Simple pleasures

They may be intelligent, but occasionally even cats take pleasure in the most simplest diversions.

White Boxing Day

So, now that we have had a white Christmas and a white Boxing Day, the snow can all leave now, right?

Morning Glow

One of the advantages of the time change is that we have more chances to catch some sensational sunrises.

Fall scenes

Fuzzy and foggy landscapes are all part and parcel of the transition between fall and winter.

Going, going

Fall is not for everyone but it does provide a chance to look at different colours, eh?

Salut, summer

Summer departed while the computer was fried, so this would be a good time to wrap up some warm weather memories now that we have new and improved connectivity.

Of course, we saw fire in the sky often as we basked in hot mid-summer nights. We had to get ready for winter, so we did some splitting.

And we learned about the literal meaning of the "fog of war" during a War of 1812 battle re-enactment.

Light rail

It is amazing how the sun can seem to illuminate even the most mundane subjects, eh?

Refreshing dip

Ah, Thanksgiving: A time for turkey, sweet potato pie and waterskiing?

Every square tells a story

A quilt display is one of the attractions of the International Plowing Match and Rural Expo that will be held just down the road, in East Hawkesbury, in September.

Quilts can tell a story, such as the one about the Underground Railway, herald accomplishments, such as the ribbons won by the Kirby family, and they burst into a fabulous display of colours.

Jungle cat

Millie takes her job seriously, venturing into her jungle even on long weekends.

July Colours

All creatures, including horses, enjoyed a bit of a romp in the midsummer landscape, where peas were hanging on and wheat was peaking.

Shades of green

Everywhere you look, everything seems to be green at this time of year, eh?

Team work

The strong and quiet types, Tiny and Rose work as a team at a recent plowing demonstration, one of the many events promoting the International Plowing Match in East Hawkesbury in September. This team shows why so many horsemen believe that horse-power on the hoof is the real attraction of plowing contests.

What is it?

One of the best things about this newspaper racket is that you get to do stories on specialty industries.

This is the key to a Hawkesbury company that has a connection with everyone.

Can you guess what this object is?

Honk for geese!

OK, so you expect to see geese in the middle of a field, but in the middle of the road?

Some feathers were ruffled but nobody was injured in this close encounter with a flock.

April ice

Standing out

Political turf

Well, it is nice to see political rivals sharing turf, even though the Liberal is leaning to the right and the blue candidate is a bit of a blur.

Down the road, trees have taken a stand, on a wagon.

Geese on ice

So, after a long flight, you finally land in the summer place, only to find it frozen!

What bird brain was responsible for this?

Cavity

One person said that this hole in a road near St-Eugene, southeast of Hawkesbury, was the size of his bedroom. Well, we do not know how big his bedroom is, of course, however when water washed out a culvert, and a section of a road, the ensuing cavity was large enough to force a detour.

Mother Nature -- do not tick her off!

Craters

Ah, spring, the time when sap runs, geese return and potholes swallow cars.

Occasionally, the craters will reach out and remove hub caps, depositing them on the side of the road, in a macabre ritual symbolizing another victory of Mother Nature over Man and his pitiful machines, and that cold patch.

Even Elvis is Irish

Everyone was Irish when Vankleek Hill held its St. Patrick's Day parade.

A delight

So, a red sky at night is a supposed to delight a sailor, even though we do not get many sailors in these ports at this time of the year, if you catch my drift. In fact, we keep getting more and more drifts lately as Old Man Winter is not about to set sail anytime soon.

Signs of the season

Snow fell gently on an array of solar panels while Percy stood out last week awaiting a two-legged snack. Flakes also came to rest on a well-rested shovel which was soon put to use on a snow-clogged driveway.

Eastern Pyramids

One of our best kept secrets: We have pyramids in East Hawkesbury!

Composed of chipped trees, the natural wonders stand on a bleak landscape where a forest has been cleared.

Snow fun

Although we have had a mild winter, Groundhog Day saw us get a squall that reduced visibility and gave those lucky kids a snow day.

Minus 28

We have survived the coldest night of the winter -- so far -- but the frigid conditions did not faze these birds that were out on the Ottawa River as usual.