Thursday, February 2nd
Groundhog Day

This and That

The sky was grey when we woke this morning, but in a while, about the time the sun decided to crest the hills, there were a few stray clouds that produced a rather lovely sunrise.  Around the house the walks were still icy from a chilly night, so I was confined to the deck with the camera, and of course with all the wires that bring civilization per se to village streets.  But I snapped a picture or two....

I manage to squeeze in under the wires....

a reflection of the sunrise in the window

Soon the sky is overcast again, and I figure that probably the groundhog is still snoozing and has not caught sight of this fleeting sunrise....

When we were still on the farm we had a colony of groundhogs that lived in a mound of stones at the foot of the mountain at the furthest periphery of the sagebrush and desert.

They seemed to be quite prolific

but their little colony was far enough away from the farm

(which also was rather prolific with six children)

 and so we all lived in peace and I can't remember having the time to wonder about whether or not they were seeing their shadows, up there.

I would be very happy if we are not blessed with six more weeks of winter.

I have retrieved my garden journal from the bottom of the bookcase and am starting to make lists!!!

where will I put some cleome, some zinnias, some nicotiana

did I remember to bring down some spurge, and some barn flower plant

 and if so where did I plant them.

I noticed that where I had pot marigold tucked into all the little corners they could find to establish themselves,  the previous owners here had miniature snapdragons.  They will have to learn to live together.

I think about the corner that was covered in black plastic when we came and where we deposited

the compost bin and planted day lilies all around it, leaving space

along the fence for a carnival of sunflowers.

While I wait for spring I have been doing a bit of reading, and have more books

ordered at the library  Just finished the latest (I think) Lord John novel by Diana Gabaldon.

I wish she would hurry with the Outlanders  novel, - she left that poor child of  Bree and Roger's

underground, in dire straits, - sometime in 2013 she says she will publish.
I shall attempt to remain in good health until then....

I have two of the later books written by Edna O'Brien.  I have started the first,
'The Light of Evening' which I suspect is partly biographical.  The other one is "Wild December"  I can't
believe I have never become familiar with Edna O'Brien, but perhaps this is  because she is an Irish writer
and her books are not so readily published or purchased by libraries in Canada.
These are the only two I could find in the Okanagan Regional Library.

Charles and I are also taking advantage of the indoor weather to do a little downsizing!
There is just NO WAY that he needs that many pairs of heavy socks or five packages of new
white handkerchiefs that have never been opened, and having relieved his cupboard drawers
of all those extraneous socks and hankies he can feel quite light hearted and well organized
when he peers inside.

Well, that's all of this and that for the time being, I think.
 Not much startling news here, but my sister did tell me last night that seventeen railcars of grain
went off the Fabyan trestle tracks and tumbled miles below
into the valley - maybe not MILES, but quite a way.  Far enough to smash them all
to smithereens.  They picked up all the grain, but I hope they left as few kernels for the
wild animals who inhabit the  Battle River valley.

This is the trestle from which the missing cars in the picture above fell .
It was built in 1908 and is the second longest steel trestle bridge in Canada at
2775 feet long and 195 feet high.

How fortunate it wasn't a passenger train !!!!!!!