Picture Perfect

Have you ever felt like you were right in the middle of a picture perfect post card? I had that experience yesterday and every time I look out a window this morning the feeling washes over me again. Riverwood looks totally awesome!

We set off from home yesterday in a bit of a tizzy. As usual, our stuff seemed to expand as we piled it near the door ready to pack in the car. Gathered there in a heap were - city clothes, country clothes, city boots, country snowshoe boots, snowshoes, sleeping bags, pillows, computers, printers, cameras, food, Christmas gifts, bags of books and myriad other odds and ends. Yes, we had a mountain to chip away at and transfer to the car.

It was sleety-snowing when we started the task, but it turned to light snow by the time we finished and in the process we tracked quite a bit of mess into the house whilst packing. We thought we had better clean up a bit before setting off, so I mopped the kitchen floor and AC prepared to vacuum the carpet in the den and family room. He bent over to plug the vacuum in and found the power cord for his laptop still plugged into the power bar. Whew! That would have been awful if he had left that behind. He has all sorts of work he wants to get done on the laptop while at Riverwood. Anyway, he found it in time, so all was well. We set out, locked the door and got into the car – oh oh, I realised I forgot my bag with my camera, cell phone and wallet in it. Whew! Another near disaster averted. I would not have been a happy camper without my camera for our whole holiday. We locked the door again and were just about to get into the car when AC discovered he didn’t have his wallet. Back into the house we went again. If the neighbours were looking out their windows I am sure they got quite a chuckle as we continued to lock and unlock the front door and get in and out of the car. Sheesh!

On the third trip back inside the house I was wondering what else we had forgotten and got my list out of my travel bag and looked it over. I double-checked that the back doors were locked, the side motion light on, the fireplace and stove off, the basement light off, the small light in family room on, etc. We got into the car for a third time and drove off, but I felt rather uneasy. What else had I forgotten? This was a terrible start indeed.

We picked up our coffee and toasted bagel with extra butter at Tim’s, and headed for the highway. As we sped along my apprehension started to ease up and I eventually left all my worries behind me. They flitted out the window one by one and lay scattered along the roadside. Our neighbours would be checking the house everyday to make sure everything was ok there, and whatever else we had forgotten we could live without or buy another. We were now on holiday, and Riverwood waited. Don’t worry. Be happy! So, I didn’t and I was!

There was a smattering of snow covering the fields on either side of the highway near home, but as we drove further east the snow-cover started to increase and the landscape looked more and more Christmassy. Hmmm, maybe we would have a White Christmas after all. Eventually we turned north off the 401 and headed into Riverwood country. What a treat was awaiting us there. All the trees were decked out in their finest black tuxedos and party dresses trimmed with white fur. The fields and lakes were covered in a fresh blanket of the fluffy white stuff too and the further north we got the more spectacular the scenes around each bend in the road became. It was a magnificent drive. We couldn’t have ordered a better day for dry clear roads to drive on but lots of fresh thick snow on the land all around us to feast our eyes on. I kept saying to AC, “I feel like I am driving into a postcard. Oh look, there is a perfect picture for next year’s Christmas card. Oh no, over there is a better one. Oh, look over there.” Perfect scene, after perfect scene, after perfect scene, just kept coming.

Finally we turned into Welcome Lane at Riverwood and we were confronted with the best scene of them all. The pine trees on either side of the gate were laden with heavy snow which made their branches bow down to the ground making a frame for the house. AC drove down Welcome Lane to the house, but I chose to walk in after I got out of the car to open the gate. It was magical - the light somewhere between afternoon and evening, the air thick with snow-covered silence. I walked along and drank it all in.

We cleared the steps of snow, entered the house, turned on the heat, unpacked the car and then went for a short walk and took some pictures. We have never seen Riverwood quite like this before and the beauty of it almost took my breath away. The time of day, the fresh snow on all the trees, the time of year – all combined to make for a most enchanted moment.

It is now almost 24 hours later and the awesomeness hasn’t stopped all day. We went for a walk along Riverside Ramble Trail this morning and I am at a loss for words to describe the beauty of it. I felt like I was in another world as we snowshoed amongst the tall snow covered trees lining the winding path. AC has posted some pictures on his blog, and here too, if you want to go in and take a look.

The sun has come out now, but it is snowing again, so we have more fresh snow on the ground, sunshine blazing on the fresh fallen snow but also through the falling snow. What a combination. We are going to go out again and snowshoe down to the swimming hole and see what is going on down there.

I will finish this blog when I get back….

Ahhh, what a treat to walk into the warm toasty farmhouse kitchen after our very cold late afternoon walk. The temperature is dropping quite low tonight, but AC got the wood fire going in the furnace so the farmhouse is comfy and warm and fragrant with the smell of wood smoke. This afternoon’s jaunt was much shorter than the one we enjoyed this morning, but still quite lovely. The sun, getting low in the sky, cast marvellous pink and grey shadows across the fields and the black trees stood at attention all along our path. One group of trees across the road actually looked like a gathering of tall, skinny, old world Santas. As we stood there in the fading light I thought I could hear them whispering about lists and all they yet had to do.

Yes, it is definitely Christmas here at Riverwood. I hope it is starting to feel like Christmas where you are too, and the beauty of the season fills each day with warmth and joy.