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Midnight (Close Enough) Walk

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*I handwrote most of this post in my Whatever Pages Book last night instead of typing it directly, as I try to unplug from all electronics a good hour (lucky if it’s a half-hour) before bed.  And I didn’t want to, once again, have an idea for a post but wait so long that it becomes too late, so…

After watching the flag-fest that was the the Eagles/49ers game and then foolishly watching the refs-are-off-the-deep-end Bengals/Chiefs game, B and I hung up in annoyance.  There were better ways to spend our time, we both thought.  During the half time of the second game, I went out to shovel the walkway.  I realised it was perfect out there and declared that I was going to for a walk after the game.  The more the farce game went on, the less I felt like going out there so I ended up on the internets, pfaffing away my time with comments here and there, until finally deciding around 11 pm, to hell with it, I was wasting my time again.  A much better use of said time was to go out.

I checked the temps:  -9℃, feels like -11℃ (16℉/12℉) and decided my rather thick leggings would suffice, though I put on my big Canadian-style boots, my only-when-it’s-at-least -10℃ coat, ski mitts and tuque, of course, and out the door I went.

Face-to-face with the half moon competing with the lamppost, I clicked a few, thinking I’ll use them for the Boucherville FB photo group and made my way to the nearby park.

I marvelled at how bright it was (the reason I prefer snow to rain in the winter, is it brightens everything) and the clouds were fascinating.

Don’t scratch your screen, it’s not dust, they’re stars 😉

As I approached the outdoor hockey rink (now equipped with a fantastic heated changing shed), I was surprised to find it empty.  Yo, Rog, it’s close to midnight on a Sunday, what did you expect?  I still expected, what can I say?  They play in much colder climes and often at night!

The rink
The shed – taken on another outing but here for clarification purposes

The crunch of my boots on the packed snow and the faraway beeps of the snowploughs readying the parking lots for tomorrow’s employees and patrons were the only sounds keeping me company.   The snow sparkled under the moon and the trees cast their shadow under the lampposts.

I am amazed that my hands are not freezing when I remove my mitts to take pictures. It’s weird, really. I have Raynaud’s Syndrome which only comes into play if I hold something cold.  But the cold itself doesn’t really bother them.  Well, obviously, in really cold temps, I needs must have those mitts on (gloves are useless for me) but I am amazed at how long I can go without before needing to warm them up again.

 

This just might be card-worthy…

I decide to simply walk the loop of the park, then make my way home.  It is late, after all, and my thighs are thinking it might have been nice to find themselves in warmer snow pants (it’s not that bad but go too far…)

I am surrounded by beauty.

And loathe to go home.

But it’s getting late… Now it’s close to midnight!  But just one more before I pick up the pace.

Oooh… No, this one!

On the last stretch, I encounter the first and only other human.  To my bonsoir! I receive nothing.  I choose to think he did not hear me.

I feel my cheeks getting more ruddy with each step.  My legs are going to be happy to find themselves wrapped in warm blankets.  Surely I will sleep well?

 

152 thoughts on “Midnight (Close Enough) Walk”

    • Dear Rochelle,

      What arctic cold? It was wonderful. And I thank you for enjoying the photos. My pleasure on the share 😉

      Shalmon and lotsa fresh-aired love,

      Dale

      Liked by 1 person

    • Patsy!
      How lovely to see you here! It took me a bit to fall asleep but once I was out, I went all the way till morning. What a lovely thing to say. I appreciate you.

      Liked by 2 people

  6. I hope you did sleep well!
    The shadows in them are scary and magical both. The final one looks like a painting/holiday card.

    I have zero interest in sports, but there’s lots of excitement in my area of the world about the Eagles. The walk sounds a lot more interesting to me. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

  7. Beautiful photos, beautiful night. I have Raynaud’s too but I have real trouble when the temperature drops, hands and feet BCA get pre gangrius . My brai sends me to sleep if I get too cold! Also it’s not just cold weather that affects me I can sit on a West Indies beach and if there is a cool breeze my brain screams sub artic and I go blue!
    I love your description of your walk 💜💜😉

    Liked by 2 people

    • Thank you, Willow. I am so lucky that mine just acts up if I hold something cold – even with gloves on. Or when I am stressed and cold. But it’s only happened a couple times where after going white, my fingers turned purple – scared the bejeezus out of me.
      Glad you enjoyed my descriptions! 🧡🧡💞

      Like

  8. Beautiful. You’re a brave human. I was sad we didn’t get the snow the weather reporter promised last night, but decided to take a walk to the mailbox alone anyway. It was desert beautiful, much like your snowy night beautiful.

    Liked by 2 people

  11. WP just ran away with my comment. I’ll try again.

    This was a wonderful walk you took us on, and I didn’t even get cold! That last photo looks like a Thomas Kincaid painting. Awesome.

    The photo of the clouds/stars is really neat.

    I’m sorry the gentleman didn’t return your greeting. Your take is that he didn’t hear you. My take (evil mind) is that he was leaving his girlfriend’s house to go home to his wife and he was dumbstruck that there was a witness!

    I’m so glad your adventure ended with a good nights sleep.

    You may be my good luck charm…well, except for my comments doing a disappearing act…because WP hasn’t sent me one blog post since last Thursday! I have to find everyone I follow on Google. This is the first blog post that has come in through normal channels. I’m chuffed!! Hahaha! Didja think I forgot that word?!
    Ginger

    Liked by 2 people

    • How dare WP gremlins be so rude to you!

      So glad you enjoyed my walk and I have to admit, I really like that one, too. Might use it as next year’s Christmas card 🙂

      I took so many pics of the clouds and was pleased the sparkle of stars actually came through!

      It did. Took me a bit to fall, though. Sigh.

      I sure hope I am – comments disappearing notwithstanding! WP is not being cool with you at all. Wonder what the hell is going on?

      I’m chuffed that you are chuffed enough to have found a perfect excuse to use it!

      😉

      Like

  13. Oh my, Dale. What a great walk!

    This is going to make you laugh, every cloud picture was moving for me. It was as if I was looking at a video. I had to keep blinking. Those are some really great photos.

    Used to have a friend who walked at midnight. I can understand why it’s a lovely time to do so.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thank you, Janet!

      They do for me, too! And I love that.. I am beyond chuffed that you enjoy 🙂

      I love taking midnight walks. The quiet is so comforting. Mick used to have a friend and whenever we went for supper at their place, we always went out for a walk between the main course and dessert; or after the meal. It was lovely to do so. My friends were not inclined to when I suggested it last week!

      Liked by 1 person

  15. I like this late-night walk collection of soothing words and calming photos. Of the images, the first one really caught my attention … then the blanket of snow & the one with the blanket and the light. Meanwhile, you watched more football yesterday than I did. Just one game for me … and imagine how I felt during that 4th quarter. Thanks for the stroll.

    Liked by 2 people

  18. Tes photos d’hiver me font du bien. Je me souviens comment j’aimais ce sentiment de velours que créé la neige blanche, du silence feutré qu’elle procure la nuit tombée. J’entend encore le son de mes pas ma marchant dans ce calme.

    Je me souviens ! Merci mon amie xox

    Liked by 1 person

    • Merci mon ami chéri! Je suis touchée que mes photos te ramènent ce sentiment de calme et ce beau souvenir.

      C’est moi qui te remercies mon ami Mario xoxo

      Like

  19. That is the one thing I miss about winter here in Ontario: We don’t get the squeaking snow and the surreal light of the moon on those cold, quiet midnights. I have fond memories. Canadian winters are tough and beautiful.

    Liked by 2 people

    • I would imagine in your neck of Ontario. Up near Wawa and Dubreuilville, they get like us 😉 The squeaking (I prefer crunching) snow and yes the light. It was such a beautiful walk. I might have to do it again tonight!

      Liked by 1 person

  20. Lovely, Dale! It is not often one sees night photos by lamp and moonlight. Were you using your phone? My Nikon would be a pain for night shots, but the phone, maybe? I’m impressed you braved the frigid temps, not sure I could muster myself that late in the evening!

    Liked by 2 people

  21. Another touchdown, Dale.

    So, we sissy Texans are in a panic cuz dropping to 29F now. But everything is wet and the precip continues, all of which means ICE! (maybe)

    I agree with Patsy – your writing is so damn good. I hope you know that.
    I agree with the many others that your photo skills are par excellence.
    I agree with Rochelle that it’s cold, but going out like that at such a late (early?) hour reminds me of my own youthful adventures.

    As for the game(s), let me see.
    ‘This gimp (sympathy vote) QB is out of bounds, but I’m gunna just give him a tiny shove (and nearly kill myself doing it). But, no foul. Right? It will not cost us the tie, right…?’ Oops!
    I notice more and more shots of head coaches pointing to their brains as a signal to their players. Oh well — two weeks and done.

    Have a cigar. 🙂

    Liked by 2 people

    • Touchdown, eh? And no flag on your call? Ego stroked 😉

      Well, the way I see it, is, we cannot truly judge fairly as we live in very different climes. Your 29F is our -40 so everything is relative. We joke but some of us realise that you are not prepared for snow and ice as we are.

      Aww… I am truly chuffed that you both think so! And that you enjoyed the photos, too.
      It wasn’t cold (well bundled up. I will, however, if I choose to go out again tonight (it is snowing oh so softly and is very pretty) wear my snow pants.

      Yeah, seriously. And do let’s let the convicts, I mean refs, play with the clock and not see other fouls and, and and…

      We kept saying, do these players not know the rules of the game? You run out of bounds, you can’t run in. I imagine poor Burrow was hoarse trying to get his team to do their job. It sucks that three were sidelined, but still.

      Marc declared he was boycotting the Super Bowl and I frankly, don’t care anyway!

      Pass me a light, wouldya?

      Liked by 2 people

      • Forgot….had to look up ‘tugue’ and hope to use that word soon. 🙂

        “We” will probably watch the SB (Yolonda is a fan, albeit a Cowboy one) so I will have one more thing to add to the list of sports stuff I’ve forgotten. 🙂
        “Pulls out lighter and torches the end of your cigar.”

        Liked by 2 people

        • If you’re gonna use it, you best change that ‘g’ for a ‘q’. And, I cannot fathom why because we say it with a long ‘U’, but Anglos spell it ‘toque” – makes zero sense to me. And essentially, is a beanie with a brim 😉

          I hear ya. I might change the channels now and again and see the what’s what 😀

          Shall I bring out the snifters to go with our cigars? What’s your poison? We have cognac, brandy, bourbon… g’head…

          Liked by 2 people

    • Thank you, Ally. One would think I would have been asleep within minutes. However, it took me almost an hour! I did sleep all the way till morning, so there is that…

      Liked by 1 person

  24. How brave of you! Not for the cold, but for the isolation at night when nasty folks roam. And I love those photos, the unblemished snow! Well worth the walk, tis true. But I still feel very brave of you

    Liked by 2 people

  25. Lovely nighttime shots – especially. the composition of the half-moon competing with the lamps. Fortunately I don’t have Raynaud’s, which I know can be very unpleasant, but I learned in my teens that if I bore the cold on bare fingers for half an hour my hands would warm up of their own accord – that still seems to hold good. Mind you, our cold weather is not as tough as yours.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Thank you, Derrick. I do love that one, too.
      That’s pretty much how it works for me IF I don’t hold something cold. If I do hold something cold – and it doesn’t have to be for long, either – some of my fingers turn cadaver-white and get numb. It’s quite gross.
      Just bearing the cold, they adapt very well. I was going to go out this morning but honestly? it’s -21℃ and I’m feeling rather wimpy…

      Liked by 2 people

  27. Postcards of the season, Dale. Beautiful shots all, and since we still have had nothing but flakes here I will continue to experience what we used to have here through your lens. The outdoor hockey rink has a very cool changing shed. As for it not being in use, when NHL Hockey first came to Philadelphia, every skating rink (all indoors) was booked all night long for those eager to act like they were Flyers themselves. That rink looks very cool…ok, cold!

    Liked by 2 people

    • I like that: Postcards of the season! Thank you. I am steeling myself to go out and shovel the MOUND of snow in my backyard (I like to ensure an escape route and hope I never need it). There are countless hockey rinks just in my town. All of them are very much used, too. Of course, my timing was way off to see even one person practicing his/her shots. I am amazed when I see it busy when it’s in the way colder temps than during my walk. I’m talking -30’s℃ (-20’s℉).
      I love that they put a permanent structure. They used to bring a container-like thing – surely not heated – every year. It created a mucky mess for passersby. This one, just off to the side, is perfect.

      Liked by 1 person

  31. Q

    Judging by this beautiful gallery of captures, you were WAY more productive than I was after a looooong day of flag football! And as for the second game, what I objected to- and always will- is the incompetence. The inept way in which that game was officiated left the result open to subjectivity, and mango! The internets are blazing with talk of a rigged game. Which it wasn’t. And it overshadows a classic performance by Mahomes, which is sad. Alls I know is, the league being in bed with gambling companies . . . well, they ask for this.

    But about these captures! I WILL bet on them! Every single time.

    B

    Liked by 2 people

  36. Brrrrrrr!
    Geez, but it looks like a fab walk. I’ll bet you slept well.
    Crazy, but if the sidewalks &/or alleys are not slimy &/or icy, I’ll go out in sub 0 in the daytime. If I bump into street art, I take my mitts off to take pics. I can go along time and my hands don’t get cold.
    Something we have in common, dear Thunder! xoxo

    Liked by 1 person

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