Nearly March already

Where has the last couple of months gone?  

Christmas, New Year, January and now February - poof!

The three weeks around Christmas time was chilly in Calgary - temps in the -20'sºC, but since then, I've had no reason to complain.  This was the view from my office window taken in December.  Pretty, in a frigid kind of way.

The Bow River running through Cochrane was only frozen in little bits this year - the above picture from mid-January is the worst it ever got.  It really hasn't been that cold this winter (and yes, I know it's still only February, and Mother Nature has a knack of making me look smug and stupid on any given day of the year).  

2013 started with new windows throughout our house.  The team of guys were very fast and very good, but even they couldn't divert me from questioning why I had agreed to have them installed in January, when it was -9ºC outside.

But we are delighted with the results.  Triple-glazed, upvc, sunscreen coating - you name it, we got it.  And now we just have to finish paying for it.

February also means two birthdays in this household for our daughters - we now officially have two teenagers in the house (though it has felt like that for some time, on some days, to be honest).  A 13 year old and a 15 year old.  Oh boy!

I was very surpirsed to see flocks of the Bohemian Waxwings in my garden again in early February.  I tell you every year how they feed in November and then migrate  (to who-knows-where) - but I have never seen them again so early in the year.

And today - just above freezing, sunshine and nearly clear blue skies, 

hardly a scrap of snow to be found, except on those newly layered mountains in the distance

and the knowledge that we turn our clocks back (almost my favourite day of the year) in a couple of weeks' time.  The mornings are lighter, the evenings are lighter, and my mood is lighter!

Linking to Our World Tuesday

and SkyWatch Friday

Have a great week.