What a Difference a Day Makes...

Yesterday...




Today...

Tomorrow?

Common Redpolls

With all the snow we had overnight, the Red Polls were looking for food, so they came to visit our feeders this morning. We enjoyed watching them.

Which Beach Walk...

...do we prefer?

This one...



Or this one?

Although we love both, it is easy to decide and we can't hardly wait.

February Fury...

The US is calling it the February Fury. As of last night all but one state, that being Hawaii, has had accumulation of snow this winter.

Last night our area received it's first accumulation in 10 years. The Surfside Beach and Grand Strand areas received 3 inches of snow.

This was the scene from our bedroom window this morning.

And this was the scene from our front door.


But the snow did not stop people from enjoying the beach. We saw more people on the beach this morning than of all the time we have been here. Most were seen to be taking pictures of the snow.

This family was making a snowman in front of our balcony.


Many people in the area were enjoying our snowfall, but there were a lot of disappointed people here, as well. This was the weekend of the Annual Marathon in Myrtle Beach and at about 10 p.m. last night the Organising Committee made the decision to cancel the Marathon for safety reasons, as the roads were expected to be slippery in the early morning.

The sun is now shining and the snow is quickly melting but the Weather Channel is saying there is a chance of more snow for Monday.

Our Journey South

Paul and I left Beresford on Monday 28 December to start our journey south to Surfside Beach, South Carolina.

It was a mild sunny morning when we set out. As we drove north into Campbellton the trees were covered with fresh snow that had fallen overnight. It was like driving through a scene on a pretty Christmas card.


As we crossed over the New Brunswick border into Quebec there was more snow on the road sides but the highways were clear.

We make a short stop at a rest park along the highway. Usually in summer or fall when we stop here we enjoy our picnic lunch outside on the tables provided. But this trip everything was snow covered so we ate our sandwiches in the warmth of our car and enjoyed the pretty scenery outside.

After 6 1/2 hours on the road we drove into Levis, Quebec where we stayed the night at the Econo Lodge Motel. We enjoyed a nice dinner and a quiet evening.

This morning we were back on the road at 10 a.m. to continue our drive to Brockville, Ontario. The drive today was quite windy with light snow drifting across the highway. After a little rest and a light snack at the Tim Hortons in Valleyfield, Quebec, we continued our drive and arrived in Brockville around 4 p.m.

We will spend a couple of days here visiting with family.

Christmas Walks on the Beach....

Paul and I were very fortunate this Christmas to enjoy some time on Beresford Beach.

Christmas Eve had a mild, sunny afternoon so before attending dinner at his sister Jeannine's for her delicious homemade meat pies, we took a few minutes to stop by the beach, take a couple of photos and make a short walk. There was a little ice along the shore and in the bay, but we were able to walk on the upper sandy portion. We found it fascinating to watch the ripple of the waves. It appeared an optical illusion.

It is always interesting to see what each day at the beach will bring. This time of year there is more sand and slate-type rocks, and a little ice of course.

On Christmas Day, once we had our turkey stuffed and roasting in the oven and the salt meat and pease pudding (a Nfld. tradition) boiling on the stove, we treated ourselves to some fresh ocean air. We even did a little treasuring hunting and found several pieces of green seaglass, which seemed an appropriate color to find at Christmas. I kept hoping to find a red one to go with them but no such luck.

Paul's family, and I guess my family now also, arrived late afternoon and we enjoyed a traditional Christmas dinner of turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce and lots of vegetables. Jeannine brought the dessert which was two homemade pies, lemon for Jamie and blueberry for me. We shared them with the others!

Well on Boxing Day we took down our Christmas decorations as we are travelling south in the next couple of days once the weather is good. There is still a little snow and freezing rain in the forecast for a day or so.

Paul and I decided to take a little break from our chores and, yes, we went back to the beach. Last year our last walk on the beach was 5 December so we are really enjoying the extra time this year. The sound of the waves lapping against the small mounds of ice was very soothing.

Paul found a nice piece of white seaglass and I found a small piece of rare purple/amethyst glass. At first I wasn't sure of the colour, so when I returned home I quickly took out my "Pure Seaglass - Discovering Nature's Vanishing Gems" book by Richard Lamotte and made a comparison. As you can see in the photo below, the piece may be small (left in photo) but it is purple/amethyst. What a great Christmas present for a seaglass collector!

Well, we hope to be travelling over the next few days so we will wish you an early Happy New Year for 2010 and we hope you will return to read about our adventures next year....

Fall Snow....

This morning when I went out early, I had to scrape the frost off my car for the first time this year and that was fine. I don't mind frost.

But after being back home for a few minutes, I now see that it is snowing big, wet flakes outside. That I do mind!

It is way too early for snow. My pumpkins are turning white.

But then, only two months from today is Christmas Eve......