Winter can be fun, if one can get out and enjoy it  , in the best way you
can –

Walk in the Woods, Work out in a Gym/ home ,  to some Baila tune , Sit by
the cozy fire place , curl up and read a book  or follow The Web Class of
64, !, or eat comfort food to fill your belly and soul !

Better still- Run Away from it ALL to a Warmer  place , like will be doing
in a month,  to Arizona !!

Februray is THE worst month – temps at minus 20 deg C for the entire month
and it is killing cold  to be alone here, out in the boonies ,  at this
stage in my life .
In my younger days- it was fun to walk on the frozen lake- not any more !!

I had my Winter Fun- yesterday – dec 13th, out in the woods near by .
Came across just what I was hoping for – Wolf / Coyote track , as this
always gives me a ‘good feeling ‘ that I am not alone in the woods and I am
being watched and guided by those who were here, before I came along to live
in Turtle Island  as it how North America is known to the Native People who
lived here for ten thousand years .

I have seen the Wolves / Coyote a few times along this trail,  and on the
road side,  in the summer , and  in the winter , crossing the frozen lake
behind my home , from Giants Tomb Island  -gorgeous creatures  they are,
specially to see them on the white frozen lake  on a winter moon lit night
..

One time, in the summer ,  it was right in front of me- where I saw the
scat( poop )  yesterday , we made eye contact  , for a split second ,  I
said ‘ Mayeengun ‘  the first word that came to my head , the Ojibway word
for Wolf.
Strange that I could not get the words Wolf , Vuurkaya  ( Sinhala ) out
that that time .
I had completely forgotten the Sinhala word, until I wrote about it to
Narme last year January and he wrote back the Sinhala word for Wolf !

Follow the photos .
— the foot prints are very, very  fresh- likely a few hours before I saw
them,  about 3 inches  deep in the snow ,  indicating it is a mature fully
grown animal, at least 50 lbs wt .
— tracks are in a straight line – —  knows exactly where it is going  and
this is typical of Wolf / Coyote, where as house dog tracks are hapahazard
and always there is a human foot print near by .
— my foot print to indicate size- a mature animal track .
— Stone Cairn  – I made this,  at this location, to indicate to me  the
direction I should take to go home — I learnt this the hard way one time a
few years back – and thank god it was summer ! The tracks lead up to the
stone cairn, and the community beyond the woods .

It is easy to lose your way in the forest – specially in the winter, when
the usual land marks are all coverd in snow .
There are few human prints along this trail- so this helps .

— many tracks coming together –  there were many tracks criss crossing the
woods ,  about a kilometer after I passed the stone cairn, and  the Scat (
poop ) at this location  to mark the Family Territory , indicating a family
group that went hunting , perhaps the Alpha Male marked the territory .

From here, the tracks part company again , and a few tracks followed my way
to the street ,  and went into the deep woods that follow the street for the
next 3 kilometers and into Awenda Provincial Park- a 6000 acre Natural park
/ Camping grounds, beaches etc .

— an earlier photo with the sunshine and blue sky- taken Jan 2nd – 2017-
when the snow was VERY deep, along the same woodland trail.And, belive me,
this particular day, it was hard slugging on the snow that was 8- 10 inches
deep !- I should have known better, not to venture into the woods, when the
snow was that deep !
Live and Learn !

For those who want to know this location – look up google maps- Awenda
Provincial Park/ Champlain R d, and I live on a side street off Champlain
Rd, just 2 km from the park entrance Awenda Park Road .

Eagle Deepthie

Canada Day

Every one Loves A Parade !
Canada Day Parade July 1st  — in my small town of Midland was today- –
real small town gig it was with temps at 90  ++ deg in the shade and I was
just about cooked !

I was with the Midland  Hiking Club   and hot as hell it was, there was
quite the turn out with  most of us being – 65 and over !!
Anyway we all  had a great time .

But, to walk back the 2 miles in the dreadful heat- Oh well- another story
.

Talk about Altruisim — I was dead beat and decompensating fast due to
heat exhaustion  , but was not going to give up.

My companion- Janet- was with me- and we were walking back to her place
where I had parked the car.
I was praying for Help as I was again between a Rock and a Hard Place !!

Believe it or not– a young man in a bright red shirt was walking his dog
on the residential street that Jan and I were walking .
‘ Hi Mary- were you in the parade  ? ”
” Yes- do you have a car, if so , can you drive us home to Jan’;s place
where I parked my car ? ”
He brought us home, to Jan’s place  and soon recovered with my feet in a
tub of cold  water , water on my head  and lots of water + cool drinks to
hydrate– thanks to Jan’s  most efficient and generous hospitality  !

 Who is  Jan- she is the one wearing the Hawaiian multicolored flowered
garland from the Dollar Store !!

Who was this Guardian Angel– a guy who used to work at Ford Motor
Dealership some years back  and he  says ” how can any one forget you Mary-
I used to work at the Ford Motor Dealership some years ago  ‘ !!

Made me feel like a million $$$ .
EagleD

Update:

Follow Up — The whole Canada Day event ended when Jan and her husband
came to my place and we had a nice cool dip on the cold waters of Lake
Huron- Georgian Bay .
Where we are standing – used to my beach party area,    as recent as 10 yrs
ago , , but now it is mid thigh in water- thanks to climate change and
melting glaciers .
eagleD.

It was a real Fun Day- for the three of us .
I drove to Rajes’ place  , a 2 hr drive from where I live, and then went to
see Lakshi at her brother’s place – not too far away .
We were treated to  real first class home cooked pure vegetarian Brahmin
Meal , cooked with sooo much  tender loving care !

We spent about 4 hrs with her and returned  and then did some ‘indian
shopping ‘ and got some ‘ Leela Products and ‘ Niru Products  ”  !. – to
support the Class of 64 ,far away from SL .
Enjoy the picture story !
eagleD
It was a real Fun Day- for the three of us .
I drove to Rajes’ place  , a 2 hr drive from where I live, and then went to
see Lakshi at her brother’s place – not too far away .
We were treated to  real first class home cooked pure vegetarian Brahmin
Meal , cooked with sooo much  tender loving care !

We spent about 4 hrs with her and returned  and then did some ‘indian
shopping ‘ and got some ‘ Leela Products and ‘ Niru Products  ”  !. – to
support the Class of 64 ,far away from SL .
Enjoy the picture story !
eagleD

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Well folks- I arrived in my old home town, Ontario Canada,  after 8 wks of
blissful solitude among the Energy Driving Red Rocks of Sedona, Arizona and
my little stint in Sarasota and Marco Island with Sam and Wimal and family .

Sarasota  Beach Baila- A Distant Dream to a Distant Drum …

It was on the 2nd April,  Easter Monday that I arrived home and  and hell
broke loose on the 4th — almost like an April Fools Day Come Late Joke !

Phone dead , hot water tank sprung a leak – the first in 20 yrs,  brand new
gas furnace died , and in the horizon was the HUGE Blizzard  roaring and
rolling towards me from the north  and Giants Tomb- was a white , white !

I was on the phone to the Furnace guy- and Bang- the Power went off  ! and
he says ” don’t worry Mary- hang in there- I will be over in 20 mins  “—
and the temperature plummeted down, down , down !
So- there I am – no heat, no phone , wind howling  around me,  as if all
the wolves in Siberia were after me ! and all the while the visibility was
Zero – -I could barely see my car on the driveway, never mind Giants Tomb
Island that you see in this photo and on my post Northern Lights over Giants
Tomb- last year . .

Voila- the Auto Generator kicked in- and a few lights came on + fridge and
microwave .
Cell phone- thank god- I knew how to use it as I am a total techy idiot !

Well- the Furnace Guy  calls in 30 mins ” Mary– the only two access roads
to your home are blocked by fallen trees and one brought down the Power
Lines and the Fire Trucks are out there- diverting traffic . I will turn
back, go home, bring my chain saw and clear the trees to get to you . If
worse come to worse, I will bring you home to my place for the night ‘ !
Sure enough – he  got to my place, found the problem with the furnace,
brought over some space heaters – that worked with the few electrical
outlets powered by the Auto Generator  and said as soon as the part for the
furnace arrives in 48 hrs-  he wil be back .
Service with a Smile- Above and Beyond The Call of Duty I must say !

So, I  settled in for a long 48 hrs- slept that night in my street clothes
++ blankets,  with one heater going in the bed room, and cell phone by my
side .

O by the way- Cold Water- is a great refreshing thing in the middle of a
blizzard storm !!
Next day– Stay Strong – at least the ‘idiot box ‘ aka TV worked !
Listened to  CD Flute music ,  talked a bit to family ( saving cell phone
charges  ! ) .
It was Saturday-  7th – when Bell Canada Telephone and Furnance was up and
running .

Now-  What is  Your  Problem  Lady ?/

The Problem- is THE WHITE STUFF  you see on the front of the house and on
the back of the house — the darn thing- is  there — almost blinding me —
I wear sun glasses inside the house  when looking out into the lake – so I
wont get Snow Blindness !!

Ok- get out and go for a walk– did so y’day — snow drifts – Knee high !

BUT== There is Light at The End of The Tunnel —

Saw my little Robin Red Breast — the True Harbinger of Spring — that
never fails to cheer up the most dismal of all souls !!
I am OK now !!

Eagledeepthie –  Waiting For Spring !!

I had a GREAT experience y’day .

I was told there is a Bob Cat in this area- in the bush , so I started to virtually ‘stalk it ‘ – -knowing how animals will stay hidden and watch .

I noted its paw marks in the mud, after a rain, and followed it  around the bush .

 All the while, I had ‘this feeling of being watched ‘ !

I did this a few times, during the past one month I have been staying here at this place called Sky Ranch Lodge- Sedona ( for those who like google – go for it ! )

 Y’day was a  bad ‘snow day ‘ here, and I did not want to venture down the hill , so stayed around the property .

The Sedona Airport is the next lot- so I walked around it, and did some bird watching- lovely Western Blue Birds  all over the place .

I was actually looking for Meadow Larks- but, found t he Blue Birds instead , and few other species .

  Anyway- I walked into the bush – no luck with my Bob Cat .

I returned to the Sky Ranch private guest Viewing Area- a lovely area where weddings etc are held, with the gorgeous view of the Red  Rocks  of Sedona  .

I was looking for the bird – Spotted Towhee – when something moving in the bush caught my eye –

 You guessed  it – My Friend Mr Bobby Cat !!

It  made ‘eye contact  ‘with me – all the while walking on the ground below,  against the fence .

 I whipped out the camera and took a few shots .

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It was just PURE magic for me to see this little cat- making such a powerful eye contact with me , as if to say “ I know you , I have seen you, how are you  ‘ !!

Then it retreated into the bush , and I followed it  into the bush .

I knew it was watching me –  as I walked through the bush, came out at the Sedona Airport Bush area , and back to Sky Ranch Viewing Area .

I showed the pics to a few guests who had gathered to see the famous Sedona  Red Rock Sunset .

Today, I talked to one of the garden crew- who told me, “ tell your friend Mr Bobby Cat- not to eat the Koy in the pond at Sky Ranch ‘ !!

I will send the pics in the next mail- as I am having some difficult issues with my lap top  with pic+ text in the same e-mail .

My son will sort it out .

So, for now- it will an e-mail with text with another mail with only pics .

 Fortunately, I was alone in the Viewing Area- where normally there are at least half a dozen people .

Because y’day was a very cold day, people stayed indoors .

It is a fabulous sunset now- so I gotta get out !

Enjoy the Bobby Cat Tale from Sky Ranch Lodge- Sedona .

eagleD