My hubby and I went out for a drive yesterday morning in advance of the blizzard that forecasters were predicting (and which is currently raging – oh boy I am not looking forward to walking to work in it this morning!). We don’t get out very often for a Sunday drive anymore, as I’m usually working that day, so this was a nice treat. We headed east of the city – I had heard reports that there were snowy owls hanging out that way, so we were on a mission to find one. (We’ve only seen a snowy once before, a couple of years ago while on an ice fishing trip in the southern part of the province).
The sky was a weird colour yesterday morning. There was an inversion and the sky was steel grey, barely any sunlight breaking through. Combined with the skiff of snow on the fields, my hubby and I wondered if looking for snowys on such a day was akin to searching for Waldo (I’m not dating myself at all with that reference, am I?). 😉 We may have driven past several dozen of them and never known.
Despite the dearth of snowys, we found some beautiful, craggy trees that had been planted as a windbreak alongside a very large farm. There were huge nests in every other tree, it seemed. We saw dozens of black-billed magpies all over the fields and in the ditches, so perhaps the nests belonged to them – I will have to find out what types of nests they make.
My hubby spotted a speedy bunch of partridges that bolted across the snow when he stopped the truck to photograph them. We also flushed out a beautiful male pheasant, but didn’t get a photo.
I had to laugh when we came over a rise and spotted this irrigation unit sprawled across the field – doesn’t it look a bit like a gigantic mechanical caterpillar hunched over the snow?
I hope you have a wonderful start to your week! If you’re in one of the areas being affected by bad weather, please be careful out there!
Check out these amazing photos of snowys from south of the border: Snowy Owls in Delaware (Hoof Beats and Foot Prints)
And here are some good laughs about our Canadian weather: Canadian Snow Humour! (Funny and Interesting Stuff People Have Sent Me)
Flowery Prose 
That irrigation unit DOES look like a mechanical caterpillar! LOL We passed some shipyards once that had some kind of giant upright mechanical thing that looked just like a T-rex dinosaur….very weird. I love snowy days, but blizzards are too much of a good thing! Hope you got to work safely.
That shipyard “T-rex” sounds incredible – that would have been neat to see.
I like snowy days, too, but this storm is CRAZY! I’ll be glad when it is over and I can haul out the cross country skis. 🙂
Have a wonderful day!
Hey there – I would have loved to read you post, but for some reason there is a snow effect going on that is so disturbing I couldnt finish the post. Don’t know if this is wordpress generated or an addon, but wanted to let you know. Have fun in the blizzard though
Sorry about that! It’s a WordPress thing – they do it every year at this time on blogs that are enabled. I’ve shovelled it away. 😉
Probably just me – I like to concentrate on one thing at a time, and do not believe the myth of the magnificent multitasker….! Impressive away shovelling, very good thanks! Although it still seems to be doing it but much slower now!
Oh dear, that’s peculiar. It should have stopped completely – it’s no longer “snowing” on my end of things. Hmmmm….
If anyone else reading these comments is experiencing a similar “snow effect” while reading my posts, can you please let me know? I might have to get this sorted out with WordPress. Thanks tons!
I apologize to anyone who is still getting the snow effect when reading my posts…I disabled it, and I cannot see it here, but apparently it’s still showing up on the reader’s side. If I remember correctly, WordPress shuts it off in January, but I’ll try for a solution in the meantime.
That’s a snowy looking sky Sheryl. Take care when you’re out, and have a great week! (Loved the link on Canadian humour!)
Some of those cartoons were hilarious, weren’t they? Good stuff!
Enjoy your week – I’m looking forward to seeing your Tuesday at Two post tomorrow! 🙂
Take good care of yourself, keep warm and I hope the blizzard stopped quickly.
Thank you, Christina! Hopefully the weather will clear sometime today.
I’m getting the snow, too, Sher. The stuff on your blog not the real stuff. We’re getting a nasty bugger of a wind but didn’t get much real snow. For a change. Good luck on the walk to work!
So glad you didn’t get the full brunt of the storm, you’ve had enough already…we’ve got your windchill now this morning so it will be even worse to make the trek to work today. I ought to just call a cab. Or a guy with sled dogs.
It looks like you had quite a nice drive even though you didn’t spot any owls.
It is sure dumping snow out there isn’t it? Right now we are having to push really hard on our doors to get them open. Drive safe if you are going anywhere!
You, too! Take it easy on those roads. Did the snow let up there, finally? It’s still going full bore here this morning; I noticed they’ve shut down most of the school buses citywide.
No school buses here today, roads are iffy, snow is coming down on and off. We had to shovel twice yesterday; we’ve estimated that so far we have shovelled just under 600 linear feet of walks…the joy of a corner lot. Watching environment Canada it looks like what we had last night is what Calgary gets this morning. Take care!
Hopefully you didn’t get the additional snow we received today…the roads are back to near impassable here. At least the temperatures are much warmer! Take care on those roads!
I’m only getting snow via WordPress. Your mallows look cold but it suits the caterpillar. Do you have snow shoes 😉
I did just buy a new set of snowshoes! I haven’t even had a chance to try them out yet, but maybe today will be the day…the storm just won’t let up. I think it’s time to book a tropical vacation! 🙂
We are getting a lot of snow here, Happy December 🙂 Annie
Thanks, Annie, Happy December to you, too! I hope the snow is falling softly there, not in one big blast like we’re having. Take it easy on those roads.
What interesting photos–I love that dark, mysterious sky. And that big mysterious irrigation unit is pretty cool, too!
Thanks! The light was so strange, and it lasted all day until the storm broke. I loved the irrigation unit, I couldn’t help taking a photo. The farmer was probably sitting having breakfast in his kitchen wondering what these weird people were doing photographing a piece of farm equipment! 😉
I love the look of the irrigation unit. Reminds me of some deliberate sculptures. Very striking.
You’re right, it did look like a sculpture, all properly arranged like that. They’re kind of interesting structures anyway, but I guess our perspective on this one made it into something more.
Love the snow covered berries in your header photo. And the Canadian humour is hilarious. Hope your walk to work was possible 🙂
Thanks so much! I made it into work yesterday, though the going was hard. I think it was worse for anyone driving, however – there are highways closed all around us even this morning. We have a windchill approaching minus thirty degrees Celsius right now and I have to go to work in a little bit – ewwwww. I don’t feel like a hardy Canadian this morning, hee hee! I think crawling under the duvet with a good book is more like it….
Have a wonderful day! I’ve been so enjoying your posts with all the spring flowers, it gives me hope for what is around the corner.
Your new boots will be getting a work out! Such cold…hope you get a chance for book and duvet comfort once you are home for the day.
Ha ha, my boots have DEFINITELY been getting a workout! Some days I’ve been thinking I need to put my snowshoes on instead…. 🙂
Have you ever done a post on snowshoes?
No – perhaps I ought to! We’re planning a few treks in the next little while….
Great post! I always felt so excited when the first big snow of season arrived! here in Ohio, I walked the dog yesterday not even wearing a winter coat! I must admit…nice too!
Sorry you mist the snowy owls, such magical creatures. I feel blessed having them seen when we lived in Canada: stunning. Well, it is a long winter, you will get another chance;0) Your photos are gorgeous and the ‘caterpillar’ made me smile! Hugs from Ohio!
Oh, it sounds like you’re getting some lovely weather there! Are the leaves still on the trees, too? It’s nice to have such long, beautiful autumns!
Have a wonderful day, Johanna! 🙂
The pictures are great but it looks so cold in them. I especially like the pictures of the trees. Love your header it is beautiful. Hugs
Thanks so much! At least it is warming up a bit now!
Have an amazing week! 🙂
Awesome photographs! My neighbour was out walking last week and came across an owl. (not sure what kind). Just to see an owl in the wild is an experience. By the way I knew who Waldo was. I guess it dates me too! ~Thea
LOL, I’m glad I’m not the only one who remembers Waldo! 🙂 I think he must still be fairly popular with the kids…we circulate the books regularly at the library.
That’s wonderful that there is an owl in your neighbourhood! It must mean he/she feels very comfortable with the habitat you and your neighbours are providing (and maybe there’s a nearby food source, too).
Spotting owls is such a treat. As I have continued to move closer to the city I find that I see fewer and fewer. It now sadly takes a real trip into the forested areas…You are very lucky, they are such wonderful creatures.
It’s really too bad that it’s rare to see them nowadays…they are truly amazing. Even with all of this horrible cold weather we’re having, I keep reading of daily sightings just west and south of the city. I hope we can get out again soon to look for them.
What a dramatic and foreboding sky! Looks like Valkyries or maybe the flying monkeys of Oz should come flying through any moment.
Ha ha – that’s so true! I wouldn’t have been surprised…. 😉
Nature and it’s colors! NICE!
http://seedgerminator.wordpress.com/2013/12/08/bitter-gourd-aka-karela/
Doesn’t that colour just pop? 🙂
It surely does Sheryl! what a sight! I can’t imagine what must be to look at it in real. Enjoy!
The dark gray here makes it so dark all day when we have these snow days. But it does look nice.
That’s so true…it’s only at this time of year that the light is this way and it does have its own beauty. I was laughing this morning on my way to work, it was like walking in a snowglobe with all the big flakes swirling around me. I guess I have to be happy for all that great insulation for my perennials! 🙂 Do you have a lot of snow there now?