Snowshoeing The Fields

new snowshoes

The possibilities of plein air painting has been made possible now with the purchase of snow shoes. I have often stood at the window and longed to walk out on our fields of white snow. Not having easy access to the woods and fields has bothered me in the winter. With George mowing the hay in summer I can reach the woods without fear of ticks in the high grass. Now I wanted that feeling in the winter. Why sit and stare at 49 acres with just the plowed area of the driveway to roam. We do keep on walking down the drive and along the road during winter 

A recent trip into the snowy wood, allowed me to photograph the old rusting car and see its deterioration after a few years. We saw tracks around the car that we were not sure of the animal that left them. I decide it was a coyote. I know we have them as its quite a deer haven so it follows the coyotes are around. We did see wolves once a few years ago. 

The snow shoes are handy for another venture. I went out to the front yard woods and overturned a bucket as my seat and did an ink of the snow on the trees. Now I can walk to the areas over the snow and be comfortable to paint for a while. I will have to attempt the task again as I wasn’t fully satisfied. That's an element of plein air that makes it different then studio work. Sitting in the cold adds a new experience. Now I can try the paint outdoors. My Snow on the Fields painting done from the window was shown in a local magazine. A true plein air would have me sitting in the fields.

Old car in woods

plein air of snow on old tree

I can see the snowmobile tracks from the window. We never hear them as they respect our privacy and ride far over to the right of our property. They were using our driveway by the brook to get around the water but that is further down our hill. Now I see they are back to crossing the brook itself near the beaver lodge. I would imagine that’s because with the beavers gone, the lake they built there is shallow now and freezes well. I would like to walk over to the lodge on snow shoes now. In the summer it is still too wet. I could also walk up the trail where the snowmobiles come out of the woods. Winter shots in the woods would be wonderful I expect. The possibilities seem endless with my new method of walking over the deep snow.

After the snow storm

Closer To the Land

Driveway repair

We have been busy this year with working the acreage as nature tries to move back in to reclaim the area. This is when the realization of living in the country means more physical labour to exist comfortably. Our beaver colony was extending their dams in the creek and there was little water running there. This creek drains the upper areas of the fields and now this pond was becoming a small lake. We had a trapper in for the spring and he took out two of them, and destroyed the dam with an axe. However it was obvious in no time that there were more and working industriously with rebuilding. We had also had some washouts on our driveway in heavy melts and rain. If this lake continued to grow, then our drive in the lower area and the road next to the land would suffer. We had a few people to come and take down the dams even digging under theml. A few times we saw the rush of water go under the culvert in the drive. But we were soon calling in the licensed trapper these last weeks and three more beaver were removed. The water is flowing and we hope that is a sign that there are no more in the lodge. The trapper may be waiting to go back in at night to check for any more. We wait the results.

Meanwhile we have just gotten the driveway resurfaced to a smooth run of 1500 feet up the hill. There is to be a culvert put in below still, to combat any over flow on to the drive as was in the past. 

We bought a large shelter tent to house some items from the garage so that we can work more in the garage and the tent. The wind last month took the tent and we had it replaced more securely and waited out two more wind storms watching with anxiety. It’s a guessing game if it lasts this winter.

Our Deer

We have tried to live with the animals and the elements but have found nature is powerful and determined and the best we can hope for is to hold our ground. But there are the days when I’m out on the deck with my morning coffee viewing the early fog or sun. There is the delight of watching the deer in our yard near the house. Recently we have viewed a stag a couple of times. Usually they don't show up like the doe. We have snow shoes ready for this winter. I plan to photograph the land more and even get a plein air painting or two done as the subject matter is endless .In our battles we still claim joy in living on our 49 acres.

Fog Over Greenhill

Summer's Ending with Fulfilment

Painting of Sunflowers

This summer of 2015 was especially important for me after the last year's illness finally ended in spring, followed with 3 months of physiotherapy. My goal was to throw myself into my art, catching up with projects left undone, and thoroughly enjoy the summer weather escaping outdoors often. My goal was more than met, with many art projects on the tables and some plein air outings with a friend. The weather cooperated to give me a marvellous feeling of freedom after almost a year indoors ,long-fully looking out.

I planted a new flower garden after the ravages of the winter on the former bed. This was the year of the hummingbirds with several at the feeder at a time and a constant return. The bird feeder for the other birds thanked us with some sunflowers popping up in a few places and the sky here was full of flight activity all summer. I have sat many days on the deck enjoying the land and view. We also got in miles of walks throughout the area for enjoyment and exercise that I needed to keep up from the end of my physiotherapy. My grandson and I found an entrance to the neighbours wild rose bushes and enjoyed the array of white flowers and the long awaited bluenose ship docked in our port. The road we lived on had an heritage house visit where we learned much about our adopted country home.

Entrance too Secret Garden of Roses

The beavers are still claiming ownership on the front acreage despite us trying to move them along. And the last resort is arriving soon to demolish the lodge and dam so we can reclaim the water covered field. Our hay is high as I have ever seen it, as promises from the farmer to cut it hasn't materialized.The weather has given the local farmers an abundance of produce growth and kept them busy, so we hope to see them in fall.

Now as school starts officially, if not weather wise, beginning the fall activities, I still see many opportunities for plein air trips, and walks and time to sit on the deck. The apple trees are full now ,that being a planned plein air event, and the flowers are still in bloom, so there is much time to enjoy the outdoors.This year Im excited to be able to enjoy the autumn colours once they begin and hopefully the winter isn't as wild as last year because I want to walk  in the snow and feel that freedom in our longest season.

Visit by the Bluenose

My Best Hummingbird Photo

The Hard Winter Into The Late Spring

Deer in Woods

While the East coast climbs out of a deep and heavy winter snow load, many people anxiously await the big melt that will officially start this late spring. The weather is milder but the white snow banks are still high enough to hide a view. We wait for rain as well as the sun to soften and lessen the snow. It is to be hoped that it will not result in too much flooding and come gently even if that means a little longer before we see the ground.

If we are suffering this long hard season, I imagine the wildlife have had a rough go of it. On the way back from the city a few weeks ago, I saw a number of large roadkill of deer and I believe a coyote or wolf. Anything moving before out in our fields has been absent for months and even the tracks we usually see from the night are much less in number. Yesterday we did herald our first herd of 9 deer walking the tree line in the back fields.They were a little thinner than I remember so that must tell of the hardship they experienced. Birds are just arriving in small numbers and I saw my first robin a few days ago near the front window. Definitely spring is coming and hopefully not too much longer. I felt guilty this last season so next season the birdhouse goes back up, maybe a bat house, and if the winter promises to be this hard again, maybe I’II invest in a few oats from down the road, to see the deer through the winter.

Plein Air of West River in progress

Speaking of the road, I made my first walk down the long drive and out to the road this week. The drive has been too icy for me to walk it as I recuperated this winter, and the road much too narrow for safety with the high and wide banks of snow. It is a freeing experience to get out and breathe the air and at least view a bit of the scenery over the banks. Soon I’II be able to go out for more walks, photoshoots, and plein air painting and experience the full summer again. It will be a special and noteworthy time for me and an appreciation only someone deprived two full warm seasons with health issues can understand. I intend to take in every bit of the summer and autumn this year and be out of doors often.

PLein air of West River Melt

This Isn't Winter

Slow Winter for Snow Lovers

It was a long summer for me and I spent it here on the acreage while I recuperated from cancer treatment. The few days I did manage a walk out on the road, I thoroughly enjoyed the slow pace of my life and the time it takes to just watch the land. I enjoyed our deer regularly visiting and the hawk hunting low over the fields, a few times near the front window. Alas, it was all a flash and too fast to get my camera. There were not too many other visitors that I saw in the day time, but I enjoyed the change of colours this autumn.

Now that I am on my way to health and strength again, I go out for the walks often. The weather is holding up well for my outings except for some rain We had a few storms that we blamed on the washouts on the drive. Then one day our neighbour came up to ask if we’d like him to remove the beavers. We had beavers and were not aware. Once he pointed out the lodge and lake growing in the distant field, we could see where our problems originated. With sadness we agreed something had to be done as the spring melt, once the snow came, would be a costly problem, not only for us. So far, two beaver have been removed and the other or others are putting up a fight. He says that they have become trap smart and were the same beavers moved from up the road. Although we like to live with those that were here first, living in the country can bring hard truths. It is to be hoped that it will end soon.

My first Drive

Meanwhile the grass still has some green to it, the hay lays low and yellow, and there is little to no white flakes as December folds into January. It has become colder this week, so maybe the snow is just ahead of us now. It would certainly brighten up the landscape and change it from the grays. The light though is great for photographs. There is an old barn just down the road that I have longed to photograph and looking at it this year, I best get out to it. The red paint is even more faded, the top hay door is now open to the weather and it seems to sag more too. The lighter winter may save it for another year yet, but I will take the shots soon while I await the snow.

Beavers overflowing brook

My first winter walk during chemo

Blessings of Good Weather

Though I haven’t been able to get about much this second session of chemo, it has been more pleasant in that it has given me more of the better days I was hoping for. With that, the weather also cooperated by providing a sunny warm autumn with cool light breezes. The colours have remained longer and the air so fresh, that each day that I did have strength to walk, I tried to get out as often as possible.

Away for the Season

With my previous idea of a photography show in mind, I finally found the correct settings and light to get the effect for the pictures that I had been practicing with several outings previous. I succeeded in getting a good motion blur and a handle of moving the camera, so that I was getting the pictures of things I found on the roadside during my walks. As I couldn’t really attempt long photo shoots and the woods, this has become my focus for now.

My Spouse in a Puddle

Meanwhile I am supervising the regular fall cleanup preparation for the coming cold months. Most of the actual work is done by my husband, who has been taking great care of me during my chemotherapy. We gathered all the figurines in the garden and washed them for storage. We dumped some flower pots as well and put them away. He continued the cleanup with repairs of gravel on the driveway ruts and will soon put the chains on the tractor and get out the blades. The first snowfall last year was the beginning of November. I will still be in chemo throughout November so hopefully a milder start can see me outdoors again for a few of those days.

We lost most of the summer this year but I have big plans for next year. I will be putting in my order at Vesey Seeds in the early Spring or sooner for more bulbs, seeds, two more apple trees, as well as visiting the local garden centres to fill my flower pots again. This year I plan to purchase the cloth to suppress the weeds around each bed. There will be an order of good soil and manure for such beds as I wish to build them in a higher mound. I intend to make up for the dismal display of our gardens in the next year as well as get the farmer in for more haying in the lower fields which require a larger tractor than ours to stay afloat in the wet areas. The biggest thrill will be that I will be able to participate in this venture once again.

Gravel for the Driveway

Our house in Autumn

Cooler Breezes Blow Softly

Cooler Breezes Blow Softly

High Hay

Spending many warm and hot days on the deck during convalescence this summer, had given me a new appreciation for the area in which I live. Gentle walks along the roadside while I build strength, marked by the distance I increased, gave me time to meet and talk with the neighbours as they gave their wishes for my recovery. It is indeed a good place in which we settled. Unable to assist my spouse in chores, i watched him take on more for my health’s sake. A great companion and caretaker he became or always was, and just needed a situation to show his strength and fortitude.

We didn’t make the mark in many chore areas what with travel and a lone worker. Not all the flowers survived in the beds as the weeds took over; despite his constant attempts to chase them as they grew. The hay could’t be caught and is very high in some areas and along the driveway. some of them are creeping into the drive narrowing it slightly. It’s amazing how nature tries to reclaim more land that we thought was our domain. The garden is finally coming after a slow start and some bug infestation. We are reaping the harvest now. 

Inside the house, it  still needs walls in the basement and shelving upstairs. But maybe the winter will see some work there. I am already coming back to help my husband with common chores so he will be able in the near future to concentrate on the chores that best suit him. Sharing will give relief to both of us. We plan on the next year to fix the things we couldn’t this season because of my health problems. The driveway will be renewed by our neighbour, the hay will be captured early on so the land will appear more groomed and I will be able to travel around the acreage and enter the woods once more. New soil brought in to rebuild the flower beds and more time to trim and weed will make a difference the next summer. I’m looking forward to all that next year with new ambition. 

Plein air Painting

But a trip to my oncologist has altered the chore plans for the time being. I am now in chemotherapy, and my spouse has been called on to care take some more. I have almost 3 months of chemo to take on and if this first session is an indication, I do believe that I will handle this new fight. The worst of it so far has been the chemo fog, the weakness and floating head. It is difficult to find the energy to do things and often I will lay down for part of the day. But all in all, not feeling too badly. Hoping as I come back up between sessions, that I can get some art work done. Meanwhile I’m trying to get in our walks when I feel up to it. There is different air I felt today, as the breezes blew through the trees. Actually in the woods the trees were quite loud while the road breezes were softer. All down the lane crickets were singing loudly. I almost expected a swarm to fly out of the hay. I enjoy getting out of the house and taking these slow walks now.Looks like I will be enjoying the autumn changes close to hand for the next few months. Autumn is my favourite time with the colours and the cool air.

For now I am looking forward to autumn walks, trying some photography on the walks, and enjoying the cooler breezes already creeping in this week. Christmas offers new hope and a new enthusiasm, already with plans in the making. News of my son returning home for Christmas will be the highlight, but any Christmas this year will be very special to me.

Roadside Panning Photography Project