signs of spring

there you see the mountains reflected in the melt water sitting on top of the ice of the fjord. three weeks ago tomorrow, i was setting out for spring camp. there were many feet of snow covering the ground, the ice on the fjord was thick and strong, and the floe edge took 2 hours to reach by skidoo.

would you lookie now?


I saw pussy willows today. Do all willow trees make those grey pussy willow blossom things, or only actual "pussy willow" plants? i ask only because it's hard to know if i'm seeing regular ground willow in bloom or another totally separate plant.


I took a long walk with the dogs today. It was a gentle adventure compared to some we have had recently - the covering snow is pretty much gone. I'm astonished how fast everything has melted this year" We've just had the coldest winter in 20 years, with sea ice being thicker and the floe edge being farther than any time in recent memory. Everyone has been predicting a late break-up, but here we are with a melting fjord and it's only may-24. That's climate change for you, folks. People were still camping with their skidoos this time last year!


the river (the one we get our water from) is raging. it just opened yesterday, but even then it wasn't really open. the water was flowing over the ice. i expect the ice is dissolving quickly - water is powerful.

here is a paradox - i am craving summer warmth with every fibre of my being. i want to wear skirts and sit on patios and drink cold drinks because it's too darn hot! and yet i'm peeved with the turn in the weather - i want to use my board or my kite or my skis and i can't because the snow is virtually gone. what snow there is left is laying in hip-deep, soft layers over dents in the tundra just waiting for unsuspecting hikers in rainboots (here after called CFMs) to sink in up to their (duh) hips.

i tell you, i felt like a fool, "swimming" on the snow to get to solid tundra again.

i'm going to go vacuum now. oh, and i dyed my hair again.