Stormy Weather

Wake Up on the Bright Side There was an ice storm in Southern Ontario yesterday that affected the areas west of us and around the lake to Toronto.  One could see how the escarpment plays a major role in our weather.  Towards the top of the escarpment, there was ice on the trees. At the bottom, it was raining.  Anywhere over the escarpment (which is south of us) the roads were icy and the trees encased in ice.  At the bottom of the escarpment there was rain. This was the scene at Benchscape where I garden the raised beds of herbs and flowers. Benchscape sits on the escarpment in Beamsville looking out over Lake Ontario to the north.  In the top picture, you can see the ice on the trees with the view out over Lake Ontario.   Everything was lightly coated in ice.

Exit Ice from Niagara

It seems that we are having an early start to Spring. The ice at Grimsby Beach was hanging on a few days ago, but is melted now with exceptionally warm weather this week. Snow drops are blooming, along with Christmas Roses (Hellebores) and the Snow Crocuses are blooming too.  Of course, Pussy Willows and Witch Hazel are in bloom.  Pansies and spring flowers are for sale in our garden centres. People are more interested in what was eaten at the White House last night.  It seems that poutine was on the menu:  "White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford will have a “more formal take on the fast food,”  served up as a single bite canapé, featuring “shavings of smoked duck and cheese curds finished with red wine gravy and served on delicate wafer fries.” I found the dinner menu "here".   View this email in your browser

Winter's Infinity Pool

A return visit to Grimsby Beach yesterday revealed a winter landscape of ice on rocks.  The waves of the day before have frozen and formed icicles. The old Grimsby pier still stretches out into the water even though it is much smaller than the days when the steamer Turbinia docked there.  I've included an historical postcard so you can see what it was like then. Yesterday's sunny scene was a remarkable one - with the pier covered in ice.  It had the appearance of an infinity pool with the blue ice floating over the blue water.  The gulls standing at the end of the pier make a wonderful focal point.