Overcast again today, and a steady fall of light snow. I accompanied Rachel with some errands to do in Invermere, so that I could walk around and take some photographs in places where it was normally hard to stop. It was snowing much more heavily that, which somewhat sabotaged my project. Neverthless, I wandered around and took photos for an hour, and enjoyed the vigorous exercise needed to stop getting chilled - it was still minus thirteen, making nonsense of that old saw 'it's too cold to snow' - it's the rise in humidity in cold weather that brings on the snow.
I was interested to see how the surface of the Columbia River remains unfrozen at the point where it flows out of Windermere Lake into the wetland area on the north side of Invermere. The river doesn't stop flowing beneath the ice, even if it's a metre thick, but there's something about the environmental conditions, perhaps simply the movement of surface water at the point of outflow form the lake that limits the build up of ice. The little I could see of the wetland area approach appeared interesting. On the slopes above, I've been told, are eagles' nests, and the swampy reed beds are host to many kinds of migrating birds and salmon fry at the right season of the year. Public notices on the river bank demonstrated municipal commitment to regulate water traffic and protect the inhabitants of this special environment. I'd love to see this area in spring or autumn.
We drove home for lunch and afterwards Clare and I went out for our afternoon promenade, making the most of the additional snowfall for some vigorous exercise. We were both pretty whacked when we got back. Rachel and John went off to a hockey game with friends after supper, Clare bathed Jasmine and I told her a story. Thankfully she went off to sleep peacefully, giving us a chance to relax and listen to music, as the light snow continued to trickle out of the sky under cover of darkness.
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