Tablelands in Winter

Winter, 2010 has been warm and grey and rainy.   But, here are some photos of other winters to get everyone ready for what should come...

Gros Morne Mountain, from the WP town Trail

Winter seems to come and go late fall.  Snow here, then gone.  Sun one moment, then gone too.   Rain, mist, all too often.  One day, warm South-westerlys,  the next, bitter Northerlies.   When the sun comes, people sneak out of doors.  things can be left for later.  Even Pete stands in front of his building, enjoying what little moments of sun come our way.

The light and the sky are dramatic and more powerful than the land and the sea.  That is what happens here in November, December.  On the Tablelands today, the light was so low that the shadows of crept across the rocky barrens for dozens of feet.  The faint tracks of caribou seemed much deeper and darker in that low angle light, as if they're written in ink on the ground, rather than by dust.

Rabbit Hunting

Now that the rain has stopped and the snow is down, the kids are out again. It's Rabbit Hunting season. 

gros morne from the unnamed trail that goes nowhere.

After school, the under 13 set pulls on boots and gloves and grabs their wires, twisted into rabbit snares.   Up the snowy trail they go, behind the water tower, the trail that climbs straight up the hill for seemingly no reason, because it just stops, but does not take you anywhere.

Eyes out for the tracks of rabbits.. they ask each other, is that a rabbit?  No, squirrel.  No!  That's a fox.  The rabbits are easy to tell... sometimes theyre just the small cat like paws, but often, its the long back foot, with the little front paws.  Other times, rabbit at rest, the imprint of tail, paws, long back feet.   They seem to run the same paths over and over.  So the kids find the rabbit paths, and set their snares.

Setting the snare.

Every evening after school, maybe sometimes before school, up they go to check to see if they have snared any rabbits.  They hope the rabbits are dead, if not, they have to kill the sad little beasties.   A quick karate chop to the back of the neck they tell me.  There is always a fight over who's snare it was, and whose rabbit it will be.  None of them, except for mien kinder like rabbit... they always give them to their nans. 

Winter

Trying to keep summer going, but it's gone.  Monday, the first hard frost killed the last of the flowers, the white garden phlox, the calendulas, the purple flowers whos names i don't know.  The last bouquet was exquisite, but full of pathos, purple, orange, gold and white tinged with pink, sort of suprised that it was still there, on the kitchen table.

But the snow is there now.  The arctic red bellied chicks are back, flitting and chipping among the snow covered black spruce.  My trail, snow covered now, reveals other travellers: the crows, squirrel, rabbit, fox.  A puppy's tracks- would that be Kathleen with Nova?  A big big dog... maybe strider has been down this way too.   No moose tracks.  No bear.

Silence, spice, the smell of snow.  Suddenly, christmas and the yule season just rise from the belly and into the blood.  The dark time of Halloween and Bonfire Night is gone.  Light and laughter is back.

In Winterhouse Canyon

We are just tipping over the edge between winter and summer.  Yesterday, sun and warm, took off the down parka for my walk, was in just a long sleeved tee.   The day started as winter though, cold and damp and dark and windy.

We are loosing the sun at my house now about 1:15 in the afternoon.  It only clears the tops of the southern hills at about 8:15.   Forget about sun rising in the east, setting in the west-  it's the season of rise in the south, set in the southwest.  Woody Point keeps its sun until about 4, and the last light hits the Norris Point Hills and Gros Morne mountain, shadows steadily creepin  up the slopes, to disappear at 4:45 p.m.  By 5:30 it's pitch black outside.

Tablelands, Winter;  Acrylic on Canvas, 2009

Rain Again

Rain has started again.  Drats. 

May, rain. June, rain. July, rain.  August, 3 weeks of sun (we counted every day).  September, rain.  October, rain (2 days of gorgeous sun).   November, rain (5 days of sun). 

The whales are back, in big numbers.  The minke and great whuumpfing humpbacks are splashing around in the backyard, making big whumpfing noises.  It's so weird to have whales in the backyard.  For you not in the know, my land ends in a cliff that drops to the bay, and the water is so deep right off the the shore that the whales can play here no problem.   Can't see them, because they are under the cliff, but we can hear them no problem.

Woody Point is quiet.  Life has dropped down a notch, people go to chat with the Post Office lady (Sonia, because Dee is sick, Carol Ann is pregnant), or wander into the legion for a chat.  Pete sits on the counter of his store watching for any traffic to go by.   The hopping place right now is the clinic: chicken pox, pink eye and a tummy rumble is on the go in the bay, so that is where the action is.   The Chocolate Mousse is open for lunch on Fridays, and the Chicken Coop does fries and chicken on Saturdays for supper.

Someone poisoned some dogs in the bay.  No one knows who.  That's disturbing.

Besides that, all is quiet.

winters icy toes dance

        Bonne Bay from the Woody Point Beach Trail, November

Walking along the trail, saw two loons.   The whales are back, minke and humpbacks.  One got tangled in a net off of Norris Point, took seveal hours to free it.   The fishing boats are cleaning out the bay: herring and mackeral.   the bald eagles and red-tailed hawks are swooping over the land and sea, it's as if they all waited for the toursists and visitors to leave.

No one is seeing moose.  Bruce Gilliam final got his, after many visits into the woods.   Jeff and Ken still don't have theirs, nor does Bill.   Gayle did not even try, she may be in later this year.   Maurice told me one of the guys he was guiding for got a Caribou, that might fall into the top 20 ever taken in Newfoundland and Labrador.  It is still being measure.

Bill and Shaun played a matinee at the Legion, it was quiet but enjoyable.  Molly is in St. John's at the big Craft Fair, hopefully she will sell out. 

Fros hits the land, then melts.  Today, the last day of sun, then they call for several days of heavy rain.  What am i doing in here on the computer?

Remembrance Day

For the first time since I have been here there was a beautiful remembrance day.  Cold, still, sunny.  The main street of Woody Point was blocked with people, maybe 100, maybe 200.   Kids, old folks, the Newfoundland Rangers, four Mounties in formal red serge, the Cadet marching band.   Wreaths were laid, prayers said, proud veterans brushing tears from their eyes. 

Bonne Bay from Birchy Head, Looking Towards Woody Point

Most people wandered into the Legion afterwards for a treat, but Rhya and I went home. It was too magnificent to go in.  Frost hung onto the ground, turning the grass to a gorgeous blue tipped serre.   The bay was soo still, cloudes reflected on its surface.  Outside and walking, crisp dry air finaly. 

The sun rises to the south now, not topping Deans Head until 8:05 a.m. now.   Today, we lost the sun in the yard by 1:35 p.m.  ... not quiet long enough on a sunny day in my opinion.  

Bonne Fire Night

First Bonne Fire Night in 5 years without heavy winds, heavy rainy snow or snowy-rain.  The first one to really be outside burning things and watching fire works.   The fire works were first rate, and left over from the Fall Festival for GBS-  that night was toooooo terrible to have a fire and fireworks.  Lots of families out for this.  Pikes Garage sponsored the weiner roast and offered Marshmallows:  a little fire was built for  that one.  

Gros Morne With Snow

There has been snow on the high hills for the past two weeks.  Thick snow on Gros Morne, until yesterday, when a warm front blew in... it has crept up to 17 degrees!   Rain again today, and I doubt it's snowing up on the hills, probably quickly melting away, to expose rock and dried grasses and bare trees again. 

All Saints Day

All Saints Day always arrives with snow.  As usual, winter started today, again this year.  Snow gently falling in large balls not quite rain, not quite flakes, as I drove into town.

Halloween last night, was the first time in a long many years without rain.   The kids realy made out.   The gang had two garbage bags each, and mien kinder arrived with easily 30 lbs of treats.  One of the boy counted 100 baggies of potato chips.  Is that maybe too much?  But there is such joy in hunting down all that candy.  did the kids really hit 100 houses in the bay last night?  wow.  Not wonder they are all beat today!

Images: Above: Waiting for the school bus, early morning bonne bay

Below: The andersons house, Baileys Point