Sparkles!

After two evenings of gorgeous sunsets, Mother Nature decided to wow and impress us again yesterday morning.  It was a sparkly world.  The camera just cannot do justice to how beautiful it all looked.  Everything was coated in ice crystals.

The sky was incredibly blue.  We don't see that blue too often.  We are less than 20 miles from the ocean, and the damp air gives us lots of thin moist cloud, even on a sunny day.  Not today, it was clear, and oh so blue!

Notice how the crystals mostly point one way.  They seemed to point either east or north.  Weird.

This is a bunch of hair from Pride's mane, caught on one of the barbs.  He used to be notorious for putting his head between wires of the fence.  You know, the grass is always greener on the other side.....

Hanging off the fence tightener

Looking south over the hayfield.

We ventured through the bush this morning.  It seems just lately we've been walking around the back hayfield more often than not.  Recently because it's a shorter distance for Calli, but mostly because the dogs indicate fresh coyote activity when we get to the gate to the bush field, so we just say no thanks and turn around.  Today it was all quiet, thank goodness.  Luna got so hot she plonked herself in the creek, and then rolled on the frozen grass, so the water then froze to some of her hair.  She had the slightly frosted look.

Just be thankful I didn't post all the photos I took.  I can never decide which I like the most.

The Calm During the Storm

No, I'm not talking about that Sandy storm that is battering the east coast.  We are on the west coast, and  will not be affected by Sandy.  We didn't feel that earthquake that hit Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands) on Saturday evening either.    Although if we were going to be hit by anything it would more likely to be an earthquake, as we have been told for years that we are overdue for the 'big one'.

Yesterday was just a miserable stormy, windy, wet day.  On the plus side, the temperatures were mild.

At times it looked like it might clear up, the sky would lighten, the sun even flashed out once for a second or two, but a few minutes later it was pouring rain again.

We don't get a lot of brilliant Fall colour here, but when the sun came out for ten minutes or so just before it set, the trees were just a golden glow.

Even looking to the east, the cottonwoods and alder trees were pulsing with gold.

Kind of made the rainy day seem not so bad.

An hour later, the moon was out as I drove to dog agility. 

Half an hour after that it was raining again.

The Gloriousness Continues

We headed for a different dyke today.  I like walking in those wide open spaces with the dogs, well specifically with Luna.  I like to see who is coming, and what dogs, and then I can be prepared.  Luna likes to range well ahead of us, and I don't like it when she's disappeared around a bend in a trail and is being snarky with some dog coming the other way.

Driving along the freeway out to Sumas Prairie.  Mt. Baker in Washington state really dominates the view

It was a really lovely day, next to no wind, and warm.  I took my jacket off after a while.

Someday I'm going to have to find out what these pilings were for.  A road maybe?

The flat farmland on the other side of the dyke used to be a lake, until it was dyked and drained. The pilings might be from the pre-dyke era.

See Jake?

 Luna was trying to get that little stick, but wasn't brave enough to take the plunge.  The rocks were slippery when wet, she was scrabbling a couple of times.  I was VERY careful making my way back over that one.  It would have been a long wet walk back to the car.

And what is it with border collies and sticking out a bit of their tongue?

Does it make for better concentration?

We're So Excited!

I've mentioned before that it doesn't take much to make me happy. 

 Since we've had so many dull, rainy days lately, waking up this morning to perfectly clear skies, and then the sun hitting the trees just down the road from us at 8:07 makes me really happy.

Here's the forecast.  Those are Celsius temperatures, so the daytime ones are above freezing. 

And not a border collie to be seen:)

If you haven't read that post, you should have a look.

I did by chance come across that border collie picture.  It is some one's profile picture, but no one I know, and not a profile I'd ever clicked on.  

Weird eh?

Heading out to get some vitamin D:)