Seasonal Adjustment

It's beginning...
the end of winter is in the air, as evidenced by trees.

Especially our Quercus rubra--the Northern Red Oak--one of my favourite trees of all, and on our property since planting it 40+ years ago.

Our grandson loves to pick up fallen acorns at the end of summer.

The oak tree signals its buds are beginning to swell by dropping its brownish leaves on top of snow.

The Q.rubra isn't a particularly pretty tree during winter because it does hold those dead leaves throughout.  However, it's a sure sign of swelling buds when the top of the tree is finally bare.

Quercus rubra, the Northern Red Oak Tree

It's sure been a challenging winter...January was  B R U T A L, with sooooo much snow that we ran out of places to put it.

Compared to St. John's Newfoundland, we really have no complaints at all...

St. John's, Newfoundland Labrador

St. John's, NL

Here in the North Okanagan, the Morning Star in their Wednesday, January 22, 2020 publication stated January was "the fourth snowiest in three decades", with the snowiest since 1990 was in 2015 with 87 cm of snow.  The 2nd snowiest was 2018, with 79 cms, and 1998 placed third at 76.1 cm.

But thank goodness last week's deep freeze is over--unaffectionately termed our new Ice Age--when there were four consecutive days that hit -20C or lower.  The coldest day was Tuesday, January 14th in Vernon, when it was -21.5C.  (We in Coldstream/Lavington get colder weather in winter, due I believe, to the influence of cold outflow winds from the Monashees, just to the east.)

At our house, early in the morning...Brrrrrrr.

So, a big thanks to the Quercus rubra, for showing that winter's hold on us may be fading.

And today's sunshine is welcome indeed!