Mid Winter Hues

      The other day I went out to take pictures of the boys playing in the snow. I was carefully picking my way back over the snow the boys had packed so I wouldn't get a boot full of snow. I was going through some shrubbery that the boys had used for hiding and a supply of spears. I got snagged up in the shrubs and had to back out to untangle myself. I happened to get a close look at some tree bark and said , "That's pretty interesting!"

     It's mid winter and the days are getting longer and the shadows are shorter. Tree bark and seed heads have been frozen, inactive and dried out. You get to look at tree bark that you would never see in the summer and besides it would have a much greener tinge to it. So before I took a second charge through the shrubbery I decided to try a few pictures. Things have definitely lightened up since the winter solstice. Yesterday the sun rose at 8:23 and set at 5:12 which gives us 8 hours and 49 minutes of sun. On the solstice we had 7 hours and 39 minutes of sun.

Lilacs that look much different compared to June.

Lilac seeds that haven't been eaten by the Pine grosbeaks.

Lilac seed heads and buds ready for next June. I didn't notice the buds until I  looked at the photo on the computer.

Snow rats hiding in the shade.

So ever so gradually we are inching towards spring.

Snow Rats

     Snow rats? Yes. I thought if there could be "rug rats" then there could be snow rats. These three boys are in kindergarten and gr. one. They had a Friday afternoon off from school These three and one more played outside in the snow all afternoon.

One of my buds is under there

    I skied around them and stopped to visit a couple of times. When i went home I came back with my camera and took pictures. They hollered at their Mom, " A boy took our picture." Do I like these kids. They know me well and see me often and I am still a boy!

I think somebody left his teeth at home

    It was about minus 3 C with brilliant sunshine. They were probably soaking wet. There was not a parent hovering over these boys as they played in the snow. I classify these boys as free range kids. they are allowed to be on their own. They were obviously not sitting in the house with a video game or watching TV. I wish more kids would spend the whole afternoon playing.

Pretty healthy looking boys!

These guys were never still all afternoon.

I wish I had a hat like those.

Snow rat tracks

    So one old boy and four little guys had the snow to themselves for a pleasant sunny afternoon.

Making Dough

     Yesterday, one of the bloggers I follow posted on making cinnamon buns. Now cinnamon buns are one of my favorites. My Mom, who passed away in 1973, made awesome cinnamon buns. I can still remember them because they were so good. 

     So the cinnamon buns reminded me of some experiences people had making home made bread. When I went to the Arctic in 1963 very little fresh food was available. We were given a ration with a year's supply of food. That didn't include fresh bread. We had 200 lbs of flour and a bunch of yeast. I was single and bought bread at $2.50 a loaf which was an unheard of price. So the women who came north baked their own bread. Probably none of these young women had baked bread before they came north. First time experiences working with yeast and dough were quite challenging. There were many famous flops before there was any remotely edible bread. One girl admitted that when she threw her first results out that the dog wouldn't eat the product.

    It wasn't all doom and gloom. For my second posting I was married. My wife made bread and she was very competent. We had an oil stove with a shelf above the stove top. The temperature on the shelf was perfect for rising dough so we had spectacular bread. I still remember eating great tasting bread.

   The best batch of bread we had was when I was involved in the process. My wife had started mixing a bread dough. She was the settlement nurse and was called away. She told me to keep stirring the bread and add a little flour once in a while. She said she wouldn't be long and not to stop mixing. Well, you guessed it. she was delayed . When she got back there I was still mixing the dough. She rescued me and she claims it was the best bread we ever made.

   I'm sure that if bread making wasn't so laborious that very little bread would be sold in stores or else they would have to significantly improve their product.

    Ooh! The delicious smell of home made bread!

How Do I Look on the Inside?

    I know how I look on the outside. Some hair is missing. Some hair is white. The face is wrinkled. Some large blotches are on my face because of sun exposure. I don't see as well as I did. My hearing is certainly impaired. A few of my teeth are missing. You know what I mean. We are familiar with our exterior appearance. Sometimes there's some disconnect with what's in our head as far as our looks are concerned compared to what we see in the mirror.  Seeing a recent picture of ourselves can really shock us sometimes.

    So my curiosity says I wonder what conditions are like on the inside. Do things have wrinkles? Do things turn color? It's hard to say if things turn color when we can't see them. Do things sag on the inside? Do things become misshapen like my mouth?  Do all things run tickety boo or are somethings a little stiff and misshapen like my hands?

    As one ages and you see the changes and  there comes a time when  you start to really wonder, " What's going on inside.?" I recently posted on Alzheimer's. How has our brain changed in a physical way? 

    For most of these things we never get a look. Now with modern technology we sometimes get a glimpse. A few years ago I had some kind of scope test where there was a good picture of my esophagus. There are supposed to be good healthy ridges which help to move the food down. The ridges on me are pretty well worn down and smooth. That was cool to see. By the way I don't have any trouble getting food down. So I started to think, "How many other parts  might be worn down?" 

    So I'm not serious about these conditions. I'm not worried. I'm just curious. I hope I don't make you worried. 

Snow: What a Big Surprise!

    Today we received about 15 - 20 cm ( 5 in.) of snow. Light fluffy snow started falling early this morning. Snow had been forecast but it was to be very little. We missed the nasty stuff that went through Saskatchewan, Manitoba and God knows where else. Saskatchewan and Manitoba had some very nasty weather with high winds. Roads were closed. Large snow drifts were formed. Cars were abandoned on streets and roads.

    This was just a very quiet and gentle fall of snow. It was pleasant. Even the shoveling was easy.

When life gives you snow...ski!

This stump with the roof gives a measure of the snow.

The yard light is loaded with snow. I wish I could say the snow bent the lamp but it didn't.

My two meter birch tree is well protected with snow.

Alzheimer's: The Big "A" Word

     A few days ago I read a blog about keeping warm in the winter. I made the comment that "selective amnesia " helps me keep warm. The blogger is quick with a comeback and said, "Don't forget your coat."  I got a good chuckle from the reply. Then I stopped and thought that there was a very serious side to to the comment. People do forget their coat and go outside. Some of them are caught but unfortunately some are not found and perish. These are people with dementia. 

    Now before I go any further, I am not an expert on dementia. I follow two blogs which cover Alzheimer's from time to time and they are excellent.

    Today there was a column in our local paper in Alshiemer's so it really got me thinking. I am 73 years old and at an age when dementia is all to common. Seniors my age worry about dementia. We have seen relatives and friends deal with dementia and it's not a pretty sight. It's a challenge  for caregivers and is certainly difficult for the sufferer.

     The gist of the column today was that there's no cure or prevention for dementia, but there may be things we could do to possibly delay the onset of dementia or make it's progress less critical. Naturally I looked at the seven suggestions and considered how I stack up. Have I been living the right life?

    The first suggestion was to have been cognitively  active. Will my reading and  doing puzzles be any good for me? How about "free cell?

   Next, I've never been a person with high stress level . I was a middle school teacher and I did not let stress get to me.  I learned to deal with stress .

 I do stay connected with people. I volunteer and I like to visit.

   I don't have high blood pressure , diabetes obesity or high cholesterol. These things make it difficult to adapt to new situations.

    I am very active. Today I cross country skied for half an hour. After I finish this post I will go for a half hour walk.

    The one I have a problem with is concussion or repeated blows to the head. I've never had a concussion that I know of but I bang my head on things regularly. 

   So out of the six strategies I pass on five. The sixth I have problems with.

    Will this be enough to help me delay Alzheimer's? Will I be one of those people who get Alzheimer's?

    So we worry about dementia. It's common with about 750000 people in Canada with Alzheimer's. We can only hope that we do not get Alzheimer's. 

Another Great Snow

   Early last evening snow began falling heavily. It was that type of snow that just filled the sky . I had to go to a meeting and found visibility rather limited.  When I came out from the meeting the heavy snow had stopped and there was just the odd lazy snowflake floating down.

    I did not get any pictures last night. I have a few pictures from today. I like to see plants covered with snow that they trap and hold.

The Kerry Wood  Nature Sanctuary

  Today I took pictures at the local nature center.

Shrubs loaded with snow at the back of the Nature Center 

Walkway on the right is barely visible.

   I hope this helps to cool off a few Australians who are burning in the heat.

One more look.