Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Goodbye to 2014

After a couple of days cooped up indoors nursing this wretched cold, I decided I needed some fresh air. We're at the cottage, and once you step outside, the only light you get is from the moonlight. It's disconcertingly dark after the bright lights of the city, and so silent you can hear the blood pounding in your ears. Well, silent except for the ice on the lake blindsiding you with a low moan or thunderous crack when you least expect it. 

It is windless tonight, thankfully, but a skin-numbing minus 16C. I armed myself with long underwear, and refused to let this stupid virus, or my fear of the dark, and that damned woo-woo-wooing lake, be the boss of me. (Plus I took Buddy and Doug along.) 

Oddly enough, there is almost no snow on the ground, crazy for this time of year and us being so far north, which meant we were able to walk with ease through the cedars and birch, guided by the moonlight, right down and then on to the lake. 

We hugged the shore and shuffled along the ice, marvelling at the sheer number of stars spread out overhead. The surface of the lake was like glass, the ice reliably thick, perfect conditions for skating literally miles without stopping, or hitting a bump or patch of snow but, as Doug pointed out, terrible for hockey because "if you miss the puck, it'll keep going forever!" 

A beautiful, perfect night and a wonderful way to say goodbye to 2014.


Happy New Year. May you find peace, happiness and joy.

Friday, December 12, 2014

Winter in Montreal

And the view from my flat is holiday themed. This is the racquet club next door, a beautiful old Tudor style building.

This was taken very quickly out of my sunroom window one evening, on my iPad. No enhancements or post processing or filters. This is exactly what it looked like.

Note the bike leaning on the fence. Someone actually rode a bike to the club.

Winter is so not the boss of us, here in Montreal.