Well, so much for the weatherman and his forecast for Sunshine in the Similkameen - the digital sun glowed on his weather map, promising a bright and energetic day.

But alas...we wakened to fog and frost.







About ten-thirty a frail, veiled sun momentarily broke through the clouds, and looked mournfully down at that silly woman hurrying to get a picture of Sunshine in the Similkameen....



Husband and I are sitting back to back in the computer room, sorting through drawers and disks.

A treasure, - we found a dozen or so glass magic lantern slides from his childhood, - held up to the window images of Winnie the Pooh and his friends, gamboling on a green meadow from long, long ago!

Growing old holds many pleasures, and memory has a favoured place....

To lift the gloom of mist and fog a trip to town this afternoon took me through a fairyland of frosted trees that reminded me of Narnia when the Ice Queen reigned, - perfectly splendid and perfectly romantic in an ethereal kind of way.

Finally, - a sunny day.



In the mornings the mist has been gathering along the Similkameen, rising skyward until it hid the hills. Above the low, thin cloud that shut off the light and brought an eerie gloom to the valley the sun shone brightly on the upper hills and over the passes. I thought about my prairie childhood, where the sky was blue, the snow glistened and crackled beneath your feet, and the sun cheered you along your way as you walked in the frosty air.

The quail that live in the big brush pile came regularly for wheat, making their way across the pasture, oblivious to the mists that swirled and intent only on breakfast.
The small birds hover above them pecking at the wild bird seed and spilling a few seeds for friends on the ground. They were joined by a redheaded woodpecker, not interested in the wheat, but pecking in the gravel of the roadway, free of snow.



The day started with a gentle pink flush...



Along the river the mists gathered and rose with the faint air currents.





By mid morning the trees were still frosty, but the hills were shining under a blue flax sky.



Caspar and I strolled leisurely, enjoying the the sun, - and he slipping and sliding on the ice at the side of the road that soon grew soft and mellow under the sun's rays.

When we arrived at the door he went along in and I dug a little pathway to the loom room trailer and went in and retrieved the table loom, - filled with enthusiasm to make some crib blankets for the little guys who will soon be having birthdays.

Tomorrow is supposed to bring more sunshine to the Similkameen.....