Spring was not in the air!

This weekend we discovered winter was not quite done with Algonquin Park. When we arrived on Friday night it was a relatively mild 6 degrees and rain was in the forecast. However when we rolled out of bed at around 9:30 on Saturday morning, this was the scene that greeted us. It snowed, pretty much like this right through until Sunday morning!

NOT a dock day!

And it snowed and it snowed and it snowed. The temperature hovered between one and two degrees on Saturday, so the snow didn’t stick to the ground. If it had been just a couple of degrees colder, I am sure we would have had 10 to 15 cms by Saturday night.

Comfort Food

So there was no help for it - we were forced to spend a lazy day in front of a warm fire with a pot of hot coffee and the snack that’s more fun to make than it is to eat - JIffy Pop!!

Snowy Boughs

While snow didn’t stay on the ground, later in the day, it did start to collect in the trees and our island began to take on a decidedly wintry appearance.

Nightfall, temperature fall

Carolyn took this picture in the last of the light just as the temperatures started to head below zero and the snow began to stick to the ground.

Winter Whites

When we woke up on Sunday morning the temperature had gone down to -6, and the ground was white and frozen.

Brrrr!!

Also frozen were our pump lines and the sugar water in the hummingbird feeder so Carolyn took a kettle down to the dock to get water for our morning coffee!

Frosty Phoebe

We found this little Eastern Phoebe frozen on the ground at the door step of the kitchen cabin in the morning. I picked it up and warmed it for a while in my hands and then we put it in an old flower pot in our woodshed - out of the wind and a little warmer because of the heated kitchen next to it. In less than an hour it warmed up enough to fly away.

White on white

The blueberry plants were in full flower. I shot these against a backdrop of snow on Sunday morning. I hope they are able to make it through the next few nights which are also supposed to be cold!

Winter Scene - in May!

We won’t be back until the first week in June when things should be a little warmer!

And a new season begins!

It was a record-breaking year with the ice going out on an astonishingly early April 3rd. By the time we got to the cottage, flowers were already in bloom on the first day of May

Weather for ducks

Although it rained for most of the weekend the temperatures were balmy. Raindrops on the roof at night made for pleasant sleeping and we managed to find time between the showers in the day to go for walks, accomplish a few opening chores and squeeze in some dock time.

Raindrops

A lull in the rain left droplets delicately poised on the ends of pine boughs.

Ragged Falls

Since it was a rainy day we decided to go for a ride to see what had changed since last fall. By the time we reached Ragged Falls, just outside the Park gate, the rain had let up and we decided to go for a walk. The Falls were actually closed, but we didn't let a little thing like that deter us and in fact it was wonderful as we had the whole place to ourselves. The falls were at their most impressive as spring water rushed over the rocks.

Carolyn at the falls

At the top of the falls we stopped to take pictures and to admire the view.

Woody at work

On the walking trail we found this tree trunk where Woody Woodpecker had apparently been very busy!

Smoke Creek earns its name

Smoke Creek seemingly earned its name with the mist rising in the mid afternoon. Notice how many different greens there are in this picture.