Day 49 - 18th February 2012 - The Cat and the Canary? [Or Woodpecker!]

Another mild morning, the temperature is 0.2. Lunch time and the temperature is +4. but feels like -4 at least! The wind is really cold.
I thought I would check and see if Capt. William Booth  had anything to say about the weather in Shelburne. Remarks & Rought Memorandums; Captain William Booth, Corps of Royal Engineers, Shelburne 1787, 1789. I found this for Feb 18, 1789:

Hard frost and pretty clear - People going to and from the Barracks in slays across the Harbour - They were going with yokes of oxen and slays loaded with boards yesterday - The 6th Regisment had their dance tonight - The snow yesterday prevented it last night-.                  [The Barracks were on the side of the Harbour where The Islands Park is now.]

This is certainly different than what we have been experiencing this winter. I'm not sure I can ever remember the ice in the harbour being thick enough to take oxen over, although my grandparents told me that you could skate on the harbour and as a child I used to go with my Dad smelt fishing in the coves.

My Grandmother R kept journals for 40+ years. Usually with bits and pieces of news, weather, who came to visit and what they did. Sometimes the entries were longer than others. I have a whole box of her journals, so I dug out a few to see what was happening 30 odd years ago.
Feb 18, 1976, Wednesday:

Snow and rain most of day, milder. Bob, Bobbie & Tom [Tom was their dog] to Middle Clyde, no tracks. Home around 2 o'clock. Catherine & I had bridge tonight. Rain and messy underfoot tonight. Doris drove us home.

On Feb 18, 1978, Saturday:

Bob, Bobbie & Tom off this morning. No cats. Conditions poor. Home 4:30 o'clock. Overcast and mild all day. Abve freezing tonight. Bob & I up to Upper Clyde for a meeting about lights (power) to finish a letter to politicians.

Those two entries don't sound like you could take oxen over the harbour either. Maybe our winter is not quite so unusual as we think. No matter what it maybe, because I'm sure in 50 years people will be wondering similiar things, spring will soon be here.

The Robin certainly was enjoying himself this morning, marching around the yard. Their coloring blends into the old dead grass and leaves.

The Blue Jay on the other hand likes to strut his stuff around the yard for all to see!

Some color left over from the fall.

I never get tired of watching the Woodpecker!

An afternoon siesta under a fir tree.

And then I realized........... I could get them both in the same picture!














Enjoy your afternoon!