Willie said it well

“Why, what’s the matter,
That you have such a February face,
So full of frost, of storm and cloudiness?” (William Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing)

What's good about a truncated month? In February's case - not a lot. Oh well - there's Groundhog Day on February 2nd - the midpoint between Winter and Spring - to give us hope that the cold, damp, dark winter days will pass soon. And, there's Shrove Tuesday - I mean, who doesn't like pancakes? There's Valentine's Day - a time to celebrate love and lovers and faith in 'forever after'.

And, in my case, it's the month in which my first grandchild, Mattias, was born. My sister Dawn's birthday falls in February too. Both are occasions I like to celebrate.

So, all of those occasions at least help to pass the time through what, for some strange reason, seems to be the most dismal of months. We often get our coldest temperatures in 'heart' month, but according to the climatetemp.info website, February boasts the fewest days of precipitation. Of course, when we DO get precipitation, it's usually in the form of a massive dump of snow, just to remind us that Mother Nature Rules and winter is NOT over yet.

When that happens, I find it helps to curl up by the fireplace, put some music on the stereo and read and sleep until it's over. Forays into the 'wilderness' with the pooch to take care of his physical needs represent my attempts to 'get outside'.

February truly is the longest short month.

Have you noticed?

Those of us who don't revel in hurtling down snowpacked hills or venturing forth in the cold in search of mid-winter diversions LIVE for this moment - the day you finally really notice that the days are truly getting longer. It's more than a month since the winter solstice and we now have daylight available from around 7: a.m. until well after 6:p.m.

The darkness scatters and the light begins to break well before sunrise offering hope and cheer to the light-deprived masses. And, after the supper dishes are done, there's still a hint of light in the yard, even though the sun has set.

Now all we need is a bit more warmth - but I suspect we may have to endure a few more cold snaps before we can say the worst is really over.

Halo has the right idea - bask in whatever warm sunlight can be found - and stay in the house.

January means...

In New Brunswick (probably as in most of the northern hemisphere at least), January means more unpredictable weather. We fluctuate from torrential downpours and temperatures between 5-10C to bitter cold (-25C or worse) with gale force winds to remarkable snowfalls exceeding 30cm (1 foot) in a short period of time. In other words, January is the definition of winter.

Locally, though, if you have even a passing interest in things equine, January also means it is time for the annual January Thaw Equine Expo! It will be held in Fredericton this week-end at the Capital Exhibition Centre on Saturday, January 22nd from 9-5. As it currently stands, there are more than fifty exhibitors in the trade show itself plus there will be informative presentations going on all day long. For details check out their website at www.januarythaw.com

Designed by Lisa Boudreau Imaging and Design


I've been toying with my display booth content for the past few weeks and have finally decided to cut it back, simplify and make it easier to set up, tear down and yet keep the visuals. Wish me luck. I'm trying out the new system tomorrow.

Mother Nature is threatening to make life a bit miserable tomorrow afternoon and evening so I'm heading up early in the a.m. to get my booth set up before the storm hits. Hopefully it will blow itself out quickly so Saturday can dawn clear and clean and people will be able to get out and about!

Hope to see lots of folks on Saturday and be sure to drop by my booth to say hello, fill out a ballot for my door prize, and catch up on what's new.

It is winter, after all

Hoover knows it's winter. He revels in the newly fallen snow - leaps and bounds about chasing snow flakes; plays fetch with snowballs that vanish when they hit the ground; and generally exudes an amazing amount of joy when the door opens on a fresh snowfall.

The rest of us, however, seem to have a tendency to gravitate to the fireplace, soft music and low light, book in hand, blanket artfully draped around the supine body. While this image is good for the soul, and perhaps even the intellect, it does little for the rapidly expanding posterior or for productivity in the sphere of work.

To counteract at least some of this winter lethargy (oh yes, I am among those who loathe being cold), tomorrow I will bundle up and sally forth with a friend in search of waterfalls to photograph - running waterfalls, frozen waterfalls - it doesn't matter - just waterfalls. I am psyching myself up now to look forward to freezing my toes, nose and other parts off and trying to keep my camera warm and dry while trudging over ice and snow, lugging 40 pounds of gear, to find these marvels of nature.

In reality, I probably will enjoy it. Or, if not the actual hunt, the creation of the images at the end of the trek. In the meantime - lining up the clothes. For those who know me, and fail to recognize me tomorrow, I'll be the one that resembles the Pillsbury Doughboy.

Twenty-four of Thirty: Fall is struggling to hang on

Late yesterday afternoon and throughout the night torrential rains fell in southern New Brunswick. Today the temperature has been dropping steadily and the residual showers turned first to large flaky flurries and, more recently, to wet snow. It's technically still autumn but she is fighting a losing battle against winter's onslaught.

I'm not a winter person. I no longer enjoy outdoor winter sports like skiing, skating and toboganning. I hate feeling cold and damp and my arthritic joints protest loudly to anyone within earshot. So, since I live in the northern hemisphere the annual question becomes, how to survive another six months?

I've stocked up on long underwear, warm socks, sweaters, cozy boots, and the gas tank for the fireplace is full. Armed with good books and lots of tea - I'm taking a leaf from the big bear's notebook and hibernating as much as possible.