I found winter in April

                                                                      Its Still Here

Winter is still here. It may feel 20C outside but winter is still hanging around on the back roads
of Mapleton Township. Its Easter Sunday, April 20, 2014, and I found winter. Exciting for me, but maybe not for you. There is a method to my madness. I LOVE WINTER.

The crunch of the snow beneath my boots is a sound I never tire of. On a -30C night I can see the
snow sparkling and when I breath in, my nostrils freeze shut. The air is crisp, clean and clear. I'm dressed in my insulated coveralls, favourite knitted sweater, big green boots, down filled mits, Farmers Feed Cities hat, Toronto Maple Leafs scarf and I'm HAPPY.

Really, I love all the seasons. Spring brings new beginnings. The birth of lambs, tulips poke their
heads out of the ground and the temperatures are cool to warm. Fall is harvest time. A time to reap
what you have sown. Combines glean through fields, leaves change from green to beautiful reds,
oranges and yellows, and God's creatures prepare for winter.

 Gardening, lawn cutting, walking and bicycling occupy a lot of my summer. A dip in a friends pool or pond keeps me refreshed. The HHH's and I are not compatible. Heat, Humidity and Haze I try to ignore.There is only so much clothes you can take off before the laws of Ontario kick in. Although outwardly not showing how miserable I feel, I am suffering terribly.

The winter of 2013/14 was a true Canadian winter. One we haven't seen for a number of years.
I enjoyed it more than most. My unofficial "I LOVE WINTER CLUB" has five members and there
is room for new members. When the temperatures hit 30C + and complaints are heard, I
smile and think to myself....I LOVE WINTER.

Two Small Pie Plates

                                                                           

                                                             The Pie Plate Lady


The ad, Pie Plates For Sale, on a Facebook Buy and Sell site, caught my eye late one night. A quick reply to the ad, a few messages exchanged  and  a pickup time was finalized between the seller and myself. Another addition to my list of errands on my busy day off.

After a short drive to a nearby town, I found the house where I was to pick up the pie plates. A middle aged lady answered my knock on the door  and introduced her mother-in-law to me. Lily, an elderly woman in her early 90's welcomed me into her home. With the sale of the pie plates complete, I shared with the two women what the pie plates were going to be used for. My friend, Dale, attends a United Church that does a Turkey Dinner Fundraiser at Thanksgiving. The ladies of the church decided that they no longer wanted to use aluminum pie plates, as they found the pie crusts did not cook properly in these plates. Dale had mentioned on Facebook that the church was looking for glass, ceramic or tin pie plates for their fundraiser. I told Dale that I would be happy to help her collect pie plates as I visited  the three thrift stores in a nearby town on a weekly basis.

Lily, was happy to help out with my search for pie plates. She went into her cupboard and found another ceramic pie plate to add to my collection. She also added two smaller plates and asked me
if I knew how old these plates would be. My guess was 40 years. She replied, "Many more than that."
I asked  if it was okay with her if I kept the smaller pie plates for myself as they wouldn't be used by  the church. She was in favour of the idea.

I commented on how beautiful Lily's home was and she offered to give me a tour. I told her it wasn't necessary and I did have an appointment to get to. She insisted and I couldn't resist her invitation. As
I bent over to remove my boots she told me not to worry about boots. At her age she didn't care about a little dirt. I felt uncomfortable as I walked on her white carpets and area rugs with my boots on. I guess if I was in my 90's I wouldn't care either. As we walked from room to room, Lily told me stories about her life. The writer in me wanted to stay and talk longer but I had to continue on with my day.

As I drove to my next errand, I thought about Lily and her home. I was thrilled to have met her and glad that I took time out of my day to listen to her stories. Each time I look at the two small pie plates she gave me I will remember Lily, in her early 90's, healthy, vibrant and still living in her own home.

The Right Place At The Right Time

  

                                                       The Right Place At The Right Time

Last week I planned to  meet my friend, Bev, at the Drayton library. She needed some help with
her email. Joanne, one of the librarians, greeted me at the front desk. As we chatted, a lady walked in the front door, carrying a box. She set the box down on the desk and opened the flaps to reveal some baby chicks.

I'm sure my eyes lit up and the smile on my face got bigger when I saw the chicks. Joanne asked if I would take ten minutes of my time and help with the chicks. The March Break Children's program was about to begin.

Ten minutes. I'd take ten hours or even ten days if she wanted me to. I shared with the children and adults present, how to handle a chick and how to put a chick to sleep. Because of all the commotion, the chick had no interest in sleeping. Some of the children were uncomfortable with the
chicks but soon started petting and handling the chicks. A great experience for non farm children.

Ten minutes flew by and the chicks were placed back in the box. Their intended destination was Joanne's house. She was pleased to be starting her next crop of chicks.

The right place at the right time...I am so thankful for those moments and hope to experience a lot more of them.

Bringing Heaven To Earth

                                              Bringing Heaven To Earth

I was thrilled when my friend, Heather, agreed to an interview about her charity. Heather, her husband Dean and friend Terri Ferris started a charity to help people with special abilities. The goal of the charity is to raise funds to help with the purchase of special equipment, therapy and recreational items.

The Rural Route, so kindly published my story. It has brought an awareness of what the charity is all about  to the area the magazine covers. If anyone needs any further information on the charity the contact information is

bringingheaventoearthinc@gmail.com
519-638-5001

Winter Project

      



One of my winter projects is puzzle building. The challenge of completing the puzzle thrills
me. I usually build the border first and then choose an unusual shape or colourful object to
build next. The large parts like water, grass and sky usually get left to the last. They take a long time to complete and I want instant gratification with smaller areas.

In this puzzle I chose to work on the quilts first. That challenge complete I took a try at the
 barns and silos, my second choice. Sheep, my favourite farm animal came together easily.
 The large tree on the right, a challenge in itself, came together without too much frustration.
 Not so easy, the variety of flowers. With each piece the puzzle began to take shape. Lastly,
the water, trees and sky. My puzzle is complete.

Due to poor weather conditions, I am home for the day. Today is the day I photograph
my puzzle and take it apart. I think about all the hours it took to build the puzzle as I  drop each individual piece into a plastic bag. With the lid on the box and puzzle pieces safe inside, I think
about who I could give this puzzle to. My next challenge.

                                                                Ringette Memories


     After work on Friday, I packed a few belongings and headed to King Township to
     spend part of the weekend with my daughter, Mamie, and her hubby, Jordan. Mamie
     was playing in a Ringette Tournament that started on Friday night. I looked forward
      to seeing her on the ice again. Mamie started playing ringette at the age of eight and
      remained active in the sport for a number of years. Hockey, then became forefront
      in her life, but she returned to ringette this year.
      
     

      Mamie  shared with me earlier in the day, that her cousin (my niece) Paula was to join
       Mamie's ringette team that night as the team was a player short. Mamie and Paula grew
      up together playing on the same ringette team. I was blessed to have been able to enjoy
      those years.



      As I sat in the stands with Mamie's husband, I shared memories of ringette games from
      the past. Unforgettable moments that filled her childhood. On the ice pad in
      front of me, a team of younger girls had started their game. My eyes filled with tears,
      as I found it hard to believe that Mamie was that age not so long ago.
     

     


     An hour later Mamie's team took to the ice to warm up. I didn't need to know her jersey
     number as it was easy for me to pick her out from among her team mates. She hadn't
      lost any of her ringette skills. The familiar stroke of her skate blades and the snap of her
     wrists that sent a shot high into the net, hadn't been lost over the years.




      Tears slid down my cheeks as the King Township sign faded from sight in the rear
       view mirror of my truck. Memories of  years gone by and new memories created this
      past weekend, played out before my eyes. Moments made to cherish.









   



     
    
    
     
     
     
      

     
   

                                     

                                                               Sun's Rays


     Today was a beautiful day for a walk. I grabbed my little camera and truck keys and headed
out to a  quiet part of the country. A "No Winter Maintenance Beyond This Point" road was my destination. The road had been plowed to the first and only house on the road. I parked on the side
of the plowed portion and began my walk.

     It wasn't a particularly interesting road from a photographer's view but I enjoyed the lack
of vehicles and quietness. I walked to the edge of the unplowed portion and spotted two woodpeckers in search of a branch suitable for pecking. The snow looked deep on the unplowed portion but I decided to continue on. A jack rabbit scurried along the ditch as I had disrupted his routine.

     I followed a snowmobile trail for half a mile before I stopped and took this photo. My intention
was to write about the snowmobile trail and where it might lead. When I returned home and downloaded my photos onto the computer I knew the snowmobile story would have to wait. My
little camera had captured the sun's rays. I was shocked as I had not been able to do this before.

     My winter excursion turned out better than I ever could have imagined. The beautiful sunshine
warms the heart and soul. A promise that spring is just around the corner.