Shocking, white and wondrous

Many of us in Ottawa are getting edgy, hoping we’ll get snow soon.  Without it, I daresay, there will be little to do this winter for those of us who spend time on the ski trails in Gatineau park, skating on the Rideau canal, kite skiing and playing outdoor hockey.  Winter without snow around here would be tiresome in the extreme. One can only enjoy so many games of the Settlers of Catan.

I went hiking yesterday reluctantly, wishing I was zipping through the woods on my skis. So, I was pleasantly surprised to find a bit of winter out there.  It has been cold enough lately to freeze Lusk falls in Gatineau Park, with the spray and water vapour creating a shock of white ice formations in an otherwise brown and drab forest. I was expecting a lack-luster stroll through the woods but this chance encounter made my afternoon feel like an adventure of sorts. And right about now, I needed that.

Pray for snow.