Winter Evenings

One of the best parts of the day is a walk at night. Especially in winter. I was walking home tonight, taking a shortcut over CFCL Hill, when I stopped to admire the tree in front of the TV station -- very nice and peaceful. It's fun to remember that for nearly 45 years there was a news broadcast from this old building at 11:30 every night. Too bad they shut down the local newsroom and moved it all down south eh. There is a small handful of employees left who do a good job of news, tech support and commercial production ... but the place seems to have lost its hometown flavour.

Winter Tree

Winter trees always look so lost and lonely. Just standing there waiting for spring.

Golf and gold...

Only in Timmins, I believe, would it be considered normal for a diamond-drilling rig to be on the golf course. This rig is searching for gold. I snapped this shot this afternoon after hearing about the fuss on CBC Radio's As It Happens. Citizens near Ottawa were upset after discovering they only had surface rights on their property. They found out when some prospectors staked mining claims on their land. Claim-staking is the norm in Timmins. I've seen diamond drills in the park downtown, in a grocery store parking lot and even drilling through the ice at the Gillies Lake Conservation Area.

Great Day for Snowshoeing

Finally had a beautiful sunny day to get out into the bush after lunch for some hiking and snow shoeing with Claudette. We did more hiking than expected since I lost track of the trail by Hersey Lake (fresh snow eh). But luckily with a compass and common sense we found our way back. We even found a claim post and took advantage of a cross country ski trail ( boy, will they be upset when they see our tracks on their nice little ski trail!). It was about minus 35 with the wind chill, but with about an hour and a half of hiking we stayed amazingly warm.

Talking Squirrel ...

If you ever want to hear a squirrel chatter, just show up at the precise moment it is stealing seeds from the bird feeder. I was walking in the bush Sunday, checking the feeders, when I interrupted this noisy fellow. He was so upset he kept chattering for a good five minutes. I actually got a nice of photo of him with his mouth open!

This is different ...

Driving home from work this afternoon when i noticed a fellow moving very quickly over the ice on Gillies Lake... then i noticed how he did it. He was on a snowboard and harnessed up to a para-sail ( i think that's what they call it!) that whipped him over the ice very nicely. Being a the geeky fellow that I am, I pulled off the road to snap this photo. Oh by the way... got home from the U.S. on Wednesday. I gotta find some time this weekend to buy a surprise belated-birthday card for my favorite little sister. I can't say her age of course... but she was born at a time when the Toronto Maple Leafs were Stanley Cup Champions! Yes, yes it's true... I remember seeing it on black and white TV!

Holy Mackinaw...

Crossed over the Mackinaw Bridge Thursday...it connects the two parts of Michigan together... it's one of the highest bridges in North America and this year, it is half a century old! I get a kick driving over it... but if the weather is bad, they close the bridge and it's the only quick way back home to Canada. I was in a blizzard two years ago and got over the bridge just before midnight when it was closed for eight hours because of zero visibility.

On the road again...

Heading south again, this time to Detroit for the Ultimate Fishing Show. Currently sitting in Sault Ste. Marie where winter has finally arrived with some snow squalls and cold temps. There is snow across most of Northern Ontario, but still not enough for really great snowmobiling. That doesn't stop the hardcore riders though. As I drove south from Timmins this morning I noticed that most of the lakes were frozen and there were sled tracks everywhere. Time to head out and grab supper. I get tired of restaurant food. I guess I got spoiled having tea and raspberry pie at Claudette's place.

Shoot the moon...

Was out walking Wednesday night when I noticed how bright the moon was. I tried to snap a photo ... but I didn't have a tripod with me to keep the cam steady. The shot is blurry. I will do better next time. Weather is still a bit wacky. We have snow but the daytime temps are above zero. Can't wait for the really cold weather so I can start hiking in the bush again. Right now the trails are still too mushy and slushy.