Just Below The Snow Line

     It is common knowledge that the higher you go in elevation, the colder it gets.  Yesterday there was visual proof of that across the road on the mountain slope.  We were getting a wet snowfall, which melted when it hit the ground at our place, but just a bit higher on the slope, it was a bit colder and the snow was sticking to the trees.  

    This is not an uncommon sight.    The Robson Valley bottomland across the Fraser River from us, has an elevation of 2,330 ft (710m).   The elevation of our house is 2,408 ft (734m) and those trees with the snow on them is about 2,500 ft i(750m) in elevation.  Even that small difference in elevation can create differences in temperature.

    I just got back from driving into McBride, and again I could see snow on the trees growing on the mountain slope, while there was no snow on the lower trees on the slope and in the field at its base.

You can view my paintings at:  davidmarchant2.ca

Back When Lucifer Was Constant Trouble

     Here is something I blogged about in 2013:  

        My wife noticed the pile of stuff in front of my computer, she thought that it was just one of my messes. (“How can you work like this, David?”)  I had to then explain to her that it was just my attempt to keep our cat Lucifer from blocking out my computer monitor by standing in front of it, as I worked.  You can see from the photo, it worked.  If Lucy does get interested in the moving cursor on the screen, she, a least, has to now watch it from the side, which allows me to still see what I am doing on the computer.

        Sadly, Lucifer and Kona our dog, (like their owners) are really starting to suffer from the effects of old age.  I have mentioned before how I now have to carry Kona everywhere, because she can no longer walk.  Lucifer, who is now just skin and bones, can no longer jump upon my desk and get in the way of my computer, those days are over for her.

    In the past, Lucifer made a cozy home of a padded folding chair covered over with a blanket, making a cave-like space for her, but now she no longer uses that as her home base, I assume because she can no longer jump into it.  Now she stays close to the ground and has adopted an old box I made for collecting my student’s work when I was teaching that was sitting on the floor of my office, as her sleeping place.

    It is hard to watch the declining activity in our pets, and realize that their lives, like ours, have an expiration date, but for now they are still doing what they can, not complaining, and showing affection to us, as we are showing to them.

   Take a look at my paintings:  davidmarchant2.ca

Tomatoes and Chili Peppers to Come

     While outside, spring seems to be taking its time in coming, inside the house, this year’s gardening plants are developing as they should.   Above you see the result of the seeds I had planted when there was still snow on the ground outside.  The coloring of the photo might seem a bit off, but that is because the plants are under some grow lights.

    This is the start of the rather frustrating time, when the plants are starting to get big enough and should be transplanted into pots, but it is still too cold to keep them in the greenhouse, and once they are potted, they will really take up a lot of space, which is not available under the grow lights.   What I usually do is pot them, then keep the plotted plants in the house overnight, then cart them out to the greenhouse so they can get some sun during the day. 

    The greenhouse is usually warm enough for the plants during the day, it is just the nights when it is too cold in the greenhouse.  This moving of plants usually works out okay, although it gets to be a hassle carting them them back and forth every day.

    It will probably be a month, before I can actually plant the tomatoes and chilis into the soil in the greenhouse.  

Take a look at my paintings:  davidmarchant2.ca

Pond Ice Disappearing

     I always look forward to seeing the winter ice on the pond start the melt.  The pond is so much more attractive when you can see it reflecting the sky once again.  It will be a couple more days before the ice is totally gone.  

    Yesterday when I walked around the pond, I was pleased to see that the pair of Hooded Mergansers had returned.  They have been coming for about 10 years  The female nests in a box on a tree and if everything goes as planned she will latter have a string of ducklings swimming behind her when they hatch.

View my paintings at:  davidmarchant2.ca

Anniversary of Dylan's First Professional Performance

     This morning on the radio, the broadcaster said that today was the 65th Anniversary of Bob Dylan’s first professional performance, which occurred at Gerde’s Folk City in New York City.  Nineteen year old Dylan was the opening act for bluesman, John Lee Hooker.

    Dylan became very important to me, before he really became known generally to the public.  When I was in high school, I became very interested in folk music.  I read a lot of the folk music magazines that were available at the time.  I was blown away when in 1963, I heard Peter, Paul, and Mary sing Blowin’ in the Wind, and was very interested to know who could write such a profound song.  I read it was some guy named Bob Dylan and I was anxious to learn more about him.  I had never heard him sing, but he was creating quite a buzz with his songwriting.

    My close friend Greg, was also very interested in Dylan, and Greg was in a record club, and one month, “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan” album, was one of the choices for the month, so Greg bought the album.  We were both curious to hear him sing.  When Greg’s record arrived, he called me to tell me it was awful, it sounded terrible.  Later he said I could have the album.

    I took it and listened, I too was initially taken aback by his singing, which at the time, was way beyond what was normal.  However, after listening to the album, I soon became accustom to his nasal-raw sounding voice, and fell in love with his songs and guitar playing.   Greg too, eventually got accustom with Dylan’s voice, and became a super fan.

    Dylan’s music has had a lifelong effect on me.  I followed Dylan’s music through his folk beginnings and protest songs, which I loved.  Then when he caused mayhem in the purist folk community by playing rock and roll, I stayed with him and loved his rock and roll.  I did kind of lose interest when he started doing country music, and totally quit following him when got religious.

    Many of Dylan’s songs are still on my radar.  Our jam plays a handful of them.  We started playing his “Chimes of Freedom” in our protest to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and vowed to keep on playing weekly until Russia quit, so after several years of playing it, we are getting pretty good at the song.

    I love remembering those early years when I was so intensely following Dylan’s songs, and trying to figure out how to play them on my guitar (this was way before you could just learn from a video on the internet).   I learned a lot from listening to Dylan’s music, both when done by him, but also by groups like The Byrds and the Band.  

    Dylan’s rise, totally changed the direction of music, and ushered in the whole genre of singer-songwriters, which led to more poetic, intelligent, and poignant lyrics in music.

  

You can view my paintings at:  davidmarchant2.ca

Cartoon: Tax Burden

     The term “Tax Burden” generally refers to a huge amount of money to be paid in taxes.  With me, the term refers to the difficultly I have to motivate myself to organize all of that information needed to have my taxes done.  

    I used to struggle, I mean really struggle, to do my own income tax.  I had a small business, a small farm, and of course, just the taxes from working at the full time job at the BC Forest Service.  Trying to figure out how to fill out all of the tax forms, left me totally bewildered and frustrated, but I muddled through the best I could.

    Now, I hire a local business to do my taxes, but I still find it burdensome just to organize all of the information that I need to submit to them, so they can do my taxes.  Throughout the year, I try to conscientiously save all of the needed receipts for the taxes, so it shouldn’t be that difficult for me to organize it, but I am finding it so hard just to make myself put it all together.

    I know down in the States, they have until April 15th to submit their taxes.  Fortunately, up here in Canada, I have until the end of the month, but I know I’d better get at it pretty soon.

View my paintings:  davidmarchant2.ca

Camouflaged Ruffed Grouse

     With their colored patterns of browns, grays, and blacks, the Ruffed Grouse blends in nicely with its wooded surroundings.  The chicken-like bird uses its camouflage very effectively, by standing very still.  A person probably would not see the bird unless it moved.  That was the case the other day when I was walking around the pond.  Had the grouse stood still and not moved, I wouldn’t have noticed it, but as I ambled unaware, closer, down the path, it started to quickly walk away.

    Grouse always seem so vulnerable.  They spend most of their time scratching around in the leaf litter on the forest floor, and their brownish coloration doesn’t help them much in the winter, so I am always happy to see the ones that have survived through the winter.  

    I suspect this one is a male, with his spread-out fan-like tail.  Later in the spring, we hear the males  making a drum-like rhythm as they stand on a fallen log, trying to attract a female for mating.

View my paintings at:  davidmarchant2.ca