February 15 - White Canes and Winter

Using a white cane in the winter snow is difficult. I suppose it is the same for people who use any type of cane but I only know the challenges of using my own white cane in the winter snow and cold.

The first difficulty might present itself right when I step outside my front door. If the temperature is thirty below or an otherwise freezing number on the thermometer, I dress accordingly – toque, jacket, boots and heavy mitts. Therein lies the problem. Just try getting a firm grip on the handle of a cane through the thickness of those mitts. The mitts and the cane simply don’t fit well together.

Then there is the issue of the snow. I use a mobility cane with a small roller ball on its tip. When I walk forward, I move the cane back and forth in front of me to clear my path of any obstacles. This is excellent when the surface is smooth and clear, but just try propelling the cane through snow. I might add that moving the cane back and forth through gravel or loose sand is equally useless. Lyle keeps our driveway and sidewalk clear of snow but if I venture far from home there are always a few neighbours down the way who aren’t or possibly can’t be as considerate.

So we come to the next problem. Let’s presume that I am out and about on my own and using my cane as best as I can maneuver it. Who will see me? One of the functions of the white cane is to identify the user as blind or with low vision. If I hold my white cane in front of me but am backlit by a glaring white snow bank, it is hardly visible. You can see this in the picture I have attached with this post. I have posed and am holding my cane a little to the side. It blends in almost too well with the white of the snow bank behind me.

You might also notice in the picture that I’m not wearing my dark glasses. On a cold day, this is another challenge. Do I wear the glasses to protect my eyes from the glare of the sun or do I run the risk of having the frames stick to my nose and ears in the cold? The following picture was taken on a day when the temperature was nearly thirty below zero so I decided to leave the glasses behind.

With all these minor annoyances, I am still glad that I have the use of my cane. I know that some people have truly major hurdles to cope with when it comes to getting around in the cold and snow of a Canadian winter, so I am just counting my many blessings. 

Sue standing in front of a snow pile

February 1 - Cruising the Caribbean

We are home from our lovely cruise. It was great fun being on the ship and for a little while, escaping from the Canadian winter. This was now our third cruise and the ship was bigger than our other two experiences. I must say that I liked the smaller ships better. On the smaller ships, I was able to find my way around more easily and I didn’t feel quite as pressured with the crowd of people. However, the cruise itself was great and we had the best possible weather.

During the winter months, there are lots of Caribbean cruise itineraries to choose from. We were excited to choose one that stopped at the A B C islands in the southern Caribbean. However, although we did enjoy our time there, it wasn’t as exciting as I had anticipated. Aruba, known for its sandy beaches, was very, very windy. Bonaire is surrounded by coral and reef, and is best known for its snorkeling and diving opportunities. Lyle and I didn’t snorkel or dive. Later on, we spoke with a fellow passenger who said Bonaire was the best snorkeling day she had ever experienced. We didn’t take an excursion at Curacao, but instead walked around the town site. There were lots of little shops, bars and restaurants. I bought a souvenir beach towel and sipped at a cool tasting pina colada.

I think the biggest surprise on the cruise was our stop at Half Moon Cay. Neither Lyle nor I had expected that this stop would be anything out of the ordinary, but I would venture to say that it was the highlight of the cruise itinerary.

Half Moon Cay is on a private island owned by the cruise company.  We arrived in the morning and were tendered to the beach. The water was crystal clear and the sand was clean and soft under our feet. There were walking trails and a small straw market for those passengers who liked to shop. At one end of the beach, horses could be rented for a ride in the surf. Holland America provided a great barbecue on shore before we returned to the ship. It was an excellent day!

I am writing all this not just to praise Half Moon Cay, but to say that a person never knows what surprises await if one only takes a chance. Lyle and I both enjoy little adventures and taking in new experiences. This year’s cruise was a test to that.

The picture below shows me sitting on a ledge on shore with the ship in the background. The weather was perfect.

Sue sitting in front of their ship