I was up pretty early on Monday. Had to get over to Broadway and pick up Keiran from a dentist appointment that they had walked to with Amanda (on her way to work).
Just outside the dentist I noticed all the benches had been buried in snow!?
benches emarge from snow as it melts away.
Hauling Keiran to school on the back of the Big Fat Dummy.
I had thought of going for a longer ride, after dropping them off... but it was sleeting and was just so cold and wet and it's supposed to be much warmer every other day this week, I decided just to go back home and get some drawing done.
Went out for a longer ride on Wednesday.
Spotted gulls again
This time I remembered to bring binoculars. I have to admit this was the first time I've look at birds through binoculars. Wow. They work huh!?
Still couldn't figure out what type of gull though... I'll have to remember to bring one of the BIGGER pairs.
We have an assortment of binoculars at our house. Some Amanda bought for briding for herself. There are a bunch of cheap smaller compact folding ones like this one that Amanda bought a BUNCH of to use when she was doing Bird Quest and running an environment camp for kids. And then there are a bunch we inherited from my folks when they downsized from house to apartment (some of which probably belonged to my grandparents that MY parents got when THEY moved into a seniors centre)
I thought I'd grabbed one of the CHEAP compact folding binoculars - but when I got home later and was chatting with Amanda, she informed me that I had taken her GOOD compact folding binoculars... that were NOT CHEAP... and she would be VERY DISAPPOINTED if i lost or damaged them...
(I found one of the cheaper pairs to put in my bag...)
Also on that ride...
While most of the trails were clearing up - though wet - there were a few spots - like this uphill section that were pure ice!?
I happened to note, as I was getting close to home, sundogs (light refracted through ice crystals in the upper atmosphere) which are usually indicators that it IS cold, or ABOUT TO BE COLD.
Sure enough, the next day it had plummeted in temperature and was snowing again.
I had an appointment to get to downtown...
But managed to take a few pics.
So many geese coming back.
Mallard.
turned down this alley only to find a HUGE muddy puddle in it. Turned out it was okay I was able to dodge around the side and the gravel was pretty good
Crow.
Cawing at passersby.
MORE geese
STILL MORE geese
I decided to swing by a grocery store to pick up some food and found my usual backway in blocked by a HUGE puddle. I tried to ride through it thinking "how bad can it be". Halfway through I was up to my hube, bottom bracket/feet/cranks submerged and I ended up with very wet feet... doh...
Inside the store I herd some chirping and thought it was some ambient noises the store was playing... but then looked around and notice a bird way up by the ceiling chirping away!?
Went out for a short ride Friday evening, it was getting dark and none of the pictures I took turned out.
Gave Saturday a miss as it was COLD again!?
Sunday was too nice not to get out for a ride.... I flailed around most of the day distracted by so many things... but eventually got out in the late afternoon.
SO MANY GEESE!
They're just everywhere now.
Everywhere.
Night be a raven way up there...?
I even spotted some deer!?
This is well inside the city limits - on the other side of the fence, where the deer are, is the grounds of the city's water treatment plant.
I rode all the way up to Chief Mistawasis Bridge. First time this year.
view from the Bridge.
Wetlands bordering on the North East Swale - still frozen over. I often see lots of ducks at this one, depite it being right next to the freeway!
The trails along the east end of the Swale were still covered in snow and ice!? Despite being in pretty much FULL SUN!?
Some bits were pretty much unridable - I had to deke into the adjoining neighbourhood and ride on the streets to get past them.
Rock Dove. (Common Pigeon)
I actually pumped up the tires and rode the Yuba for this ride.
LOTS of gulls along the river. Still not entirely sure what type of gull.
Finally, I doubled back towards the senator Buckwold bridge - just to add a kilometre to the ride and make it an even 40Km - and spotted a beaver there!
So many critters out enjoying the sun.
It was nice to get out for a much longer ride. I do hope I'll be doing that more often!
The forecast suggests that Tuesday id going to be cold again (High of -2°C and SNOWING!?) but the rest of the week is looking better - highs above zero and getting warmer through the week!
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