January 30 - Spectacular!

On January 2, I remember writing about the grey days of January and indeed, during the month we have had many of those. The overcast days without the glare of the sun are easier on my eyes but they do nothing to lift the spirits. Fortunately the dull days are interspersed with the optimism of days with blue sky and sunshine. A couple of weeks ago, there was one such day with the added bonus of a brilliant display of sun on snow. The mixture of cold temperatures and moisture in the air combined to create hoar frost. The result was spectacular!

Lyle and I left our house early that Sunday morning before the sun, always low on the horizon in January, was glaring in my eyes. There was fog in the river valley but everywhere else the frost on the trees was glinting in the dawning light. It was as if a zillion diamonds were blinking and twinkling joining together in the most fantastic diorama that nature had to offer.

Later in the afternoon when we went for our daily walk I reached out to touch the frosty branch of one of the trees close to the trail. Already the sun had melted the hard frost to soft snow.

Lyle took the following three pictures on that spectacular Sunday...and while I am on the subject, a special hello to the members of the Spectacular Vision Loss Support Group. I know that you often check in on the entries on this blog.

The first picture is of a group of trees with a brilliant blue sky background. The second picture is of a willow tree with its white frost coating and the third picture, my favourite, is of a spruce. It is standing alone against a blue backdrop. The white hoar frost on the spruce seems to sparkle in the sunlight. It is a perfect example of nature’s Christmas tree!

Group of frost-covered trees

Frost-covered willow

Frost-covered spruce

January 23 - Snow in the Mountains

Good weather, good roads and good gas prices led us to a weekend away in Canmore. For those of you who live outside Alberta, Canmore is just before the gateway to Banff National Park and just inside the beginning of the mountains. It was a perfect weekend for a mini retreat.

I like being around big things. As I have written before, I don’t see detail, but I can make out larger objects. Mountains fall into this category.  I can see the huge shapes even though I might not be able to see a definitive outline.

In Canmore, we walked on a number of the river trails and other trails leading through the trees. Canmore is a fairly active and sports minded community and we passed many other people also walking, jogging, running and biking. The trails were wide enough for Lyle and I to walk side by side and the number of people using the trails meant that the snow was packed down and walking was easy. It was nice to be able to enjoy our outside activity in a different location.

Lyle took the accompanying picture on one of our walks. The majestic mountain peaks were quite visible when we looked across the river. 

View of mountains from Canmore

January 16 - One Good Deed

One good deed deserves another and Tom and Michelle and the staff at The Old Iron Horse Restaurant in Ponoka have again put this sentiment into action. On New Year’s Day, several community groups met at the restaurant for a delicious turkey dinner. The White Cane Support Group was one of these groups. It was a turkey dinner with all the trimmings and followed by a tasty dessert. Now, you may be asking what is unusual about this. After all, the purpose of a restaurant is to serve food... but how many restaurants serve food free of charge?

January 1, 2015 was the third New Year’s Day that Tom and Michelle extended the generosity of a complimentary lunch to members of various groups in their community. Tom said that it is their way of giving something back and as a thank you for their own blessings in life. Tom’s staff also gave voluntarily of their time to prepare and serve at the lunch. Although there is no charge for the luncheon guests, Tom and Michelle have also used the occasion as a fundraiser. This year donations were accepted for the local Ponoka Food Bank.

Tom and Michelle are gentle, friendly people with big hearts. Their actions inspire me to look outside myself and find ways that I can also give back to others. Too often those of us who have a disability of some kind let ourselves fall into the mode of victim. I know that I need to look for opportunities to reach out and extend a helping hand to someone who might be less fortunate than I am. After all, one good deed deserves another.

The picture with this post is of Tom and Michelle with their son, Ethan. Tom and Michelle came to Canada from Vietnam, but Ethan, who is now three years old, was born in Canada.