas dinner with.
I had Christmas cookes from a friendly barn mate.
I had some special goodies from the barn staff.

Otherwise I ate the same as I usually do.
I went out to the field in the snow and the ice. I much prefer the snow.

Christmas 2008

I have been enjoying my neighbour’s wooden reindeer. He moves them around often and now they are looking down the street and waiting for Santa.

The Advent Sundays went by and I was in different places than the usual Sunday morning service.
1st - sick with the flu; unusual for me
2nd - early service and then to a horsy party at the stables
3rd - Lachute for carol service and dedication of a memorial plaque for my mom
4th - snow and too much of it.

I have been enjoying receiving Christmas cards and reading the notes and letters from friends.

I have been listening to my Christmas Cds and music on the Internet. As I am writing this, I am listening to BBC. When the voice of the narrator sounded very familiar I realized it was Christopher Timothy who was in All Creatures Great and Small.

I have several outings planned between now and New Year’s. A few visits to Abra are definitely on my calendar.

I have been checking the local weather reports for driving tomorrow. I think it will be fine. I will be at the church service in the morning and then heading out for an afternoon visit.

I am glad I am not flying anywhere - many Canadian airports look to be in a mess with many people and flights being cancelled and delayed.

Snow and winter in the past: pt. 2

Besides going to Eaton's in Montreal to meet Santa, we would also walk a few blocks down St. Catherine Street - now Rue Ste. Catherine - to Ogilvy's. Their window was always quite spectacular.



Looking out one Christmas Eve at our neighbours' kitchen across the driveway - there was Pere Noel - Santa. I think he made a stop at our house as well.

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Lachute always had lots of snow in the winter. When there was a big storm, we all listened to CJAD Radio from Montreal to hear whether our school would be closed for the day. There were lots of kids bussed in from the country so it sometimes was closed.

There was a small hill in our neighbourhood and when the driving was bad you could not get up the hill. Wilson's Hill - named for the paper mill nearby - no longer exists because of a street redesign.

Snow and winter in the past

There were kids outside playing on a pile of snow outside my house just as Kathi and I and the other neighbourhood kids did years ago. There was an open field near our house where the snow was dumped in large piles after being cleared off streets and driveways. It was a great place to build snow castles.

Not too long ago I heard some kids singing - I am the king of the castle and you are the dirty rascal. This expression has been around for a long time because I remember it when I was young.

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One of the neighbours built a skating rink on their property. It was small but a good place to start out. Behind the dairy in town there was a more formal rink. The dairy is still there and it still has great ice cream.

There is another skating connection with the dairy. The family name was Lowe and Kevin Lowe - a NHL hockey player - was from Lachute.

When I was at Trafalgar in Montreal there was a skating rink in the back garden.

We went skiing at Carling Lake Ski Center which has been closed for some years now. Now there is a resort hotel across the road with a fancy restaurant. When I was growing up it was a private facility owned by Ayers Limited the company that my dad worked for. (See Father’s Day post for a picture of my dad relaxing there.)

I think there were toboggan runs as well at the ski center. I also remember tobogganing down the hill towards the North River in Lachute near our house.

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I gave up skiing when I started to ride horses in the winter of 1965 or 1966. I could ride all winter and at that time we rode outside in the snow.

I probably did not skate at all for the 6 years I was at university. Then I moved to Ottawa and I lived downtown close to the skating on the Rideau Canal. The canal was just down the street from where I lived for 15 years so I had no excuse. When I moved to my house going to the canal and parking etc. was somewhat of a challenge so eventually after several years of not using them I gave away my skates.

I still ride in the winter but in the indoor arena. I think Abra would like to be ridden in the snow. I am thinking about that.

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My dad skated and skied. My mom had done cross-country skiing when she was younger.

From the letters my dad sent my mom during the war.

Jan. 1943: You can go to Lachute and borrow my skis; but remember they have been educated to do some very fancy turns.

Dec. 1943: You ought to do a little skiing then you will be able to pull me out of the drifts instead of vice versa.

Let it snow

This picture was taken the year of the big snow in Eastern Canada - 1970/71. It looked like my dad had been busy with the snow shovel . If you look more closely at the tire tracks in the driveway you realize that the snow was probably mostly moved by a tractor or other snow moving device.


My dad had my mom take the picture to send to the English relatives to show them how much snow we really had.

Last year in Ottawa we came close to breaking the record set that year. There was lots of snow and I shovelled a lot and my neighbour with a snowblower helped me as well.

I was glad that I bought my winter tires for last winter as this year they are mandatory in Quebec and there is a shortage all over.

I remember this song when winter rolls around again. A good friend who has spent much time in Quebec had never heard of this song.

Mon pays ce n'est pas un pays, c'est l'hiver

http://user.icx.net/~richmond/fgcgathering/vigneault.html


Last Christmas I was returning from Toronto on Boxing Day. The bus took the highway towards Peterborough and then Highway 7 to Ottawa. It was snowing very hard all the way. There was lots of traffic and we met lots of snowplows. The traffic has to slow down for them but you are glad that they are doing their work. We finally arrived in Ottawa 1 ½ hours late.

So this morning I am off to see Abra. It is snowing. The trip usually takes 20 minutes one way. The last time it was snowing it took me 1 hour to get home. I am making sure that I have lots of windshield wiper fluid and music CDs for entertainment.

Winter riding: BRRRR!!

As I set out this morning, it is -21 C but with the wind chill it is -27 C.

I will be wearing my fleecy riding pants and my winter riding boots along with other warm pieces of clothing. I need it all when I get to the barn - it is not heated. Then when I start to get Abracadabra ready to ride, I can take some of it off.

There is heat in the arena if I need it. What is nice on a cold morning like this is to turn it on for a while to warm up while I am getting ready. I got used to not having the heat on when riding Bishop as the air got very dry and dusty and it was not good for his COPD. Also at my age I tend to be warm anyway and once I start trotting around on a horse, I am quite comfy.

Abracadabra has quite a warm fur coat and sometimes she may even be too warm and start to sweat some. Some of this is also because she did not have regular exercise before she came to Ottawa to be my horse. When I am finished riding her I can wrap her in her nice blue wool blanket. I have had this blanket for a long time. Being grey she looks very pretty in blue.

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The barn does not have to be heated. When the doors are shut and the horses are all inside it can be quite cozy even on the coldest of days.

Unfortunately the water has been known to freeze and then the automatic water bowls in the horses’ stalls do not work. Then is when the barn staff have to run around with buckets of water to drink and to help thaw out the frozen pipes.

Where the barn is located there is now a connection to the city’s water system. However the horses do drink a lot and there is a well. There was a major disaster in the past - in fact at the time of the big ice storm in 1998 - when the well died. What a production to truck in water as well as dealing with all the ice and snow.

Snow part 2

Yes this is my house in Ottawa last March.

Now when Kathi was coming for her visit, she told me she does not do snow. Those West Coast folks try to avoid it. I said - this year you cannot avoid it. So she came with her camera.

For 2009, she is thinking of coming for her visit later in the season. Maybe I can save some snow for her.

Fun in the snow

So Ottawa had a major snowfall this past week and the calendar still said - October.

I stayed at home and I did not shovel. I was still in the leaf raking mode. I had my first fire in my fireplace for the season.

I heard the snowplow go by - my taxes hard at work.

This week I am getting more ready for winter - eavestrough cleaning and winter tires being installed. Now I need a strong gust of wind to blow the rest of the leaves off my tree. Winter tires were something new for me last winter and it certainly was a good year to install them with all the snow we had in Ottawa.

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So where is this fine looking house in the snow? Ottawa?

Actually this was Kathi and Cliff's house in Vancouver early last December. Cliff told me that of all his 40 years in Canada, this was the most snow he had seen.

Memories of the ice storm - 10 years later

I remember being sent home from work on Thursday January 8 and then staying at home until Monday the 19th. I remember Joanne (the chief) phoning more than once and saying - no we are not going back to work yet. When we went back to Hull, there were no street lights on.

I remember walking home in my neighbourhood and seeing power lines down and lots of ice on trees. I never lost power myself so I had a nice time off with paid leave.

There was no riding at first because it was too icy for the horses to walk up to the arena. Then they did not get out to run around and their grain rations were cut so they would not get too lively. The fellow who was quite handy around the barn had his own issues at home to deal with in the country.

My mom was without power for quite a long time and used her fireplace and her large pile of firewood.