Mar. 30 – More of the Wondrous Welsh

Mar. 29 – Our Genius Corgi

Today he learned how to eat and play. Astounding. No training or guidance required. We're bound for greatness.

Suitable name pending.

Mar. 28 – Three views near Hardisty, AB & Pooch Bonus

The photos for Mar. 27 & 28 taken during a 43-hour, 3900 km trip to pick up our new Corgi pup.

Mar. 27 – Hillside, near Unity, SK

Mar. 26 – Out on the Snow

Ruth & I took a walk up the ridge with Sadie this afternoon. The temperatures were hovering around the freezing mark with a light breeze out of the East. The thaw/freeze cycle of the past week has crusted the approximately 3' of snow on the ridge, making our walk back feel somewhat surreal.

At the 1/4 mile mark, where a culvert aids water flow across the ridge, we found the destination of the coyote I've seen approaching the ridge at about that point. The culvert has become the coyote's winter home. Ruth managed to scoop Sadie up before she disappeared into the lair.

Mar. 25 – Deer Herd

Driving back from Winnipeg this afternoon, I happened upon this herd of well-fattened deer in a field just off of Provincial Highway 236 at Road 81N.

Mar. 24 – Ray Turner

Today I hosted a much honoured guest for lunch. Ray Turner, long the sacristan at All Saints' Anglican (Winnipeg), retired high school mathematics teacher, and music-loving volunteer par excellence for an array of classical groups drove up from Winnipeg for his first of, hopefully, many visits to Ruth's Ridge.

Meet him the first time, and you're liable to be rocked back by the gruff, gravelly voice and the penetrating gaze. Meet him Sunday after Sunday, and you learn that this is a man of discerning judgement and incredible heart. I am exceedingly fortunate that he suffers this fool so gladly.

Mar. 23 – Morning Light

Mar. 22 – Lines & Circles

I brought a little more effort to bear on Tuesday's photos. Of the 18 exposures I had to choose from, the first is a closeup of one of Ruth's (many) knitting bags, taken at noon. The second, fence post & treeline, was taken shortly after 5 p.m.

Mar. 21 – CO2

Excuses, excuses.

(I've been digging out, someone else is digging in.)

Mar. 20 – Any Shot in a Storm

It wasn't a storm, but it was another exceeding gray day. On the way home from church. Road 88N just west of Hwy. #7.

Mar. 19 – Cop-Out

It was 10 p.m. I had spent 10 hours installing baseboards followed by dinner while watching a couple of videos. I took a picture of my desk. By the criteria established, it counts... but it's a cheap shot.

Mar. 18 – Coyote Jump

Why crawl under when you can jump over?

Mar. 17 – Grey Day, Grey Squirrel, Go Away

Mar. 16 – Return of the Pileated Woodpecker & Bonus

There were a couple of choices for the Mar. 16th photo. Yesterday brought the first rain of the year, and the east-facing windows were covered in raindrops and rivulets. Unfortunately, the light was so dull and flat that I wasn't able to capture a satisfactory image.

Then, while working at the computer, I saw in the screen a reflection of a bird loping by the window behind my desk. (Window coverings are needed; the reflections on my iMac create another challenge for already straining eyes.) Below the window, the snow was covered in wood chippings, a sure sign of Woody's return. Another look through the south-facing window, presented me with this photo.

Note: the slight fuzziness of the Woodpecker's lower body is due to branches between the bird and the lens. (I was using a 400 mm telephoto.)

Bonus photo. The sunrise on the 15th, created a nice mood in our loft.

Mar. 15 – The Sleep Photographer

The erstwhile street photographer lives his dream, thanks to apneic events and – hand-delivered directly from the Museum of London – a lovely birthday gift from friends & patrons, Billie & Perry Nodelman.

Yes, I took the photo. Yes, it's a set-up. Yes, I had a long nap immediately following the grueling photo session.

Mar. 14 – Happy Accident

What happens when you put the 85 mm f:1.2 on your camera (set to aperture-preferred and wide open) and go out on a cloudy winter day? Answer; even 1/8,000 of a second creates significant over-exposure.

That oversight still isn't enough to rule out an interesting image, though (with the aid of some extensive post-processing).

Mar. 13 – Where Was I?

The hour was late, the day had passed. Some things about it were not so good; others very good.

Mar. 12 – Blow-Out

Okay, I didn't actually take these photos; I asked Ruth to get some shots of the great rooster tails of snow as I cleared the driveway. Most exhausting single blow-out to date, churning through two tanks of gas in close to three hours of blowing.

In the centre photo, you can see that the drifts are to the top of my thigh.

Of course, yesterday's clearing of the driveway culvert and swale was for naught.

Mar. 11 – Pets in Repose

The blizzard promised for this morning blessedly did not show up until about 5 this afternoon. That said, those of us living on the blasted heath of Canada's Hinterland are out of the harm's way that today so horribly lashed the eastern coast of Japan. Unbelievable images and coverage on BBC's website.

Two of our pets, Jasper the cat and Sadie the dog, had a very easeful day of it.

Mar. 10 – Five Takes on the Sunrise from Ruth's Ridge

Mar. 9 – Coyote Tracks

Glancing out of the southwest loft windows, I saw further evidence of the growing popularity of Ruth's Ridge. Hard upon the arrival of the Redpolls in mid-February, we've seen a rapidly increasing over-painting of the pristine canvas of snow on the yard. One or more rabbits have been attracted by the seeds dropped from the bird feeder. I've heard the coyotes within 100 yards of the house; and, now, the tracks within a few feet of the garage.

This fellow ambled south along the west side of the ridge to our woodpile and checked it out for hiding food. Then he/she wandered back out to the west field, around the sand pile, and into the clearing just west of the verandah. He/she dug down to the soil, then carried on south toward the road.

If sustenance was located, there was no blood/hair/bone left as evidence.

P.S. Note the rabbit tracks bisecting the coyote's dig.

Mar. 8 – Waiting for the Trinity

March 9th marks the first day of Lent on the Christian calendar. These "pews" in Winnipeg's Assiniboine Park are empty, sequestered by a field of 18" deep snow. In many churches today, the pews are near empty, sequestered by profound doubt, the only condition within which true faith can take root. First, however, individuals must be prepared to occupy a place in the pews and, in the ringing quietude of self-reflection, work out what they are prepared to place faith in.

That exercise reminds me of Lawrence Ferlinghetti's poem. For the word "poet" one might substitute the word "seeker."

Constantly risking absurdity
and death
whenever he performs
above the heads
of his audience
the poet like an acrobat
climbs on rime
to a high wire of his own making
and balancing on eyebeams
above a sea of faces
paces his way
to the other side of the day
performing entrachats
and sleight-of-foot tricks
and other high theatrics
and all without mistaking
any thing
for what it may not be
For he's the super realist
who must perforce perceive
taut truth
before the taking of each stance or step
in his supposed advance
toward that still higher perch
where Beauty stands and waits
with gravity
to start her death-defying leap
And he
a little charleychaplin man
who may or may not catch
her fair eternal form
spreadeagled in the empty air
of existence

Mar. 7 – Katie's New Sweater

Early this morning, Ruth finished assembling the sweater she's been knitting for granddaughter, Katie's, trip to Ireland with her parents, Peter & Allison. She delivered it to them at the airport at lunch, prior to their departure.

Bon voyage, dear hearts.

Mar. 6 – Leica 'dis Man

Cole shooting @ the Jackfish Creek near Ruth's Ridge.

Mar. 5 – Scouring the Headlands

With the snow well past knee-deep – and, on the front yard waist-deep – I'm forced to seek my photos from immediately around the house, the driveway, or Road 88N. Actually, it's an excellent constraint; it forces me to look more intently for subject material.