Snow days

 A couple of big dumps of snow has changed winter activities.

After the first big storm, Rick and I walked at Backus.

Others had walked and snowshoed before us

but the walking was still pretty tough, sometimes sinking in, always having to look at our foot placement.

It was even more difficult out in the meadow and we cut the walk shorter than we would have normally. I felt as if my step counter should register each step as 2 steps as it was definitely twice as much effort/exercise.

On the way back we stopped to check out the ice fishing. These huts are waiting to be taken out.

Where before there were about 20 tents, now there were 100s of huts scattered across the Inner Bay, from Port Rowan to Turkey Point.

A break in the weather meant that I had no problem getting to my watercolour class at Glenhyrst in Brantford.

It had been cancelled due to the lockdown, in January, but was now back on again.

Taught by Jeanette Obink, (my neighbour in Paris) it will run for 6 weeks and focus on still life painting.

After the 2 and a half hour class.

After another hour of futzing with it at home. This is way out of my comfort zone but I hope it will help me get more comfortable with the medium.

Another snowstorm left snow covered windows,

sculptured drifts around the house

and hanging of the roof and

time for inside projects. I fell in love with some wool at Lens and Brit supplied me with a simple pattern.

Trying to finish up some old projects in my stash, I found this Fraser pansy pattern on rug warp. I have no idea when or where I got it but

am experimenting with "Trapunta" for the flowers, needle felting the centres and some embroidery stitch on the leaves before I hook the background.

The Tree Spirit still needs to be whipped.

Outside, the birds eat voraciously, between snow storms

and inside, forced flowers remind me that spring is not too far away.

This Christmas gift Amaryllis

has 10 flower buds so I should be able to enjoy it for a while.

Rick has been spending his time processing the 100s of shots he takes on clear nights. This is the Orion Nebula, he tells me.

As is this, but the camera also picked up light from his red flashlight on the tree. I like the effect and hope he will play with that more.

Hand quilting course - more than I bargained for.

 Brit came to teach Nicola and I hand quilting. This was something I remember thinking that I might like to do when I retired but on watching Nic quilt, had decided quilting would drive me crazy (cutting little pieces, ironing, precision stitching, having to be exact/precise..). Nicola has always professed to hate the hand work involved, so I was surprised she was interested and she was surprised that I was interested and Brit was just excited at being able to teach and pick "happy colours".

Brit had bought a couple of examples of hand quilted spreads. What a lot of work! Of course Rasta had to also inspect them.

Ready to roll - Nic bought her sewing machine and Ott light, then there's the ironing board and iron, hoops (we didn't end up using them) and various paraphernalia. In the white bags; our kits. I hadn't really thought it through but we first had to create the pillow top, to quilt. This meant sewing little bits together, Oh my. I immediately had to make a trip to the bathroom.

With Nic's amazing machine and under Brit's gentle tutelage I was able to sew these little squares together and on to the white centre. Then sandwich with batting and backing. Then mark the lines and choose the thread.

Then on to the part I was looking forward to. Nicola and I both found it relaxing and rewarding, and the "happy colours" helped too.

That evening we toasted Nicola's retirement, in champagne.

The next day we finished the last of the hand quilting and Nicola finished the sewing on both her and my cushions.

Neither one of us like to get our pictures taken so, of course, we goof around.

My cushion, in its new home, in the sunroom.

The first day it was crazy blizzard and blowing snow but the second was beautiful and Brit took the opportunity to take

a couple of photos with her phone.

We talked quilting, rug hooking, combination pieces and knitting and now I have so many projects.

I deconstructed a floral rug that I had started on decades ago and knew I would never finish. Made these 3 little mats. They are now for sale in the gallery; Tea for Two.

Meanwhile Cigi was working on her own art project. Photo from Daycare.

Still more lake ice to reflect the sunset.

Kitchen and another frosty walk.

As soon as I moved in, corners of the kitchen countertop came off and, although I glued them back on, they came off again. Then I found that the laminate was separating from the base as well. More gluing? No, I decided to replace it.

Cleared off and ready to be replaced. I also took everything out of the bottom cupboards (and purged) and took all the drawers out.

During the demo

New quartz countertop.

I purged again while putting things back away. Anything that I hadn't used since I moved in (a year and a half ago) went.

I can't stop taking pictures of winter sunsets.

Rick and I took a chilly walk at Selkirk Provincial Park.

The light was really poor so

I just played around with photos of winter flora.

Deliberately shooting into the sun.

On another cold Hamilton walk, Rick took this photo of Long tailed Ducks.

Closer to home, a Mourning Dove.

Ice

building up on the Bay.