Yet Another Snowfall

After last Sunday's snowfall, it began again yesterday and still continues.  We have about 18 inches now and this is a lot for this area.  Here are a couple of photos, these are also posted on my photo blog at Word Press.  The first is the hedge that runs beside our deck.

The second is the path I  had my husband clear to the ground bird feeder.  It was getting impossible for me to trudge through the snow without having snow in my boots.

And finally, here is the view to the west from our deck.  There are hills in the distance but they are not visible with the snow.  In the background are the lovely Garry Oaks at a heritage church.

I really hope that this is the last snowfall.

After The Snow

Until a few days ago, winter on Vancouver Island has been very mild.  The daffodils were blooming, in Victoria the cherry blossoms were beginning to bloom.  But last week all that changed.  At first a snowfall of about 4 inches, then yesterday we had 1 foot of snow which fell over a relatively short period.  My husband and I drove to town and it was near a white-out.  This morning I took some photos from the back yard to show the depth:

Here is a closer look at the chair which shows the depth of snow better.

Apparently we are to receive more snow today, 1 foot.  I hope not.

Riding the Cowichan Trail: Dappled Light is not Much Fun

This past Sunday we had our fourth bicycle ride on the Cowichan Valley Trail.  One thing I am learning is that the look of this trail is ever-changing, as are the challenges and obstacles you might find.

As usual, there were several avid riders on their expensive mountain bikes who were ready to take on the trail,  I wonder what they think of old fogeys such as us who wear everyday clothing and ride cruiser bicycles.  Also there were hikers and people riding horses (although all we saw of them was fresh piles of manure), and this time there was a family of four: mom, dad, and two small children one in a stroller.  They also had a Jack Russel Terrier that was not on leash at the time we saw it.  Thankfully this dog did not bother us but seemed more interested in the smells and sounds at the side of the trail.

I must admit that off leash dogs are one thing I do not want to run into on this trail because I still am very insecure and drift from side to side on the trail.  We had previously ridden this trail to a spot where Sahtlam Road has an entrance to the trail and we decided to go to the road instead of riding our bikes into the heavily forested area.  This is a quiet dead-end road with a gradual incline but as we were heading up the road there was the sound of large dogs barking loudly and running towards us.  Thankfully there was a high fence which kept them in, but this incident showed me that I still am not ready for riding on public roads.  I wonder if I ever will be?