snow much fun

 This is my most recent painting and it will represent a winter month in my 2026 Calendar. 

I lived out that quote on today's visit to the Inglewood Bird Sanctuary.  

I learned all about the anatomy of a snowflake during my AST1 training (Avalanche Safety Training).  On that day we got to appreciate the design of a snowflake through a magnifying glass.  Each one is unique and perfect.  Today I enjoyed admiring them up close through my camera lens. There were lots to choose from.

On the other hand, there were not lots of birds to admire yet the ducks and geese numbered in the high hundreds.  Everything sported a snowflake or two or three or a dozen. The female Mallard Duck and her partner stuck to the inlet away from the hundreds. 

male Mallard Duck

this was the only Black-capped Chickadee that I saw

It was not until I got home and looked at my photographs from the day's outing, 

that I saw the Muskrat's tongue.  It was having a bath in the frigid water.  

I cut my visit to The Sanctuary short as the snow was becoming more than just flurries, it was hard to see anything and my focus became making sure to get home safely.  With all the new snow and the cold temperatures remaining, there will be lots of opportunities to appreciate the beautiful, unique, delicate snowflakes! 

This day's greeting!

As it turned out, I did not make the day's skate quick and short. I got into a rhythm, all the cobwebs and noise left my mind, I got lost in no thoughts at all, I was where I wanted to be and needed to be both physically and mentally.  When the time came that I felt I had etched enough, my distance showed 16.3  kms.  I did not realize until I got home and recorded my distance, the 16.3 took me over the total distance I skated last season.  Last season I covered 218.5 kms, so far this season I have covered 218.9 kms of skating and the season is not over yet. 

etching along on The Canal

cotton candy blue in the sky

hibernating for the winter