a winter party

cottage lane at 4pm one day last week

High winds, rain and mild temperatures this morning - much of Canada and the US were blasted by a big ol' winter storm yesterday and last night. We here in Nova Scotia, and especially us on the warm waters of the Northumberland Strait, did not get the heavy snowfall. Thank goodness - this winter, and technically it is still Autumn until Saturday, sucks big time. Way, way too cold for me and almost too cold for walking dogs. Our harbour is already frozen - an unheard of occurrence ... well I guess it did happen in the days of old but the last two winters here, which in my books were perfection, were both freakishly mild and the harbour never did completely freeze. The last two Christmas mornings I walked the dogs with a hooded sweatshirt on, I didn't even need a proper coat. This year already, and technically it is still Autumn until Saturday!!, it feels like we're walking in Antarctica - bitter cold and blowing wind chill squalls of snow whipping across the pastures. It's horriblé !!! I'm going to need an attitude adjustment or I think it's going to be a very long winter.

This morning it's a balmy +3 C so the weather Gods have thrown me a little temporary bone and dammit, I'll be walking in the rain this morning with those doggies enjoying this short lived reprieve, for later today the temperature will once again plummet, well into the minuses.

Yesterday afternoon we had a surprise birthday party for my friend Carol. Carol, who I've been walking with nearly ever morning for (we can't remember how many) years now, Carol who loves my dogs like they were her own and who is their official Auntie Carol and legal guardian, should anything ever happen to me. Eight of us, family and friends, just appeared at her house at 2pm, laden down with gourmet finger foods, gifts, balloons and a dark chocolate truffle cake decorated with fresh raspberries and blackberries, lovingly prepared by great cook and baker BFF Harry. It was my plan, my scheme to throw her this Sunday afternoon surprise, and really quite out of my normal, reclusive, fairly self absorbed comfort zone. But oh! how fun it was. She was totally surprised, totally thrilled and totally tickled by the whole event. She loved all her gifts and you could tell she felt very loved and special- which of course was the ultimate desired reaction. I returned home, just before the nasty weather began, feeling that warm satisfied feeling that you get from doing something kind and thoughtful for someone else. A reminder for me, to try and acquire that feeling a little more often in my life.