environment

by

Yoho! It’s Awesome!

Hail Brave hearts

A cool mist on a hot day, the temperatures rising, the tumbling cascade from a high altitude source, cools us.  Heat is in the air, even with this early start, the day is warming quickly.  Rivulets from rainfall dampen the path.  The trail is a beauty though, as most of our experiences in this great wild are.

Our fine protected places, the finest in the world.  Stunningly beautiful, the grandeur of high mountains, glacier, waterfalls and wilderness, all protected for us to adventure in.   The world of wilderness, for our bodies, our minds and our souls.  Our eyes are a witness to this spectacular landscape, the great Earth, as always, gifts to us  it’s miracles, far beyond our own limited potential.  Today we access this gift of mountain, rock, glacier, water and moraine, carved by millennia of weather and mountain building.  On yet another fine day of wilderness travel, our hearts and minds are filled with joy.  It’s fabulous!

The steady uphill walk to the rubble above tree line, poses no hardship.  This is the destination which calls us, along with many day hikers and overnight guests, all striving to push those limits of physical fitness to achieve the possible dream.

Soaring above us, a lifeline starts.  The precious, most necessary life line of rivers and streams, of mountain glacier, of that source of water that saves us.  The water supply, here as cascading, tumbling, icy cold waterfalls and rivers, which are fed by the melting of glaciers close by.  This is the start of the chain of life, that water brings.   Tiny plants and small shrubs, find life support by the miracle of water, the miracle of life in this high alpine world.  And life brings more life.  Flies and bees, some butterflies and other insects, find food and shelter in this remote terrain.  Wind plays it’s part in moving in weather fronts of rain  and in scattering seed.  The necessary, ongoing circulation of natural elements, which we call nature.

Nature brings us water from the high alpine, it brings us glaciers as a water source.  Nature brings us all weather and restores itself.  Nature gives us this miraculous world, a world for all eyes to see.  Up here is these great mountains, we witness the birth of rivers and streams, caused by melting from several glaciers.  The glaciers being the source of these lifelines.  Freshwater for our consumption, for our use, for the vitality of the forests and the land.

This is a concern to us now.  Where will we be, when the glaciers vanish, when the rivers stop flowing, when the natural faucet turns off and those lifelines disappear.  The fragile life which clings dearly to those lifelines, loose their nourishment and the arid rockpile becomes lifeless again.   The land that we call God’s Land, slips into lifeless death.  Our responsibility soars as we struggle to protect these fragile, remote places, where the world begins.  Our world begins with the basics of life, air to breathe, water to drink.  As water sources dry up, so does our time.  The clock is ticking, our hearts are still beating, heat and fire are bringing us closer to a final loss.  The loss when Nature can no longer restore itself.  Winter is still harsh and cold, but the glaciers reseed at an alarming rate.  The world is too hot.

Science of Glaciers | National Snow and Ice Data Center

The grand beauty of the natural world, give us sights that we all need to see.  Where does it all come from?  Where will we be when it goes?

written by Dr. Louise Elaine Hayes

September 1, 2025

Parks Day July 19, 2025
by

Parks Day July 19, 2025

Hail Brave hearts

Come out and celebrate!  Renewal, rebirth, sustainability, recreation, sports, culture, history, wildlife, and of course, those fabulous parks that we all love and crave.  The great outdoors, with it’s most awesome, inspiring gifts.  Life, health, nutrition, wellness, the joy of living.  For those with cravings to climb mountains, hike in the wilderness, paddle rivers and lakes, and generally enjoy the wonderful nature that surrounds us, Parks Canada is your place.  You can visit a historical site and meet a historical person, take a guided hike, view wildlife in it’s natural setting and explore the untamed wilderness of Canada’s finest treasures. Parks is for people, wildlife and rare species.  It’s a showcase of our finest environmental and historical assets.  It’s an achievement that keeps growing as Canadians rush to explore and unwind in the great Canadian outdoors.

The wilderness is awe inspiring.  The grandeur of great mountains,  the shimmering pristine lakes, the bountiful beauty of endless skies and auroras in the air.  magnificent forests and wildlands, with all of their wild inhabitants.  The Parks are a place of wonder, of joy, of captivating beauty and fun for all of us.  This idea has been one of Canada’s finest achievements, from coast to coast.

Celebrate Canada’s Parks Day / National Parks Day – Nature Canada

The hearty homesteader of yore, who brought his family to these fine lands. Lands laden with hunting, fishing, berries to pick, native fauna and flora to digest and to heal wounds with.  Old traditional remedies to cure what ails you. The human history of the area is a fascinating study of the minds and will of these people.  Ancient old settlers willing to carve a niche in the fabric of the land.  Homesteaders scattering themselves throughout large areas of land.  Forts and lighthouses to protect and save us.  These are the historical ones, the unusual ones, who, through dauntless courage, forge a path for the rest of us to follow.

Old Indian trails to mark the way, historical rivers to paddle. These are connections from place to place, explorations for us to find.  The hikes we take, the trails we follow, the paths around the lakes, all take us to endless beauty and the healing of spending time in a natural environment.  The great good earth supports us in so many ways.

The environmental sustainability and ecological integrity of National Parks and provincial parks, help us to understand and appreciate the land of Mother Earth.  Here she imparts a knowledge of her own special ways.  A beautiful scene carved from a wild natural area, preserved forever for the joy of those who travel to it.  A visit to a special, superior place, of raw, rugged beauty for the adventurer in us all.  These are Canadian parklands, a wonder and wealth of natural and cultural beauty.  Rugged forefathers who braved the perils of the land, unbridled pristine wilderness for us to enjoy.  The National Parks are a wonder of natures finest and the brilliance of those who preserve these fine places.

Come and visit.  Celebrate with us.  Parks Day is a joy of celebration for us all.

Parks Day | Alberta Parks

Written by  Dr Louise Hayes

July 18, 2025

Spring is in the Air
by

Spring is in the Air

Hail Brave Hearts

It’s that time of year again, when the food supply  comes alive.  The garden and the springtime are almost synonyms.   Cast off your winter coat, indulge in the last of the winter larder, and start your preparation for this years treats.  It’s treats galore!

The infamous dandelion is back in full bloom, covering roadsides, hilltops, lawns and open spaces with bright yellow specs of early spring sunshine.  Pretty and nutritious, this hearty wild edible, is a plant that is either a friend or foe.  To those who think of this as a weed and find it a nuisance, it’s a lot of work to get rid of.  For those of us who indulge in it as a food supply, it’s free salad.  Perspective can be everything.   The larder can be full of sunshine dandelion goodness, if your recipe choice calls for it.  First in the spring, first on the table, the nutritional content is this plant is worth putting on the dietary list.

The beautiful bounty of your garden surpasses the fruit and vegetable plantings.  The edible flowers add a spark of colour and beauty to the garden and some help to deter pesky insects and slugs that  consume your vegetables as fast as you do.  Companion planting has mixed blessings, from deterring destructive insects to the beauty of salads, syrups, jams, baking  and other dietary delights, that pretty flowers enhance.  Choose your garden splendor, there’s time to grow a feast!

15 Different Types of Edible Flowers You Can Grow and Eat

A picture perfect salad, with a dash of rose petal,  tea from your marigolds, syrup of lilac, dainty cupcakes dressed up with violets,  it’s decadent, sweet smelling and creates a unique, inspiring garden and larder which enhances your dining experience all throughout the year.

This garden attracts useful pollinators, bees and butterflies to help the garden grow.  These beneficial insects  promote fruit and vegetable production, helping to give the yield that your hard work deserves.  The organic garden is preferred for this, since healthy insects need to pollinate without pesticides and your body is better able to absorb the nutrition of plants from organic gardens.

Weeds can be a treat.  Chickweed is edible and can be used as a garnish or in your salad.  Lambs quarters has a medicinal value as well.  Just be sure that all of your consumption has a food value and is not poisonous.

So here’s to spring and all of the goodness that it brings.  Good health and good eating to all.

Written by Dr. Louise E Hayes

May 23, 2025

 

 

 

National Wildlife Week
by

National Wildlife Week

Hail Brave Hearts

It’s National Wildlife Week and of course, we celebrate!  We  celebrate what is good for all of us.  The fabulous great wild and all of the wonders of nature that it supports.  The landscape, the sea, the air, the land, the wilderness, the wildlife and that fabulous, awesome view.  That incomparable view of a mountain, a lake,  prairie, field, river,  stream, swamp, forest, marsh, rock, ocean, beach, waterfall,  jungle, icebergs, sky and sometimes just thin air.  The view, and all of the wild that it supports.  Our wildlife are the living, breathing, existence in such beautiful places, that we strive with all of our being to get to.

A remote location, with that rare beauty of a flower.  The locations of fossils, in high, alpine places.  A rock turned over by a hungry bear.  An early crocus peeking out from nearly frozen land.  Waves cresting on the beach.  Our love for these special places, of play, sport, solitude, and curiosity.  This is the marvelous world of wildlife.

Watch them swimming in the oceans and scurrying along on the sand.  Some have shells to pick from the ever changing tides, washing them ashore.  The hungry birds swirling in the air, looking for the catch of the day. A dainty butterfly lands on a hand   The brilliant colours of it’s wings, shimmer in the sun.

Wander along the stream, picking a route along the rocks,  to the tumbling waterfall with a  view of the tumultuous torrent of cascading water.  This could be a swimming pool in an untouched area, preserved for enjoyment and fun.

A chattering squirrel sits on a branch and a robin passes by.  A deer springs onto the road and sails, speedily to the other side.  A massive bison blocks the way.  Outstanding!  Fortunate are we, to have these places of preservation, to appreciate the wonders of the natural world.

Canadian Wildlife Federation: National Wildlife Week 2024 (cwf-fcf.org)

It was with foresight of our needs as human beings, that natural areas are protected.  Those special places, housing an intricate ecosystem of life beyond our doorstep.  The wondrous life, for curious minds, who delve into the environment of anthills, snakes, pond life and more.  The experts, still looking for birds,  animals, fish and amphibians and all of the terrain that they occupy.  An educated mind, wandering to find that rare species and to count again it’s population in its wild domain.  The amateur,  just enjoying the sparse knowledge they have, but feeling the pride of a trail to walk, with diggings, droppings, prints and maybe a sighting of an elusive creature, hiding shyly in the bush.

This is the wonder of nature, a world so impressive it requires protection and education.  The perseverance to come forward, to research and publish and demand the ongoing right, to the privilege of enjoying the environment, that supports the life of the Earth’s creatures.  World Wildlife Week is not a week, it’s a lifetime.  A lifetime of supporting the care of the planet and the brilliant wonders of the natural world.  The world that supports our very existence through sport, play, relaxation and enjoyment.

Our world is a fragile place.  It’s environments are in dire need of care.  Walk the great wild with compassion for it’s creatures.  They belong here.  This is their world.  This planet Earth belongs to them as well.

Written by Dr. Louise Hayes

April 11, 2024

by

The Path of Totality

Hail Brave Hearts

April 8, 2024 will gift some of us with a rare, celestial occurrence, a total eclipse of the sun.

Although eclipses occur about once every eighteen months, the moon’s orbital path changes to such an extent, that it only follows the same path, about once every three hundred and sixty to four hundred and ten years.  The moon, the sun and the Earth are all slightly tipped, so the moon travels around the Earth in a slightly different path, each orbit and  is seen in a slightly different location, in the sky, with each passing.  Most of the time, the eclipse occurs over the Earth’s oceans, so, although it occurs with a frequency, it is not easily viewed from land.  The April 8, 2024 total eclipse of the sun will be seen in North American, throughout the United States and in Southern Canada and Newfoundland.  Some of the other parts of the country, will experience a partial eclipse of the sun, where the moon will darken only a portion of the sun.  In a total eclipse, the moon will darken the sun entirely and the Earth will have no sunlight at all.  In a partial eclipse, the moon passes over only a section of the sun and only partial darkness occurs.

In these eclipses, the moon passes between the sun and the Earth, blocking out the sun’s rays to the Earth and causing darkness. Due to the high speed which the moon travels, the eclipse usually lasts only a few minutes, but has been recorded as lasting up to seven and a half minutes.  The solar eclipse only occurs during eclipse season.  This is when the sun is in either the ascending or descending stage of the moon.

Total solar eclipse: Who will be able to see it, when is it and why does it happen? (youtube.com)

The first recording of a total eclipse of the sun is in either 1375 or 1223 BC, in what is present day Syria.  Astronomers have chosen to prefer the second date.

Astronomers chart the movement of celestial objects and are able to forecast the locations of the sun, the moon and the Earth.  With this information they are able to give a prediction of the whereabouts of these sky objects and when and where the next eclipse will appear.  The April 8, 2024 is a solar eclipse.  A lunar eclipse occurs when the Earth passes between the moon and the sun and prevents the sun’s rays from illuminating the moon.  The moon darkens for a few minutes, while the Earth passes by.

Although this is an exciting event to witness, it is necessary to take precautions, during the viewing, of this phenomena.  The sun’s light is so bright that if it is directly viewed by the human eye, it can cause blindness.  The retina has no sense of pain and therefore there is no warning as to the injury to the eye.  It might take several hours, before eye injury is noticed.  This eye injury is irreversible.  Protective shields and eyewear must be worn so that the sun doesn’t cause eye damage.

However, if you have the ability to witness this event, take advantage of it, with precautions.  This might be your only opportunity to witness this rare event.

Written by Dr. Louise Hayes

April 7, 2024

International Polar Bear Day, February 27
by

International Polar Bear Day, February 27

Hail Brave Hearts

International Polar Bear Day!  February 27.

This iconic species deserves the day.  A bear, but not just any bear.  it’s the polar bear of the high Arctic.  The huge, white furball from the great white  north, has achieved a special acclaim.  Long being the hunted trophy of Inuit and northern Aboriginals, this massive predator occupies the icy, northern climates, as a specialist in winter hunting skills and survival.  Although not yet endangered, this species is listed as vulnerable and is an indicator species of environmental health.  Canada has a population of 16,000 polar bears, and the world population is 26,000, polar bears.

So why is this animal so special?  It’s at the top of the food chain in the Arctic.  This bear lives mainly above the Artic Circle and Canada has 2/3 of the world’s polar bear population.  The other countries are Russia, Alaska, Norway and Denmark.  A polar bear can travel up to 5000 km in one year, in search of food, shelter and a mate.   Polar bears have webbed feet, making them a maritime mammal.   The front paws act as paddles and the back paws act as a rudder, while they are swimming.   One polar bear was recorded as swimming for more than nine days and covering a distance of 687 km. Their feet have no skid treads for travelling on ice.  These big paws are the size of dinner plates and keep them on top of snow and ice.  They mainly eat seals and can consume as much as 100 pounds of blubber in one meal.  Their hunting method is to find seal blowholes and wait for them to emerge, then attack.  The success rate of the hunt is only about 2%, so they spend about 50% of their time, hunting.  They hunt, mainly out on the sea ice, looking for seals.

Their fur is translucent and reflects sunlight to appear white to our eyes.

Polar bears mate in the spring, but can deter the implantation of the egg until the fall, when the female has had enough nutrient and is healthy enough to support the pregnancy.  The cubs will stay with the mother for up to 3 years, after which, they might roam as far as 2000 km, to find a territory away from their mothers.

These bears evolved 150,000 years ago as a variation of the brown bear, which it is still able to mate with.  The cubs are then raised as polar bears and learn these hunting  tactics and survival skills

Wapusk National Park (canada.ca)

But the other aspect of International Polar Bear day is not only about this fine species of Arctic bear.  It’s about the polar bear habitat and climate change.  The winter of 2024 has been recorded as the warmest winter on record.  The Arctic ice is thinner, melting more quickly in the spring and forming more slowly in the fall.  This severe climactic change, could see the polar bear extinct within a decade, as habitat loss is a key factor in reducing the numbers of polar bears.   This is a huge cry out for environmental preservation and a call for social change.

Some of the ways to do your part in polar bear survival is to reduce your carbon footprint, by reducing energy consumption and changing your energy usage, cutting down on plastics and responsibly disposing of trash and waste.  The three R’s of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, help to support environmental initiatives.

Polar Bear Dip 2020 (youtube.com)

And then there’s us, you awesome human.  Where will we be without snow and ice?

Written by Dr. Louise Hayes

March 17, 2024

That Awesome Rainy Day
by

That Awesome Rainy Day

Hail Brave Hearts

It’s a stormy day with the thunder crackling.  Lightning lights up the sky and the torrents of rain fall heavily.  Lucky us.  The rain with it’s magical nutrition, watering all of the earth.   A day when we can pass on watering the outdoor flowers and lawn and let nature take control and provide the much needed moisture.  Fabulous rain, taking that chore off our hands and providing a day of indoor retreat instead.

It’s a delightful day of inside pleasure.  The canning, pickling and jam making is on the list.  Pies, muffins, breads and cookies all come to mind.    It’s a wonderful day of baking and cooking, sewing and playing board games.  Inside goodness awaits us, while the rain falls and takes the stifling heat from the air, bringing cooler weather for different activities.  Run like the wind, cycle the roads and trails, the cool will only last for a few days, before the summertime heat sends us back to the beach to play.

Meanwhile, the house fills with the smells of fresh baked pies.  These rainy days are filled with blessings.  No more need to run to the beach to catch that last swim in the lake before dark.  Today is the rainy day of thunderstorm pleasure, when we reach for the recipe books and head to the larder.  These are the fabulous days, when there’s no place like home.

The berry patch has been abundant this year and the freezer has been filling with a variety of garden choices.  The delectable treats oozing with goodness, waiting to be consumed.  The baking tins come out of hiding, being prepared for the best of the best in garden baking.  Raspberry, white chocolate comes to mind.  These are the days of the happy chef and the smiling participants in the joy of cooking.  Lovely. It’s always clever to keep a supply of garden goodness for those rainy days.

Stinging Nettle Cake – Skovkær (nordicforestfoods.com)

Let it pour.  Let the rains come down in buckets.  Let the Earth take care of the watering and let the plants soak up the goodness of the water.  Let it rain, so that puddles form and the water splashes on our rain boots.  The thunder rolls in, lightning lights up the sky.  The heavens display a crackling of light and sound.  There’s an awesome display of power in thunder and lightning that sends a communication of awe in the uncontrolled weather.  Dark clouds billowing, rain descending.

🔴 Heavy Rain and Thunder Sounds 24/7 – Deep Sleep | Thunderstorm for Sleeping – Pure Relaxing Vibes – YouTube

Lucky are we to have a fine shelter, with garden delights to occupy our days.  There’s so much indoor goodness to attend to.  These chores are not chores.  These are a special gift of time.  A time when being forced to flee the inclement weather is a fine gift of welcome time.  Time to spend on the pantry.  Tine to fill up the cookie jar and prepare the fine feast.  Time to sew that garment and make gifts for our friends and loved ones.

That welcome storm.  The Earth needs the nutrients of the water and we need to rest and refresh ourselves.  Baking, sewing, spa.  It’s a rainy day.   A day for a treat.

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

August 20, 2023

 

by

National Herbalist Day

Hail Brave Hearts

Enjoy the nutrition of the land and the many medical marvels that it reveals.  It’s a new day dawning for the Herbalist.  A day of worthy mention.  National Herbalist Day!  Wow!

The subject matter is superb.  Now that spring is here, the welcome backyard medicine cabinet is opening it’s doors.  New spring teas from fresh shoots, leaves and plants.  Lovely.  Fit for any larder, the beautiful abundance of natural goodness is in your yard.

The most obvious, killer weed, that notorious Dandelion.  Awesome!  The nutritional value of this plant is a keeper.

Plantain, St John’s Wort, Daisy and many more.   A special day for those of us, who seek natural remedies for those aches and pains.  I’ve been lucky with Nettle, Red Currant, Apple Leaf and Rose Hips, but these are just a few of the many natural wonders of the wild world.  Home made salves and soaps, fragrance and tea.  Natural healers to boost energy, to calm, to induce sleep, to improve circulation and help achy joints and achy pains.  Your garden is an Earthly delight.  Those pesky weeds, so hard to get rid of , might freshen your breath, improve your eyesight, add luster to your hair and make it shine.  The self indulgent gardener might even find a cure for what ails themselves.  There are many good gardening books which will help to plant an herbalist garden.

But are natural remedies important?  They are, if you want them to be.  Do they actually provide cures?  Yes, they do.

To quote Chris Dalziel at Jobillee Farm.  who has a  book Growing Abundance, the Garden You Harvest in a Week.

Monday is National Herbalist Day!  It’s a day to acknowledge the herbs that keep us well, help our gardens grow better, make our food taste better, and give us abundance.  Its also a day to recognize the herbal mentors in our life.

Who taught you about using herbs in the kitchen, the garden, and the apothecary?  Did you learn from a mother, a grand parent, a neighbor? Are you self-taught from books and the internet? Did you take a class? Or are you just beginning to learn about herbs as an adult?

Learn about Plantago major — Plantain

I love teaching children about herbs.  My 2 year old granddaughter knows to look for plantain (Plantago major) if she gets a bee sting or a mosquito bite.  “Plantain” comes from an old French word meaning “sole of the foot”.  It grows in compacted areas, where the footprint of humans or animals have compacted the soil.  Its a healing plant for the soil as much as it is a healing plant for us.

Often plantain is the first herb that people learn to use.  It can be an “a-ha” moment, when you hand them a leaf and tell them to put it on the “ouch”.  Relief is fast.

I’ve had the privilege of introducing plantain to tough motorcyclists, stung on the hand while riding, hikers, farmers, beekeepers, wee toddlers, and grumpy teens, mowing a lawn. Plantain is just one of the many gifts that God gives us to nourish and heal us.
National Quilt Month
by

National Quilt Month

Hail Brave hearts

A month of creativity for you!

March is National Quilters Month, which brings the finest of the best in the world of quilting to our attention.  Quilting!  A national and international past time with a month of praises for itself.

Quilting has long been an art of necessity.  Born in the United States from the impoverished homesteaders who would discard nothing and used every scrap of material for some repurposed, useful item.  Scraps of worn shirts, trousers and jackets which had outworn their intended purpose, became tiny bits of fabric, transformed into patterns of squares, triangles, circles and geometry.  Little bits and pieces, carefully hand stitched together to form a blanket for a bed, that needed the cover.  The time consuming craft of care that creates a warm and welcoming place in the home.

The ingenuity of the forefathers gifts to us a craft of lovely care.  Designs and patterns change over time and so does the method of quilting.  From the hand stitched pieces to the sewing machine, the quilt has taken on a new dimension in our lives.  The quilt is mainly associated with blankets, however , it also adorns the walls as smaller pieces of artwork, lovingly created to beautify the home.

Fabric stores carry cloth to purchase for a quilt, making the claim that they are quilting shops who offer lessons on how to quilt, selling sewing machines for this purpose and long arm sewing machines to quilt the finished product together.  Machines with quilt patterns programed into them, designs to draw and follow.  The art of quilting has flourished to a point where many communities have quilting guilds.  The art has flourished to a recognition so high that a whole month of the year is dedicated to it’s existence.  The message from this is that quilting is important.  It’s important to us in history and it’s important to us, to this day.

32 Charming Quilting Facts and History | Fact Retriever

From it’s early inception, perhaps as early as 3400 BC, the useful Mother of Invention, took hold of  scraps of fabric and batting and stitched them together.  That useful Mother has shaped most of our lives and history is filled with her magic of ingenuity.  Quilting is not necessarily about blankets, it’s the method of attaching fabric to batting to form new cloth which becomes useful items to wear or use.  Quilted jackets for the crusaders to wear under their armour, quilted coverings to hang over doors and windows, quilted jackets to wear in fields, quilted shawls  and quilted blankets made to put on  beds.

10 Historical Facts About Quilting – Art Gallery Fabrics – The Creative Blog (agfblog.com)

Quilting is used as a form of art, sometimes just to make good use of spare time.  However, the art is praiseworthy and extends over so much of human history and into so many countries, that it’s historical significance is obvious.  From ancient Egypt and the Pharaohs, to China, Medieval Europe the United States and Canada, this long  sought after craft has been with us since such ancient times that it’s won it’s own place in history.  Quilting is important, as art, as craft, as functional items.  It’s popularity has protected it   National Quilt Month is praises to this ancient craft.  Long live the quilt!

written by Dr. Louise Hayes

March 26, 2023

That Lucky Deep Freeze
by

That Lucky Deep Freeze

Hail Brave hearts

The big chill is storming us.  Cold snow has arrived.  From the cozy interior of our homes, we think big.  Winter fun! This is one of the best times of the year!

A frozen river to occupy the afternoon.  Crisp winter weather at -10 is a welcome change to the blistery cold that makes this day possible.  The continued overnight lows below -20 keeps the ice cold and thick enough for our weight.  Caution though.  These rivers have rapids, the water is swift flowing and sometimes is too fast to freeze thoroughly.

Today’s adventure is along a river to a sought after view.  The wide expanse is fully frozen now and our group walk with ease along the covered water.  Ice is welcome now as we snowshoe this path.  An opportunity that will only present itself in the awesome winter.

We pick our way to the bottom of the river bank and walk with relative ease along the snow covered water.  All the while remarking on our good fortune to have this chance to explore an area that is never available to us.  The thickets of willow and stands of evergreen show us locations of ground and islands along this braided stretch of waterway.  Animal tracks appear in the snow and the tiny creatures hide from our view.   We are mainly walking on the gravel flats between the river channels, so we are more safe in our travels.  River travel can be perilous with areas of thin ice throughout.

There’s an interesting formation of hills and valleys all along the river bank.  Walking would be difficult in this area due to undulating land formations of steeply cut hills reaching to the river sides without much river bank to follow.  Our destination is a canyon, 7 km up river which is impossible to reach at other times of the year.  Our good fortune is the deep freeze.

This year our temperatures plunged to an awful -50 overnight during the Christmas holiday season.  Four days of icy blasts with daytime highs of -35 kept us busy with indoor games and indoor holiday cheer.  Now the result is a wintery wonderland with the fun of river travel. which is not always available to us.  Oddly and usually, the good comes with the bad.  Today is overcast and light snow is falling.  This is a surprise to us, since no one had noticed snow in the forecast.  It might be a localized squall.  However, this is good also, since we need the snow to keep us skiing, snowshoeing  and enjoying the fabulous fun of the season.  We also need the snow for our spring melt and moisture.

The snowfall is increasing and visibility is declining.  Open patches of river can be seen ahead.  We have to call off our plans for today, with only 1.5 kms remaining.  Oh well.  Luckily for us -30 is in the forecast for the next 3 days and we will have the good fortune of more deep freeze.  The open areas of this river should freeze again and we plan for another trip to this area next week.

Walking On A Frozen River | Red River | Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada | Walking Virtual Tour in 4K – YouTube

Meanwhile, the ski hill has received more snow.  It’s all good.  A change of scene and a change of game.  Winter has been wonderful to us.

Written by Dr. Louise Hayes

February 24, 2023