new year they say

Our first week of the year almost over and we're getting a steady light snow all day with a promised 15cm tomorrow. It's been a quiet week of readjusting. Wally wants to keep the Christmas tree up one last weekend, and I can't blame him- it's so beautiful.

On New Year's Eve Day we finally got our act together to get ourselves over to my favourite health food store in Greenwood where Cindy sells in bulk, a real cost saver.

The sun appeared to be setting as we passed through a forested valley too dark to get any decent pictures from a moving car

In fact my pictures are blurry anyway in the low light and blowing snow

It is a beautiful drive along the 101

past farmfields rimmed in forest

Eventually the valley broadened into the multiple farms it is known for.

You can barely make out the North Mountain in the distance.

Part of the mountain is patched in snow where the farms creep up it.

There are many barns in different shapes and sizes. Hopefully you will perceive my unfocussed shots as a romantic blur, the best way to view life sometimes.

There are some lovely old homes in Kingston, the sister town to Greenwood

This one is particularly gorgeous

Even a raised bungalow has its charm dressed for Christmas.

That blue thing at the foot of the steps, for those of you who don't know, is a snow scoop.

Another little house dressed for Christmas

and the humble façade of our destination: Valley Natural Foods

Two days later, you'd never know it snowed.  New Year's Day was very dreary and rainy,

warm enough to wipe out a lot of the snow

Here is how I found my two little monkeys, late afternoon.

You can tell by Muji's ears that he knows I'm there.

And two mornings after that- "What's this?"

Muji has spied a crow- OMG!

As I said, it has been snowing all day.

You can imagine my alarm when I spied roadworkers out front.

What a Beatles-Abbey-Road picture they make.

Thankfully they didn't stay long at all.

Babu after I played with him. He is beginning to get very needy of my attention lately.

Rubbing his head against the table, wanting me to get the message:

"I want cuddl-l-l-les"

I was hoping this project wouldn't turn out to be so ... pretty.

Clearly the subject and the patterns are sweet. I found myself in a sentimental mood that set the tone for the days to come, making a piece of work I'm not altogether comfortable with. I've decided to finish it regardless as there is too much unfinished work around here. We'll see how it goes.

So clearly last year's beginnings overlap into this year. It wouldn't be the first time I reset the year on the Chinese New Year!

Here's to new beginnings and the truism, "today is the first day of the rest of your life!"

peace