Nose Hill in Winter

Nose Hill Park, one of the largest inner-city provincial parks in Canada and North America, is eleven and a half square kilometers and it is located in the northwest quadrant of Calgary. By noon time, it stopped snowing and the sun climbed up in the low south. After ensuring the curry goat is simmering on the stove, I bundled myself with ski pants, snow boots, goose down coat, neck warmer, tuque and ski mittens, and I was out with my camera, straight to the Nose Hill Park, which is several hundred meters away from our home.

Unlike its summer and autumn sceneries, Nose Hill Park displayed a totally different beauty, pure and peaceful. I wonder where the fifty white tale deer, and porcupines and owls are now. I saw them so often in the summer passing through the trees and bushes.

It is so difficult to walk through the knee-high snow, and I started to sweat in minutes. Frost formed on my eye lashes, but the scene looked prettier with the icy foreground. Soon the camera battery died on me, and I truly wanted to shoot a picture for a black retriever running out of excitement and a couple bundled like two pumpkins hiking to the distance.

Only after I came back, have I found it was minus twenty seven! Good there was no wind at all.

Snow Flakes

Most likely this is the last winter in Calgary before we head to the Kukuland, and I am so thankful to see such abundant snow before Christmas, even though the traffic has been chaotic for the past two weeks in the city.

There is no wind at all outside in my garden and the temperature is perfectly set at minus six. The snow flowers drift, spin and land peacefully on the wrinkled crab apples that are waiting for the birds coming back in the spring. Some of the snow flakes stand on apple branches or ever-green needles, while others prefer to surround the honey suckle berries, Saskatoon berries or Nanking cherries.

Snow

I love to peek out through the windows at night and watch the snow flakes dancing wildly with the wind under the orange street lights. I eagerly crawl into my warm quilt to read, or lie down beside the fire place, listening to the firewood bursting sparks like a shooting stars and rubbing Jason's little feet.

I love to sit alone by the Tim Horton’s huge window on the third floor of Calgary downtown’s Bankers Hall, facing giant black glass windows of Dome Tower across the street. Snow flakes fluttering quietly and thawing on Stephens Avenue, only coffee steam is sizzling up.

I love to be the first skier on a ski run covered by an overnight fresh snow, and it makes me feel like Heli-skiing, drawing huge S on the soft white blanket, descending from the blue sky.
I love to hear the whooping sound when my skis brush the snow powder to the air, and I love to see the sun light shines through the powder into my eyes. I also love to fall freely when skiing on a quiet run, and I will lie down and let the snow thaw on my face and mouth, listening the wind blowing through the evergreens. A heavenly peace filling my heart, I praise the Lord and I pray with tears and thankfulness.

I love to cook delicious dishes all day, while the snow is burying our home. I always get excited to see friends showing up at the door for dinner, with the snow all over their coats and hats, bringing the fresh crispy air into the warm atmosphere that is filled with the smell of curry lamb, apple pie and red wine.

I love to wake up in the morning and hear the local radio warning people not to go to work due to a heavy snow fall. I always get delighted to have the accidental day off, to see neighbors coming out of their hibernation shells, busy shoveling the snow and helping to push the stuck cars.

I love snow and I will miss it so much. I also know I will love deserts and Persian Gulf.

(The first two pictures were taken in White Fish, Montana March 2009.)