Take It To The Streets - Day 31

Parking Lot Splash    

"[in Just-]  spring... 

- ...when the world is puddle-wonderful..."    

For little kids, splashing in a spring-time puddle is natural fun, for cars, the splashing is mostly unavoidable, but for pedestrians, it represents a real problem. Unless the pedestrian is a kid at heart and loves the anticipation of a spray of water! 

quotation from the poem 

[in Just-]

by ee cummings

.      

Take It To The Streets - Day 30

Spring Melt    

Droplets of Water  

- drip from melting icicles    

Cool overnight temperatures froze yesterday's melting snow into icicles on the eaves, and the afternoon sun is melting it, drop by drop. By late afternoon, all these icicles were gone.      

Take It To The Streets - Day 29

For Rent in a Boom Town    

For Rent Signs Spring Up  

- as office space become hard to find     

With a large construction project underway, people in our town are finding it difficult, and increasingly expensive, to get good locations for offices . For Rent signs go up and come down rapidly.     

Take It To The Streets - Day 28

Cemetery Gate in Winter    

The Old Town Cemetery 

- is now being restored as an historic site     

This cemetery honors the lives of the people who made our town what it is. It is no longer an active burial site, and it is being recognized for what it always was - a place of memory.    

Take It To The Streets - Day 27

Two Kinds of Snowfall    

It's Still Stormy But There's Too Much Snow On That Roof 

- raking the snow off in chunks     

"It ain't over 'til it's over," said the baseball legend Yogi Berra. And neither is Winter, judging by the amount of snow that fell here in the past day and a half. Standing on the snowbank extends the reach of the long-handled snow rake.   

Take It To The Streets - Day 26

Icicle Wall   

Snow Melt from the Roof 

- freezes into icicles in the cold air   

A wall of icicles acts like a light catcher as it creates patterns of light and shadow against the side of the building. Signs of spring are around, but we're not out of winter yet. 

Take It To The Streets - Day 25

Pigeons Make a Soft Landing   

Overwintering Birds Look for Sand and Grit

- wherever they can find it   

The warmth of the afternoon sunshine is stripping the top layers of ice and snow off sidewalks and parking lots. Pigeons and other birds of all sizes and species are drawn to spots where earth and grass are exposed, so the birds can add some much needed sand and grit to their digestive systems after the long winter.

Take It To The Streets - Day 24

A Slushy, Sandy, Spring Street  

Warm Afternoon Sunshine Reveals the Winter Accumulation of Sand

- and reflections of trees and poles in the puddles   

Daytime temperatures are still below the freezing mark, but the warmth of the sunshine is skimming the top layers of ice and snow off streets and roads. The ridges of sand will disperse as soon as the road dries, leaving bare pavement.  

     

Take It To The Streets - Day 23

Backyard Firepit  

A Backyard Chiminea Fire 

- lights up a crisp spring evening   

On a cool and clear early-spring evening, enjoying flickering flames, fresh wood smoke and warmth from a backyard campfire is absolutely wonderful.  Thanks to the Fire Boss for the good time and for the photos! 

     

Take It To The Streets - Day 22

Clearing the Intersection  

A Municipal Snowblower Makes A Tight Cut

- to widen a street intersection   

When the roads are cleared, where does the snow go? It gets piled up along the sides of the roads. After a while, roads and intersections need to be cleared, and that's what this snowblower and its skillful operator are good at doing.   

     

Take It To The Streets - Day 21

Icicles Melting  

Icicles Melting into Water Droplets

- in the Springtime Sunshine   

Today Spring started. Today we have equal periods of daylight and darkness, and the daytime temperatures are noticeably milder.  In the mid-afternoon sunshine, icicles which were formed by snow melting off the roofs of buildings, were themselves melting off the eaves. 

     

Take It To The Streets - Day 20

Bird Perch  

The Crows and the Ravens   

- are battling it out for territory   

Crows and ravens are clever birds who know a good thing when they come upon it. Each species puts spotters up in high places to keep on eye on what's going on. It gets lively when the spotters notice that there are intruders about. 

     

Take It To The Streets - Day 19

Snow Melting into Icicles  

It's still below freezing, but the snow is melting  

- and forming icicles   

The snow that has accumulated over the past little while is starting to melt in the heat from the daytime sun. But the air temperature is still below freezing, and so icicles form, as drops of melt-water run off parked cars and other surfaces that have absorbed heat in the sunshine.

     

Take It To The Streets - Day 18

Holding Things Together 

No need for security any more 

- at the entrance to the old dump road  

At one point there may have been something in here that needed to be kept secure. Now, years later, even a temporary rope closure is falling apart, no matter that the rope is all that is holding the fence in place.

     

Take It To The Streets - Day 17

Snowmobiles Riding Up the River 

You may need to look closely 

- to see the two snowmobiles in this photograph  

Snowmobiles are a common form of transportation, around here. Although there is a system of groomed and marked trails for them to use, snowmobilers also delight in travelling in fresh snow and through wide open country.

     

Take It To The Streets - Day 16

Clearing Roads and Driveways  

What doesn't get done in the daytime 

- has to get done at night  

The snowplow may clear the roads, but it's up to ordinary folk to clear their own driveways. Some people like to do the work in the daylight, while some people find that blowing snow in the evening is more convenient. 

    

Take It To The Streets - Day 15

Redpolls Feeding in the Snowfall  

Overwintering Redpolls Feed in Birch Trees  

- they travel in flocks to stay warm and look for food  

The overnight heavy accumulation of snow does not stop these redpolls from feeding off the last few seeds left on these birch trees. A flock of twenty or thirty birds goes through our part of town every day, looking for seeds in feeders and  in any trees that have food left. 

    

Take It To The Streets - Day 14

Heavy Snowfall at the Car Lot  

A dull overcast day   

- relieved by flakes of white  

The weather forecasters predicted heavy accumulations of snow, and by this afternoon the snow was coming quickly, and and it began to accumulate fast. 

At the motor vehicle dealership, fresh snow accentuates the shapes of the new trucks parked in a regular line, and creates light and dark patterns all down the lot.    

Take It To The Streets - Day 13

International Flags at the Town Hall  

Colorful Flags Represent Nations   

- whose military forces are serving at our international air base    

The Canadian flag flies highest, in the center. To the far right are the official flag of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, and the unofficial but widely used "spruce twig" tri-color flag of Labrador. From the left the flags of Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom represent their countries. We live in a colorful and cosmopolitan town.    

Take It To The Streets - Day 12

The Town's Steam Truck Clears A Frozen Water Line  

Extreme Cold and Too Little Snow Cover     

- causes water in underground pipes to freeze    

This winter has been a cold one. Water lines have frozen all over town, and municipal workers go outside at all hours to clear blocked pipes. There are smiles all around when the water starts to flow again.   

Take It To The Streets - Day 11

Green Light Means Go  

Big Trucks Give Way  

- on the left turn arrow    

A big construction project has brought a lot of heavy traffic to the area. Smaller cars and pickup trucks take advantage of the lights at the intersection to make a left hand turn in front of the larger vehicle. 

Take It To The Streets - Day 10

Glare and Drifting Snow  

"Snow Snakes" 

- on the road    

Reflected light from the late afternoon sun reflects of the ice on the road, but the glare is cut by drifting snow making "snow snakes" slither across the surface. 

Take It To The Streets - Day 9

Driver and Passenger  

On a Yellow Snowmobile 

- with smiles all around    

Bright sunshine, bright colors and bright smiles from people who are out enjoying the day. 

Take It To The Streets - Day 8

Walking the Dog  

Brilliant afternoon sunshine 

- and brilliant color against the snow    

Although the temperatures have been cold, the sunshine is bright and inviting. Dogs need to be walked no matter what the weather, and their owners need the exercise, even if it is a bit of a job getting dressed to go outside. Then, once you are outside, it's certainly worth the effort.

Take It To The Streets - Day 7

Red, White and Blue  

Red pants, white snow and blue shadows

- a winter color scheme    

The sun is strong on clear winter days, and the shadows are cast in saturated blues. The pedestrian was walking through the parking lot of the corner gas-bar - and the colors were brilliant in the sunshine: Red, White and Blue.  

Take It To The Streets - Day 6

Cold Walking Today  

The only people who are outside

- are the people who have to be out     

Whether you measure the temperature on this sunny winter's day as -30 degrees Celcius or -20 degrees Fahrenheit, it's cold. Anyone who is out for any length of time has to be well-dressed against the chill. Jacket, sweater, cap, gloves, snowpants, boots, everything has to be windproof and warm, and this fellow is set for it. I said "You look cold, can I take your picture?" He agreed and he even gave me a warm smile. 

Take It To The Streets - Day 5

Ice Road  

Evergreen Posts Are Evenly Spaced

- and mark the boundaries of the ice road across the river     

It is a cold overcast day with drifting snow and a wind chill of -27 degrees Celcius. Nobody is out who doesn't have to be. 

This is the ice road to the community on the other side of the river. The trail  is intended for snowmobile traffic and it is marked with trees frozen into holes in the ice to show the location of the track.

The sign reads: "Caution: Mud Lake Winter Road. Travel At Your Own Risk. Always Use Caution When Crossing Bodies Of Water." 

Take It To The Streets - Day 4

A Shopper Striding in Snow  

A shopper balances on an icy walkway

- with a heavy bag of groceries     

It's interesting to watch how people walk on a slippery surface, and it's especially interesting to observe how they adjust their bodies and and the things that they carry. In this case the load is heavy and the shopper carries it close to his body to keep himself balanced. He watches his way and he proceeds quickly but very carefully.

Take It To The Streets - Day 3

Snow Dance  

Young Girl  in the Snow

- fun in the snow     

It doesn't matter what else is going on around you, if you are in a nice snowbank in bright sunshine, that's the time to do a dance and watch the snow flakes fall where they will. 

Take It To The Streets - Day 2

At the Starting Gate  

Cain's Quest Snowmobile Race 

- Team 77 is at its start on Day 2    

Cain's Quest raced through town today - 29 teams of two racers on two snowmobiles in an extreme off-trail snowmobile race where teams battle through some of the most remote areas of Labrador. 

Follow the race on Twitter @cainsquest or visit cainsquest.com. 

Take It To The Streets - Day 1

 Candlelight Vigil 

A tragedy brought home 

- friends and family pray for the safe return of a missing student      

A young woman studying away from home disappears suddenly. Friends and family hold a candlelight vigil for her safe return. Tragically, her body was discovered shortly afterwards, murdered and abandoned. The candles burning in the wind will soon blink out in the snowbank. But people at home will not forget.